About Us
Research on function and disability in vulnerable older adults involves methodological and analytical challenges. Addressing these challenges often requires specialized expertise and approaches, including methods for working with data ranging from small, specialized datasets to complex national datasets; developing tailored approaches to analyzing longitudinal, repeated measures; managing complex and informative missing data mechanisms; addressing competing risks; and controlling for multilayered confounding in predictor-outcome relationships. It also requires a deep understanding of measurement, including the many ways in which disability and function can be measured and how these measures relate to underlying constructs of function and disability.
The Data and Analysis Core (DAC) provides a hub of expertise and support in these areas and assists the research design and analytic needs of OAIC-affiliated investigators. We focus on two areas that have emerged as central pillars of our past successes and are at the core of our vision for our center:
- Provide world-class statistical and methodologic consultation and direct analytic support to UCSF Pepper Center-affiliated investigators, with a major focus on study design, measurement, and the special analytic considerations that arise in quantitative studies of function and disability in vulnerable older adults.
- Building on our longstanding expertise in secondary data analysis using large national datasets, we provide expert consultation and direct support for secondary data analysis studies using high-value national datasets including the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), national Medicare data including the Minimum Data Set (MDS), and national VA data. This support will include guidance in dataset selection, careful delineation of study cohorts, selection and expert use of measures, data management, statistical consultation, direct analytic support, and interpretation of results.
Our most intensive efforts will go toward supporting core UCSF Pepper Center investigators, including career development awardees, pilot awardees, Development Project investigators, and External Project investigators. In addition, we support a wide range of investigators across the university whose work relates to our center's theme and engage them in our center's work and support structures. Our goal is to encourage and support investigators to conduct research related to the OAIC theme, nurture trainees and pilot and career development awardees, facilitate interdisciplinary research groups, and ultimately enhance research on predictors, outcomes, and amelioration of late-life disability, especially in vulnerable populations.
Resources
Statistics Laboratory
The statistical laboratory supports investigators who are conducting quantitative research, including research using data resources supported by the Pepper Center.
Dataset Resource Library
The UCSF Pepper Center brings substantial expertise in the analysis of datasets to answer important questions in aging research. In particular, the Pepper Center hosts several data resources that have been widely used by UCSF investigators.
Consultations
We provide targeted, teleconference-based consultation on key issues in designing and planning research using large datasets relevant to the study of function and disability in vulnerable older adults.
GitHub Repository
Find the compendium our code repository developed by our biostatisticians and used to create our analysis for our manuscripts.
Original Methodologic Investigations
Our work on the interaction of social and medical vulnerability has lead to a better understanding of how to address the needs of older adults, such as among those who have low literacy, are homeless, or are incarcerated.
Division of Geriatrics - CMS Data ReUse Initiative
The UCSF Pepper Center and Division of Geriatrics offers the CMS Data Reuse Initiative, a valuable set of data and research resources to support UCSF research in population health, health equity, and health services.