Integrative Health Sciences Facility Core (IHSFC)

Overview
The primary mission of the Integrative Health Sciences Facility Core (IHSFC) is to support CEHS investigators who conduct research using human study participants. IHSFC addresses four broad areas of interest. First, the IHSFC provides scientific consultation for clinical and population-based studies. These services promote collaboration and enhance scientific productivity. Second, biospecimen processing and genotyping sub-core laboratories provide platforms for short-term pilot projects and long-term epidemiologic studies for Center members. These sub-core laboratories provide access to state-of-the-art equipment and a high level of quality control and maximal throughput, which could not be achieved by individual investigators. The genotyping sub-core also provides typing of laboratory rodent strains in order to promote cross-disciplinary collaboration in functional and comparative genomics for Center members. Third, the IHSFC provides expertise in spatial analysis and geographic information systems, in order to integrate human epidemiologic studies with environmental exposure measurement. Fourth, the IHSFC serves as a liaison to a variety of core laboratories, resources and facilities at UNC that are useful to CEHS investigators. The IHSFC is closely integrated with the Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Facility Core (BBFC) and the Systems Biology Facility Core (SBFC) through the Research Navigator and the Flexible Interdisciplinary Research Groups (FIRGs). We envision that these three cores will become mainstays of CEHS research with humans and animal models of human disease in a manner that will foster a much deeper understanding of biologic mechanisms, elucidating pathways for environmental exposure effects and, ultimately, prevention of disease.

The Director of the IHSFC and core staff will work closely with the Research Navigator, the SBFC and the BBFC to ensure that CEHS investigators receive maximum benefit from UNC and CEHS resources, and all projects benefit from maximum usage of IHFSC sub-cores.

 

Goal and Specific Aims
The goal of the IHSFC is to provide a comprehensive, user-friendly, and efficient core facility that supports clinical and population-based investigations into the genetic and environmental determinants of human health and disease. The IHSFC also performs genotyping on rodent tissues and cells for comparative genomic studies.

Aim 1. Provide scientific consultation for clinical, translational and population-based studies.

Aim 2.  Establish and maintain a sub-core laboratory facility that assists with collection and processing of biospecimens. To maintain state-of-the-art, high quality databases and create a biorepository of specimens collected from research studies.

Aim 3.  Establish and maintain a sub-core laboratory that conducts high-throughput genotyping. To provide consultation on genotyping platforms and establish quality control and assurance procedures for genetic data.

Aim 4.  Provide CEHS researchers with state-of-the-art expertise in spatial analysis.

Aim 5.  Provide CEHS investigators with guidance in accessing additional UNC and CEHS resources for conducting collaborative research.

 

IHSFC Sub-cores

• The Biospecimen Processing Facility Sub-core provides efficient access to the UNC Biospecimen Processing Laboratory, a centralized laboratory for the processing of biospecimens, primarily blood and buccal rinse samples. The primary products of the processing are DNA, plasma, serum, and lymphocytes. The Facility maintains a state of the art data management system for biologic specimens, based upon the LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System) platform. A biorepository containing archived biologic samples is maintained by the sub-core for use in approved research studies.

• The Mammalian Genotyping Facility Sub-core provides efficient access to the UNC Mammalian Genotyping Laboratory, a centralized laboratory that conducts high throughput genotyping and DNA Sequencing.

• The Geographic Information Systems Sub-core assists CEHS investigators in the collection and analysis of spatial data, including multi-level or contextual components that emphasize population-environment interactions.

 

Director, Members and Affiliates
IHSFC Director:	Robert C Millikan, DVM, PhD
IHSFC Co-Director:	Melissa Troester PhD
Biospecimen Processing Sub-core Director:	Patricia Basta, PhD
Mammalian Genotyping Facility Sub-core Director:	Jason Luo, M.D., M.S.
Geographic Information Systems Sub-core Director:	TBN