Research Core

Research Core
Director: Scott Walsh, Ph.D.

The overall purpose of the Research Core is to provide a structure that supports the work of the research projects, each of which requires recruitment of human subjects and acquisition of biological samples.

Specific Aims:

  1. Working with Core Investigators, the research Core staff identifies potential research subjects, explain the study, assess inclusion and exclusion issues, obtain informed consent, and obtain samples when applicable. 
  2. Collects and stores samples of DNA from mothers and fathers using buccal swabs, and samples of DNA from babies using sections of umbilical cords. 
  3. Collect, process and store blood samples and samples of placentas, fetal membranes, decidua and umbilical cords. 
  4. Offer cost-effective approaches to subject recruitment for all three research projects, as well as assistance in methods that will be common to all in terms of tissue acquisition and processing, nucleic acid extraction and quantification, and histological evaluation of tissues. 
  5. Facilitate distribution of samples to other University research core services described below.