Virginia Bioinformatics Consortium

Virginia Cancer Genomic Consortium

Virginia Cancer Genomic Consortium

In 2001, a grant was awarded to two Virginia universities — Virginia Commonwealth University and George Mason University — and INOVA — a major health care provider in Northern Virginia — to establish a partnership that would develop new diagnostic tools and therapies for use in patients with cancer.

The principal investigators include:

Marsha Torr, Ph.D
vice president of research
Virginia Commonwealth University

Carleton Garrett, M.D., Ph.D.
tissue acquisition and microarray of cancer
Virginia Commonwealth University

James Cooper, M.D.
tissue acquisition
INOVA

Anthony Guiseppi-Elie, Sc.D.
gene expression of tumors in the central nervous system
Virginia Commonwealth University

Vikas Chandhoke, Ph.D.
bioinformatics and gene expression in cancer
George Mason University

Gordon Ginder, M.D.
gene expression medical informatics
Virginia Commonwealth University

Gregory Buck, Ph.D.
bioinformatics and gene expression in cancer
Virginia Commonwealth University

The research project combines the computational bioinformatics expertise of George Mason University with the experience and expertise in medical sciences at Virginia Commonwealth University. INOVA provides additional clinical expertise and expands the clinical base of potential specimens and patients available to the study. Specific areas include the following:

• tissue banking

• clinical and laboratory data

• database design

• data analysis

• quality assurance and control

• chip fabrication

For more information about the consortium, visit http://www.ctrf-cagenomics.vcu.edu/.