Bio-statics, Epidemiology & Science Computing | King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre

About

The Biostatics, Epidemiology, and Science Computing Department (BESC), located in the Research Centre is an institutional resource for KFSH&RC. Its mission is to be the leading body in biostatistics and epidemiological research, computing services, to advance the knowledge of disease etiology, preventive measures, and management of human diseases through collaboration with biomedical researchers and clinicians. The BESC Vision is to be strategic partners in healthcare research excellence through data sciences.

Research Activities

The mission of the Biostatistics Section is to serve as a source of expertise and a focus for research, services and training in the quantitative aspects of health and to provide outstanding statistical support to clinical, applied, translational, and biomedical researchers while advancing the reputation, research capacity, and commitment of the KFSH&RC to advance the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, cure and prevention of human diseases. The Biostatistics Section is collaborating extensively with various departments in the hospital as well as other individuals within the Kingdom and abroad. The research projects are related to development and application of statistical and computational techniques to better understand human diseases and the mechanisms underlying them. It provides statistical consultancy and data clinics to clinicians, scientists, residents, fellows and administration. The services include: biostatistical services (hypothesis formulation, study design, power and sample size determination, Survey Studies , data analysis and interpretation), statistical genetics and genomics (microarray data analysis for gene expression data, exon array data and copy number variation experiments, pathway analysis, functional, and network analysis and others), methodological advice grant application (statistical plan/write-up/grant section), and publication (analysis, re-analysis, review). The Biostatistics Section offers statistical training courses and practical training sessions in the use of statistical software packages to improve the statistical knowledge among clinicians, scientists, postgraduate students, fellows and MS/PhD students.

The Epidemiology Section conducts hospital and community based epidemiological research aimed at enhancing knowledge of disease causation, treatment and prevention, evaluate health care delivery methods and outcomes, and to translate basic epidemiological research findings into clinical practice. The Epidemiology Section also handles setting up, maintaining and development of hospital-based as well as regional and population-based disease registries. The scientists and staff practice epidemiology as a broad scientific discipline, addressing the occurrence of disease and the distribution of health status in the population. By integrating causal concepts at the molecular, cellular, clinical, and social-environmental levels, diverse Epidemiology research section works to maintain an intellectual environment that facilitates the integration of biological, social, and analytic approaches. The diverse activities of the Epidemiology Section range from school-based, cross-sectional studies, national surveys, validation studies, clinical studies, cancer surveillance, to randomized trials for clinical interventions. Ten of new projects are initiated annually. Results of these studies have provided the basis for significant national public health policy concerns. Teaching activities of the Epidemiology Section scientists and staff, either as invited speakers, lecturers, or through training of summer students, has contributed to the local public health knowledge infrastructure. In addition, the staff of Epidemiology Section strives to provide service to the community by giving technical advice and assistance to other institutions. Researches include developing the highest quality epidemiologic research to assess the distribution and determinants of disease with the aim of establishing preventive measures through traditional, molecular, and clinical epidemiology. In addition, Epidemiology Section aims to promote translational research to bridge the gap between epidemiology and the clinical and public health applications.

The Scientific Computing Section provides and maintains up-to-date computing facilities for use in scientific research and develops and maintains database applications to support research activities and related projects. It provides also genetics and genomics data analysis (microarray data analysis for gene expression data, exon array data and copy number variation experiments, pathway analysis, functional, and network analysis and others).

Sections

Computer Services Core Facility:

The Computing Services Core Facility provides and maintains up-to-date computing facilities for use in scientific research.

Epidemiology Research Group:

The Epidemiology Section conducts hospital and community based epidemiological research aimed at enhancing knowledge of disease causation, treatment and prevention, evaluate health care delivery methods and outcomes, and to translate basic epidemiological research findings into clinical practice.

Evidence-Based Decision Support Group:

The group serves as a core unit that provides higher administration and Research Center policy makers with needed expertise to facilitate the design of tools needed to advance knowledge and promote innovations by using advanced healthcare information technology and evidence-based methodologies.

Registries Core Facility:

The Registries Core Facility (RCF) handles setting up, maintaining, and development of hospital-based as well as regional and population-based disease registries.