Data Office for Clinical & Translational Research

Aiming to accelerate research by enabling secure access to patient data through investigator-friendly, self-serve tools, and custom data extracts.

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Expert Data Services for Your Research

At the Data Office, we provide secure access to high-quality patient-level data tailored to your study needs. Our goal is for researchers to spend less time obtaining data and more time on their important research. 
  • Make an Appointment
  • DataDirect
  • Level-1 Acces to Data
  • EMERSE
  • Student Access to Data
  • Data Management & Sharing Plan
    • How We Serve Your Data Needs
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    Self-Serve Tools DataDirect & EMERSE

    For your next study, use DataDirect or EMERSE, which are available free of charge for faculty researchers and their study team members to access both discrete variables and free-text string data from the electronic medical record (EMR).

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    Custom Data Request

    If your data needs are too complex for our self-serve tools, our experienced programmers can pull a custom data set for you – to be delivered once, or on a scheduled, ongoing basis.

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    Consultations & Training

    Do you need help with a custom data pull or need guidance on security guidelines for your data? Schedule a 1:1 consultation to look at all your clinical data needs, where a data specialist offers a deeper dive into the patient health data resources available.

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    Data & Biospecimen Sharing

    Learn more about privacy-sharing policies and related resources. Do you need samples for your research? The Central Biorepository can help.

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    References and Resources


    Precision Health Analytics Platform Documentation Site – Available via Level-1 U-M login credentials, this site contains user guides, data dictionaries, and other tools and resources to get U-M researchers started with using the Precision Health Analytics Platform to facilitate their research.

    DataDirect User Guide – The DataDirect User Guide includes step-by-step instructions, screenshots, and resources for completing frequently-used tasks. Please note that as DataDirect evolves, concepts presented in the User Guide will remain accurate, but the screenshots may vary slightly within the DataDirect tool.
    Data Office At A Glance
    422M+
    DataDirect Lab Results
    4M+
    Patient Health Records
    900+
    DataDirect Users
    How DataDirect is Helping Predict Cardiovascular Disease Outcomes
    Contact Us
    Data Office for Clinical & Translational Research
    North Campus Research Complex, Building 400
    2800 Plymouth Road
    Ann Arbor, MI 48109
    Data Office Customer Portal
    About Us

    The Data Office for Clinical & Translational Research, a unit of the Medical School Office of Research, fosters the translation of data into research that improves clinical outcomes by bridging the gap between personal health data and clinical research. 
    Upcoming Research Events All Office of Research Events
    Health AI Ethics and Policy Symposium (a joint event with e-HAIL, LHS Collaboratory, MIDAS, and TIERRA)
    The Michigan Institute for Data Science (MIDAS), the Learning Health System Collaboratory, the E-Health and Artificial Intelligence (e-HAIL) program and Trust, Innovation and Ethics Research for Responsible AI (TIERRA) invite you to a joint mini-symposium featuring prominent speakers from the U.S. and Canada to explore ethical issues and regulations of health AI.
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    BRCF Epigenomics Core: Epigenetic Profiling with Illumina: From Arrays to Sequencing
    Learn how Illumina technologies can support your epigenetic research through discovery, development, and genetic screening applications.
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    NIAID Funding Opportunities for Early Stage Investigators
    The University of Michigan Medical School Office of Research is offering an in-person seminar presented by LeShawndra N. Price, Ph.D., Director of the Office of Research Training and Special Programs (ORTSP) at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
    Exploring NIAID Supplements: Diversity, Re-entry and Re-integration, Continuity, and PCTAS
    The University of Michigan Medical School Office of Research is offering an in-person seminar presented by LeShawndra N. Price, Ph.D., Director of the Office of Research Training and Special Programs (ORTSP) at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
    Federal and Institutional Requirements for Human Subject Research
    This course will introduce the basics of conducting human subject research in compliance with federal regulations and institutional practices.
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    Elements of Informed Consent
    This course offers an overview of informed consent in human subject research. The course will examine IRBMED’s standard consent template and focus on how it reflects federal requirements.
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    Introduction to eResearch
    This course is intended for those unfamiliar with eResearch, the university’s electronic research administration site. This course will provide a basic knowledge of working in and using eResearch while examining the process for creating and submitting an initial project application.
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    Research Foundations for Investigators: The What, Why, and How of Protocol Documents
    Presented by the Clinical Trials Support Office, a unit of the Medical School Office of Research, the Research Foundations for Investigators series is for early-career investigators and their teams that are looking to develop their skills and grow their research portfolio. Session 2 focuses on writing protocol documents.
    Leveraging DataDirect for Mental Health Research: Tips, Tricks and a Step-by-Step Case Example
    Learn about how to use DataDirect in mental health research, with a case study using data to examine the relationships between depression and centralized pain.
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    Featured Research News All Office of Research News FFMI fastPACE spring 2024
    Office of Research
    Register Today! FFMI fastPACE Spring Cohort Begins Friday, May 10
    Don't miss your chance to participate in this project-based, experiential course designed to help academics launch new innovations, including medical devices/diagnostics, digital solutions, drugs, educational/training interventions, research tools, and many others.
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    Office of Research
    Clinical Trials Support Office Announces New Associate Medical Director
    The Clinical Trials Support Office (CTSO) is pleased to announce that Mio Nakamura, MD, MS, Clinical Assistant Professor, Dermatology, has been appointed as the new Associate Medical Director of the Michigan Clinical Trials Support Unit (M-CTSU) and Michigan Clinical Research Unit (MCRU). Dr. Nakamura’s appointment will begin July 1, 2024, and is a 2-year term.
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    Office of Research
    Information Assurance Guidelines for Using Applications and Technologies in Research
    Before seeking approval for a research project, it is crucial to ensure that the work complies with Information Assurance guidelines.