Cancer Biostatistics

The Cancer Biostatistics Shared Resource (CBSR) provides comprehensive statistical support to cancer investigators at all stages of research, from study design stage of a project or clinical trial through execution, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination.

Core services and offerings:

• Collaborating with investigators in the design, conduct, analysis, interpretation and reporting of their clinical, laboratory and population science studies in research.
• Supporting statistical components of grant proposals, including long-term collaborative partnerships on multi-investigator initiatives. Providing statistical input for scientific manuscripts and abstracts. To advise the HICCC Protocol Review and Monitoring Committee by providing statistical review of the design of studies and their conduct.

Guideline of Timeframe Requests

Please contact the Cancer Biostatistics Shared Resource as early as possible before your deadline and be aware of the following guidelines:

• Abstracts: We generally need at least four weeks to perform data analysis for abstract submission.
• Grants: We typically need at least a month of active collaboration with investigators for new single-project grant submissions. Multi-project grants, such as SPOREs and program-project grants, require considerably more time (four months, at least), given the amount of coordination required.
• Manuscript Preparation: The Cancer Biostatistics Shared Resource requires a minimum of four weeks from the time an appropriately formatted data set has been submitted to carry out analyses and summarize results and methods for inclusion in manuscripts.
• Protocol Preparation: The Cancer Biostatistics Shared Resource requires a minimum of three weeks to prepare the statistical considerations (including study design and analysis plans).
• Other Consultations: We will help you with consultation on other tasks as appropriate. Again, the more lead-time we have, the better we can assist you.

On a case-by-case basis, the Cancer Biostatistics Shared Resource may decline requests that arrive too close to the deadline for us to provide anything useful. Please also consider that more complex designs or analyses will require more time.

Partnering With Us

For organizations without in-house biostatistics resources—such as startups or independent sponsors—the CBSR offers strategic partnership opportunities. Partnering with our experienced Columbia-based biostatistics department can significantly enhance the quality of your statistical analysis, Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials, and trial and protocol design when your organization has no dedicated biostatistics resource available. Our team of PhD and MS Biostatisticians bring deep expertise in trial design, statistical analysis, and regulatory standards, ensuring robust and efficient study planning.

With our familiarity and knowledge of how clinical trials and grants are conducted at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian, can help you avoid common pitfalls from an insufficient statistical considerations section in a protocol that can delay study initiation.

For small startups operating with limited time and budget, getting your trial design right is essential. By collaborating with us early, you reduce the likelihood of delays, enhance the quality of your data, and strengthen the overall impact of your clinical research.

User Policies and Fees

The Cancer Biostatistics Shared Resource includes doctoral- and masters-level statisticians who provide short-term consultation on specific projects, and long-term collaboration on studies. In some cases, support for certain categories of projects will be provided by specific consultants.

Policies

To prioritize workload and maintain quality, CBSR follows these general guidelines:

Project Prioritization (in order of priority):

• Grant preparation
• Abstracts for national meetings, and other reports with fixed deadlines
• Protocol design and review
• Laboratory, animal, and epidemiology study design and review
• Short-term consultation
• Study monitoring, analysis, manuscript preparation, and replies to manuscript reviews
• Education of users

Key Timelines

• Program grant applications (e.g., SPORE, P01): Notify CBSR at least 6 months in advance of deadline.
• R01 and K series grants: Notify at least 1 month in advance.
• Abstracts for major meetings (e.g., ASCO, AACR): Provide datasets at least 1 month prior to deadline and consult CBSR during abstract drafting.

User Fees

The Cancer Biostatistics Shared Resource operates as a consultative service without a chargeback for Columbia based investigators.

For more information, please visit the Department of Biostatistics at the Mailman School of Public Health.