The Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics is a hub of collaboration. With a broad range of research interests and expertise in research methods and analysis, our faculty contribute to some of the most critical advancements in population health, precision medicine and health equity. The diagram below shows just how vast our collaboration network is, detailing the departments and individuals our faculty have worked with and the number of publications they have co-authored. (For a larger view of the chart below, click here, or view a list of cross-departmental authorships by individual faculty member.)
The department carries out its educational, scientific and clinical missions within the highly interdisciplinary culture of UCSF, taking a transdisciplinary approach to education and research. Many of our faculty members carry out their work with the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, which combines basic science, clinical research, epidemiology and patient care, and the Institute for Global Health Sciences, which integrates UCSF expertise across many disciplines to develop solutions to the world’s most pressing health challenges. And through our collaborations with the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, we provide training in translating evidence into practice for learners at all levels.
In addition to ad hoc and ongoing collaborations, department faculty are leaders in an array of large-scale data collection initiatives and resultant studies. Our faculty are experts in using these data sets and are researching innovative questions using them. The data are also available to researchers across UCSF for population studies.
Greater Bay Area Cancer Registry
An NCI Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registry, the GBACR maintains some of the highest quality control measures among cancer registries. GBACR data, collected from nine Bay Area and Central Coast counties, are recognized not only for their high quality, but also for the rich racial and ethnic diversity of the population that the registry represents. GBACR has developed a number of research resources:
- “Stars” Study: A standardized survey tool for breast cancer research, translated into four languages
- Demographic toolkit: Facilitates demographic data collection critical for public health monitoring, cancer research and clinical practice
- Yang socioeconomic status income: a multi-component area-based socioeconomic status (SES) index using detailed demographic, social, economic and housing data collected through the American Community Survey (ACS).
San Francisco Coordinating Center
The Coordinating Center, a collaborative enterprise among researchers from the Department of Epidemiology and CPMC Research Institute, has over 20 years of experience in conducting multicenter studies and clinical trials. The Coordinating Center has a large repository of data, biospecimens, radiographic images and genotype data from long-term studies on important health outcomes:
- Aging/longevity
- Breast cancer prevention
- Cardiovascular disease
- Cognitive function/dementia
- Endocrine disorders
- Insomnia/sleep disorders
- Genetics
- Neonatology
- Osteoarthritis
- Osteoporosis
- Research methods in biostatistics and study design
Health eHeart Study
Leveraging wearable technology allows researchers to capture cardiac health data in real time rather than through periodic office visits, giving them detailed and long-term data for each subject. The study, which aims to recruit 1 million participants globally, has consented research participants in all 50 states, more than 50 countries and of a broad range of ages.
Data Systems Services
In addition to its collaborative role in research, the department provides specific services in biostatistical and bioinformatics consultations through the Clinical and Translation Science Institute as well as support for complex, large-scale, high-volume research through its Data Systems Services group.
Digital Teaching and Learning Services
Digital Teaching & Learning Services has expertise in developing effective online learning courses and training sessions/products, including blended learning and other technology-enabled solutions, for any UCSF program.