Cores
The Multiple Myeloma SPORE is supported by three cores that provide essential support services.
Administrative Core
The Administrative Core stimulates research on multiple myeloma and expedites the translation of discoveries into new and better methods of cancer prevention, detection and treatment.
The Administrative Core provides several important functions that impact every component of the SPORE, ensuring efficient operation:
- An overall organizational infrastructure to support collaboration.
- A system for financial management.
- Formal procedures for systematic review of research projects and project growth and development.
Core co-directors
Biospecimens and Clinical Database Core
The highly functioning, state-of-the-art Biospecimens and Clinical Database Core helps the SPORE achieve its overall goal of advancing scientific understanding of myeloma pathogenesis, risk factors and therapy outcomes.
The core provides a coordinated, centralized and dedicated mechanism to procure, process and annotate biospecimens from people with plasma cell disorders. These disorders include multiple myeloma, smoldering multiple myeloma, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis, and Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia.
The core's goal is to procure, process and accurately classify a variety of biological specimens from all patients involved in SPORE protocols and all patients with plasma cell disorders cared for at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota.
Core co-directors
Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Core
The Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Core is responsible for all core-related analytical activities for each SPORE research project and for projects under the Developmental Research Program and the Career Enhancement Program.
The SPORE research projects span a wide range of analytical areas that include clinical trial-focused studies, associated lab-based correlative studies, and various omics studies. The core's scientists provide oversight of all SPORE-related statistical and bioinformatics activities and coordinate and combine efforts on each project as needed.
The core also supports investigators managing clinical trials. The core helps determine optimal designs, define data that should be collected, and create and implement appropriate analysis plans. The core oversees collecting and managing the clinical information each study requires.
The core also assists SPORE investigators with analyzing and interpreting omics data. It also helps leverage internal and external sources of biological information to promote cancer discoveries that affect care. Bioinformatics leverages the large set of omics analytical capabilities developed by the Bioinformatics Core at Mayo Clinic for robust data processing.
Core co-directors
- Yan W. Asmann, Ph.D.
- Susan M. Geyer, Ph.D.
