Contacts

The Administrative Core provides the support to make the entire Wellstone MD CRC function as a unified whole and across its distributed geographical network. The Core A activities, which govern and control all aspects of the Wellstone MD CRC, are three-fold; 1) administrative support and coordination of all activities internal to the Wellstone MD CRC and the external interfaces from the Wellstone MD CRC, 2) communication of the Wellstone MD CRC research findings and the availability of scientific research resource core materials and services; 3) communication of education and training opportunities through postdoctoral and pre-doctoral fellowships, collaborations, patient community outreach and professional research meeting symposia.

The Administrative Core A maintains financial and personnel records, provides daily secretarial and administrative support, assures compliance with all NIH guidelines, organizes meetings of the Local Executive Committee (LEC), the Center Advisory Committee (CAC), and internal Wellstone MD CRC meetings, and prepares progress reports for the NIH.

Core A hosts and manages the Wellstone MD CRC intranet and internet website portals to connect the entire Wellstone MD CRC to internal and external communities by posting the most current data appropriate for each. The website is designed to facilitate the sharing of information and collaboration among researchers and collaborators within the Boston, Cambridge, and Baltimore areas, nationally and internationally. The website displays and posts new abstracts and manuscripts published by our researchers and data sets that can be used to form collaborations. The website details areas of research for each of the labs participating in the Wellstone MD CRC and have a section explaining techniques researchers in the lab are implementing. Interested basic- and clinical/translational- researchers can inquire and question data and research techniques. Website hyperlinks will help manage raw data, shared publications and documents of the individual projects and cores. By serving these functions, the Administrative Core helps to create a highly effective pipeline for maximal utilization of data obtained from the Wellstone MD CRC and collaboration, education and progress in translational research and therapy for FSHD and all muscular dystrophy.

Core A also provides support and administration for education and training programs, and communication about these opportunities. Administrative Core A intersects with the Education and Training Core (ETC) and the Education and Training Core Executive Committee (ETCEC). The Administrative Core helps with the planning, preparation and communication of the annual research retreat and biennial patient outreach meeting, and provides annual professional education and training through satellite research symposiums

Administrative Core A is essential to the function of the Wellstone MD CRC, with its unique and distributed environment, and allows each of the cores and projects to fulfill their aims. The Administrative Core will be an essential link between the clinical aspects of the Wellstone MD CRC and Education and Training Core (Core B).

ADMINISTRATIVE CORE A
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Charles P. Emerson

DESCRIPTION: The Administrative Core A will be responsible for the overall administration of the Wellstone MD RC. It will provide resources, personnel, governance, oversight and policies and procedures to promote a U54 center environment through enhanced communication to facilitate collaboration among investigators, Patient communities, NIH and the public. It will organize, direct and integrate the flow of internal and external MD CRC components and activities by providing financial, administrative and information technology management and support for Cores and Projects. It facilitates the organization and scheduling of all Wellstone MD CRC-related meetings and events across a distributed geographical center using internet, websites, video- and tele-conferencing, Wiki collaboration software and physical meeting space. It coordinates Wellstone MD CRC communications through meetings with key scientific participants on an internal Local Executive Committee (LEG); with advisors ad patient representatives on an external Center Advisory Committee (CAC), with NIH staff and will help develop intra- Wellstone MD CRC, trans-Wellstone MD CRC, trans-NIH research activities, resources for the NIH MDCC Action Plan, and for the external community of scientists to facilitate developing areas of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) research. It will plan, review, maintain all financial and personnel records, and assure the proper allocation of funds for each core and project member. Core A will also be responsible for coordinating reviews and evaluation of pre and post-doctoral trainees with the Education and Training Core. The Administrative Core will communicate and promote the use of the Cell Core C resources and biomaterials among researchers, clinicians and trainees by displaying raw materials and data, finished data and publications. It will help facilitate the evaluation and transfer of materials to the appropriate internal and public repositories for tissues, cells and mice to muscular dystrophy and FSHD research endeavors. The Administrative Core achieves greater value through outreach to academic and industrial scientific communities through education and training programs, and patient networking meetings, annual research