Cores/Program Resources

"Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) … promoting interdisciplinary research and moving basic research findings from the laboratory to clinical settings..."

The PNW Prostate Cancer SPORE consists of four institutions that have large, multi-disciplinary teams of investigators and laboratories dedicated to prostate cancer research and a history of working closely together within this larger milieu. The respective teams of clinicians and researchers at these institutions bring considerable scientific depth and breadth required for confronting the most challenging problems blocking progress in our ultimate goal of reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with prostate cancer. This SPORE provides the blueprint for building a large coordinated translational prostate cancer effort spanning the Pacific Northwest. All participating institutions have made substantial commitments toward supporting the SPORE and its innovative, translational research projects.

Supporting these research projects are four research cores:

Core A: Leadership and Administration: A critical organizational focal point, Core A links information flow between the SPORE's dispersed sites and facilitates translational research objectives.
Core Director: Peter Nelson, M.D.; Co-directors: Janet Stanford, Ph.D., Paul Lange, M.D.

Core B: Tissue and Specimen: Core B provides specimen acquisition, processing, quality control, storage and clinical/research-information dissemination.
Core Director: Robert Vessella, Ph.D.; Co-director: Lawrence True, M.D.

Core C: Biostatistics: Linking study design, data collection, measurement and analysis, Core C assists investigators in designing studies that feasibly address questions of scientific interest, are amenable to statistical analysis and will yield statistically valid and interpretable results.
Core Director: Ruth Etzioni, Ph.D.; Co-director: Ziding Feng, Ph.D.

Core D: Clinical: Core D facilitates the flow of information not only from the laboratory to the clinic but also from the clinic to the laboratory and back by maintaining a unified clinical database, collecting tissue samples for analysis and designing and conducting clinical trials. In addition, this core works with a patient-advocacy group to engage patients in SPORE activities.
Core Director: Celestia Higano, M.D.; Co-director: Evan Yu, M.D.