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Research Resources


NIH Resources

NIH on Biomarkers and Surrogate Endpoints

Biomarkers Definitions Working Group (2001).  Biomarkers and surrogate endpoints: Preferred definitions and conceptual framework. Clinical Pharmacology & Theraupeutics 69 (3): 89-95.

Foundation for NIH Biomarkers Consortium

NIEHS and biomarkers


Featured Books


Conducting Biosocial Surveys: Collecting, Storing, Accessing, and Protecting Biospecimens and Biodata. 2010. Editors: Robert M. Hauser, Maxine Weinstein, Robert Pool, and Barney Cohen.
The National Academies Press, Washington, D.C., 2010.

Biosocial Surveys.  2007. Committee on Advances in Collecting and Utilizing Biological Indicators and Genetic Information in Social Science Surveys, National Research Council. Maxine Weinstein, James W. Vaupel, and Kenneth W. Wachter, editors.

Aging, Health, and Public Policy. 2004. Demographic and Economic Perspectives. A supplement to Vol. 30, 2004 Population and Development Review. Linda J. Waite, editor.

Cells and Surveys: Should Biological Measures Be Included in Social Science Research? 2000. Committee on Population. National Research Council. Caleb E. Finch, James W. Vaupel, and Kevin Kinsella, editors.  Find this book on Amazon.

Manuel, D., V. Flintoft, and D. Glazer. (1999). An ICES Report: Physical Measures in Population-Based Health Surveys – Measures and Methods. Toronto: Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences.


Research Resources by Topic


Methodology of Biomeasure Collection and Measurement

Lab Tests Online

Biomarkers in Add Health Wave III Monograph

Add Health User Guides

NSHAP Biomarkers Technical Reports (by CCBAR)

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data overview

NHANES III Biomarker documentation

NHANES 2007-2008 Laboratory Methods

Health and Retirement Study User Guides (including documentation of biomarkers)

Highly Sensitive C-Reactive Protein (HS-CRP)

Skogstrand K. et al. (2005). Simultaneous Measurement of 25 Inflammatory Markers and Neurotrophins in Neonatal Dried Blood Spots by Immunoassay with xMAP Technology. Clin Chem. 51(10):1854-66.


Laboratories Conducting Biomeasure Assays


Analysis of Dried Blood Spot Samples. The Center on Social Disparities and Health at the Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University. Contact - Thomas McDade, Associate Professor of Anthropology. Training opportunities.

Clinical Immunology Division (Head - Dr. Mark H. Wener) at the Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, offer a wide range of assays to aid in the diagnosis, management, and monitoring of problems associated with immunological disorders. Dr. Wener's lab adapted blood spot methods for high throughput analyses.  It now has DBS protocols for CRP, EBV ab, TC, HDL, Tri, and glucose, all of which are being done for Add Health population-based project.

Behavioral Immunology and Endocrinology Laboratory, (Director - Dr. Mark Laudenslager) University of Colorado, Denver - Cortisol in hair samples; cortisol, cotinine, sex hormones in saliva samples

The Laboratory for Clinical Biochemistry Research (LCBR), University of Vermont - Biomarkers of inflammation.

Laboratory for Comparative Human Biology, Emory University
Director - Carol Worthman
Biomarker measurements in saliva and dried blood spots

Demecal (Netherlands) offers blood spot assays for population-based research.

Cholesterol measurement using home assay (mail-in fingerstick test)

ZRT Laboratory - saliva and dried blood spot tests.

Salimetrics - saliva assays.


Ethics, confidentiality, and informed consent

Ethical and Social Issues in the Use of Biomarkers in Epidemiologic Research
by Schulte, Hunter, and Rothman

White, Mary Terrell; Gamm, Jennifer. 2002. Informed consent for research on stored blood and tissue samples: a survey of institutional review board practices. Accountability Research, 9(1): 1-16.

Wolf LE, Lo B. 2004. Untapped potential: IRB guidance for the ethical research use of stored biological materials. IRB. 26(4):1-8.

Stegmayr B, Asplund K. 2002. Informed consent for genetic research on blood stored for more than a decade: a population based study. BMJ. 325(7365):634-5.


Models and Analyses (under construction)