“The BERD team can collaborate with investigators at every step of a project to help turn innovative research into credible evidence that advances health.”

Paola Sebastiani, PhD
Director, BERD Center

Overview

The Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design (BERD) Center offers research design, biostatistical, and bioinformatic expertise for clinical and translational research at Tufts CTSI partner institutions. Provided in collaboration with the Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies (ICRHPS) at Tufts Medical Center, BERD serves as an accessible resource for quantitative methods support at every stage of the study lifecycle — from hypothesis refinement and proposal development to data collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination.

BERD faculty and staff actively contribute to projects across the translational spectrum, bringing rigorous design and analytical support to a wide variety of research settings, including laboratory investigations, clinical trials, observational studies, and public health and health delivery research.

As a core component of Tufts CTSI’s Biomedical Health Data Sciences Collaborative (BHDSC), BERD’s capabilities also include bioinformatic and data science support for omics studies and other high-dimensional, high-volume data analyses.

Services

To meet varying project needs, we offer three flexible modes of support:

Grant and Protocol Development Consultation

BERD Center services include help with:

    • Research questions and specific aims
    • Study design
    • Sample size calculations
    • Statistical analysis plans
    • Data management plans

Assistance with grant proposal and protocol development is offered at no cost to faculty members at Tufts CTSI partner institutions.

Active Project Support and Collaborative Research

For funded studies or project requiring sustained involvement, BERD Center support may include:

    • Data set organization and management
    • Statistical programming and data analysis
    • Advanced statistical modeling of longitudinal and correlated data
    • Results interpretation
    • Reporting and manuscript preparation
    • Bioinformatic services (interpretation and integration of omics data)

Post-award services are typically supported through funded effort for BERD staff on grants. Depending on project needs, we also may be able to provide statistical analysis support and other assistance on a fee-for-service basis. Read our Frequently Asked Questions about Statistical Consulting (PDF).

Virtual Drop-In Sessions

Brief consultation on study design and statistical issues is available through our Virtual Research Help Drop-in Sessions. The format is a 30-minute Zoom call with one of our statisticians. These sessions are are especially helpful for those needing guidance in carrying out their own analyses.

Drop-In sessions are offered twice per week. Registration is required. Please view the calendar and sign up for a session.

View a table of services (PDF)

To learn more, please submit a service request.

Who is eligible?

Short-term consultation and pre-award support are generally provided at no cost to investigators at institutions affiliated with Tufts CTSI. BERD is unable to provide free support to students/trainees unless their effort is part of a faculty-led project and the PI participates in the consultation.

Drop-in Sessions are free for all faculty, trainees, and graduate students at Tufts CTSI-affiliated institutions.

Post-award support and other services provided for a fee are available to anyone and for external projects (the rate may vary).

BERD Center Team

Paola Sebastiani, PhD, Director

Bejamin Koethe, MPH, Associate Director

The BERD Center is staffed by statisticians, epidemiologists, and bioinformaticians with faculty and scientific staff appointments at Tufts University School of Medicine and Tufts Medical Center. The team offers a broad range of expertise in study design, standard and innovative statistical approaches, and computational biology methods. BERD faculty also teach and mentor students in the Clinical and Translational Science Graduate Program within the Tufts University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

View our bios.

Contact

To contact us, please submit a service request.