The Center of Excellence in Oral and Craniofacial Biology
Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE)
Cores

Administrative Core
The Administrative Core provides the fiscal management of the COBRE. It is led by the Principal Investigator of the COBRE, Dr. Paul Fidel. Specifically, the Administrative Core provides salary support for the Principal Investigator, Center staff, and faculty mentors for the projects. It also provides start-up funds for COBRE faculty and any newly recruited basic science faculty. The Administrative Core also provides the fiscal management for the COBRE sponsored research development programs, and renovations, travel, and supplies/equipment related to COBRE projects and activities.

Statistical Core
The overall mission of the Statistical Core is to provide support in the areas of study design, sample size estimation/statistical power analysis, statistical methodology and database management for the projects in the COBRE. It is led by Dr. Donald Mercante. The Statistical Core plays a crucial role in not only providing statistical services to the COBRE, but also in contributing to the mentoring process for the JPI's in developing their understanding of the importance of study design and data analysis.

Biomedical Equipment
The Biomedical Equipment Core provides major research equipment and support for COBRE. It is led by Dr. Thomas Lallier, and houses several existing pieces of major equipment (including a BioRad I-Cycler for Real Time PCR, a BioRad CellMap Confocal Microscope, an Amersham Typhoon Phosphoroimager, and a Tissue Culture facility) for all members of the COBRE and the Center of Excellence. The COBRE grant will expand the available major equipment to include a BioRad Bioplex system, a BioRad Biologic Duoflow HPLC System, a BioRad CHEF Pulsed field electrophoresis system, a Live Cell Laser Capture System, and an Atomic Force Microscope. The Biomedical Equipment Core also provides support to the investigators, in the form of training and assistance in the operation of all available scientific equipment, as well as advice for experimental design. The goal of the Biomedical Equipment Core is to facilitate research by providing access to a diverse array of instruments, while fostering greater collaborations between COBRE investigators and the members of the Center of Excellence in Oral and Craniofacial Biology at LSUSD. The core provides salary support for a director that will help oversee the core and provide maintenance of the equipment.