CEHS Core Technology Spotlight

Assistant Professor, Nutrition
“An important part of understanding environmental cancer is coping with disease heterogeneity. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly aggressive cancer subtype characterized by limited treatment options and the frequent development of drug resistance…”
Translational Research Support Core (TRSC)
The TRSC is dedicated to advancing interdisciplinary research by bridging the gap between laboratory models, human studies, and community applications to enhance public health. The TRSC accelerates project implementation timelines by providing scientific consultation, resources, and project management support for new and ongoing clinical and translational studies in environmental cancer, cardiopulmonary health, and healthy developmental and aging processes. Through best practices, state-of-the-art biospecimen processing protocols, and expert staff, the TRSC ensures rigor and reproducibility at every stage of human research. Additionally, it supports CEHS members with professional assistance in patient recruitment, population-based studies, survey research, and downstream core facilities, including genomics, bioinformatics, and biostatistics. These resources are further strengthened by registries, UNC Hospital-Based Recruitment, RCA, and CDW, fostering excellence in translational research.
Affiliated Subcores:
- Biomarker Mass Spectrometry Facility (BMSF): The BMSF has over 20 years of experience in developing new mass spectrometry methods, analyzing samples and training users to support investigators across UNC campus and beyond. We have longstanding collaborations and partnerships with UNC research Centers and Programs, including the UNC Superfund Research Program and UNC Center for Environmental Health and Susceptibility. The BMSF is proud to provide scientific and technical expertise throughout all stages of the customer service cycle.
- Population Engagement Research Collaboration (PERC): The PERC unit offers comprehensive support for research and clinical studies, streamlining processes to enhance study success. Services include regulatory assistance with IRB, PRC, SRC, and IACUC submissions; professional project management; and technical expertise in database and questionnaire development. PERC also provides pre- and post-award budget management and research support such as participant recruitment, tracking, screening, consent, protocol development, interviewing, and medical record abstraction. Additionally, PERC facilitates the setup of REDCap, OnCore, and Tango accounts, along with mass recruitment tools like MyChart and UNC mass email. Our team can also assist with designing recruitment materials and managing social media advertising and setup.
- Metabolomics and Exposomics Laboratory (MEL): The MEL offers a wide range of services to support basic, clinical, and translational research in areas of precision medicine, nutrition, and environmental health. Using state-of-the-art metabolomics and exposome technologies, our team determines how molecules that are present in our tissues and biological fluids are associated with states of health and wellness, and response to treatment and intervention. Through this approach, biomarkers are discovered that can lead to new diagnostics for the early detection and diagnosis of disease, to monitor treatment and intervention, and to inform the development of new intervention strategies. Investigations are also conducted using in vitro and in vivo model systems to reveal the mechanistic underpinnings of disease or response to treatment, and to provide translational approaches.
Request TRSC Services
Molecular Analysis and Data Science (MADS) Core
The Molecular Analysis and Data Science (MADS) Core provides advanced scientific support connecting campus-wide networks that offer expertise, technical support, methods development, oversight, and tracking. MADS functions as a research accelerator by providing highly qualified expertise and staffing, together with connections to relevant on-campus services.
Collaborating Subcores:
- Pathology Services Core (PSC): The PSC subcore provides superior, state-of-the-art histopathology services and promotes the translation of results between animal models and human populations. The core provides full service support, ranging from basic histology services, including processing, embedding and sectioning of human and rodent formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissues and cell lines, tissue microarray construction, chromogenic/ fluorescence single or multiplex immunohistochemistry, and in-situ hybridization assays. In addition, digital pathology services (slide imaging and image analysis) are offered. Spatial immunoprofiling methods are being developed, with Nanostring Digital Spatial Profiling technology available for multiplexed measurement of 60+ immune markers in FFPE tissue sections.
- Office of Genomics Research (OGR): The mission of the OGR is to support comprehensive translational human genomics research. The OGR facility performs sample processing and analyses for molecular, pathologic, and genomic characterization of patient-derived specimens in preclinical research projects and clinical protocols. The lab employs highly automated, as well as manual platforms for reproducible medium-throughput nucleic acid extraction, library preparation, next-generation sequencing, and gene expression profiling of tissues, cells, and blood samples. The goal is to balance rigor and flexibility to meet the needs of academic and clinical research, and to produce optimized and validated processes that are of uniformly high quality for adoption in a clinical lab.
Request MADS services for molecular analysis
Statistical Support:
- Integration between data design and acquisition: Through a single facility core, Statistical Support in the CEHS is integrated with data acquisition (Molecular Analysis), covering the spectrum from animals-to-humans-to-communities. All pilot projects of the CEHS are required to collaborate with the MASS to evaluate their study design and data analysis plan prior to funding. Once data have been collected, the MASS supports data analysis for ongoing studies and strategies for grant proposals.
- Highly-qualified personnel, rapidly mobilized for standardized work flows: The engine for statistical support is highly qualified biostatistical expertise. All biostatistics faculty in the MADS Core are familiar with standard statistical methods that are frequently used in environmental health sciences, and the MADS maintains a centralized library describing workflow and scripts for standard data analysis. These routine analyses can be supported quickly, and in standardized, rigorous and reproducible workflows and processes.
- Novel methods development: There are special cases where investigators may require additional support to develop novel statistical methods or data analysis pipelines. The MADS Core Co-Director, Dr Haibo Zhou works with a rotational faculty pool to identify appropriate expertise to support individuals with advanced methods development. The interdisciplinary expertise of rotational faculty members is broad, with an emphasis on data science and high dimensional data methods.
Request MADS services for statistical support
The Center for Environmental Health and Susceptibility provides valuable services to members including assistance with study design, project management, IRB, sample analysis, and use of equipment for projects related to Cardiopulmonary Health, Healthy Development & Aging, and Environmental Cancer Prevention. Investigators who are seeking scientific support services, even if those services are not listed here, are encouraged to contact us.