The Duke Pepper Center supports two research cores that have evolved from prior support: (1) an Analysis Core and (2) a Biological Studies Core. Six externally funded NIH/VA grants, with study aims and study populations that integrate into our thematic focus, receive support from these cores; with specific research aims relevant to our Center. They are supported by three Administrative Cores. The public impact will be a significant advancement in the basic understanding of the multiple factors that contribute to functional decline, and the enhancement of interventions directed at improving the overall quality of life of older adults.
ANALYSIS CORE
Carl F. Pieper, D.P.H., Core Leader
Tel: (919) 660-7525 FAX: (919) 684-8569 E-mail: cfp@geri.duke.eduThe Analysis Core provides technical support to the funded grants, pilots, projects and junior faculty in the Pepper. The Core provides mentoring, consultation and advice to approved projects and people and pursues two general goals: to collaborate with the projects and researchers of the Pepper Center with appropriate and innovative analytic and data management technologies, and to advance statistical science in the study of function and functional decline. The Analysis Core works closely with the Biological Studies Core (RC2) to direct and perform the requisite analyses from the data derived from that Core. Members of this core also sit on the Internal Operating Committee and are involved in selecting and assisting in the design of future projects, pilots, and junior faculty. To accomplish these goals, the Analysis Core has four specific aims:
1) To provide R01s, pilot projects, and junior faculty investigators with analytic and technical support by which to conduct research and to address hypotheses related to functional decline and the aging process;
2) To provide a set of experts in measurement, functional assessment, and analysis to Pepper Center researchers to evaluate future development projects and as a resource to the proposed studies;
3) To build a "Data base of Databases" resource available for use in preliminary secondary analyses to Pepper researchers within Duke and across all Pepper Centers;
4) To further analytic science in the study of function.
BIOLOGICAL STUDIES CORE
Virginia B. Kraus, M.D., Ph.D., Core Leader
Tel: (919) 681-6652 FAX: (919) 684-8907 E-mail: vbk@duke.eduThe Biological Studies Core provides a comprehensive biomarkers phenotyping technology to characterize the biochemical, metabolic and genetic bases for the functional decline associated with aging and degenerative processes associated with aging. The overall approach is one of a 'Collaboratory' in which multiple excellent clinical research studies will contribute subsets of samples for biochemical, metabolic and genetic biomarker analyses. This 'Collaboratory' approach is designed to bring us closer to a molecular understanding of aging and functional decline. This will aid in the early identification of risk profiles and the development of targeted interventions to forestall and/or reverse detrimental trends in function. Collaborating studies contributing samples for analysis includes 5 NIH funded RO1s, a VA Rehabilitation Research and Development Merit Review Award and 3 Junior Faculty projects (8 of 9 of these studies are conducted in humans). The technology made available through the Biological Studies Core provides the ability to answer questions that were previously unavailable to each of the major projects supported. The first phase of research is related to discovery of biomarkers indicative of age and function. The latter phase of the grant will be devoted to biomarker validation using samples from an alternative subset of individuals from subsequent phases of the collaborating studies and new collaborating studies to be identified. In addition, this Core will undertake two Developmental Projects related to development and assessment of potential new biomarkers of biological aging, namely quantification of racemized and isomerized aspartate, and profiling of sphingolipid by mass spectrometry. This Core will also serve as a resource for the training of investigators on principles and methods of biomarker analyses. To accomplish these goals the Biological Studies Core has six specific aims:
1) To perform metabolic and biochemical profiling on individuals of varying ages, with a variety of morbidities and of varying functional status;
2) To utilize biochemical markers associated with functional status, joint tissue metabolism, and inflammation, as quantitative traits in Amish families (External Project 1) and a large extended family (Pilot Project 2);
3) To evaluate candidate genes associated with aging and functional decline;
4) To evaluate the use of the combination of metabolic, biochemical and genetic markers and traditional risk factors to predict functional decline with aging;
5) To develop the capacity to measure new age-related markers;
6) To serve as a resource for research-oriented training of health professionals on principles and methods of metabolic, biochemical and genetic marker analyses.