Enabling Units

As the centre of operations for the CLSA research platform , the National Coordinating Centre (NCC) manages many of the logistical processes associated with a national and geographically distributed long-term study.

As part of its mandate, the NCC conducts methodological research and data linkage, manages participant  retention and engagement, leads the implementation of the follow-up waves, oversees the data collection operations across the country, and continues to develop standard operating procedures and protocols for accommodating participants for data collection (e.g. cognitive impairment, physical impairment).

The NCC is also responsible for developing and updating the CLSA suite of software, supporting the overall IT needs of the CLSA, providing ongoing staff training and documentation for the Data Collection Sites (DCS) and the Computer-Assisted Telephone Interview (CATI) sites, developing the Quality Management System for all aspects of the CLSA operations and playing a central role in the assessment of data quality, data management and archiving. In addition, the NCC is responsible for the overall budget and financial agreements, management of the core CLSA infrastructure, communications and partnership development for the CLSA research platform.

The NCC works closely with the other CLSA enabling units, including the Biorepository and Bioanalysis Centre (BBC) and the Data Curation Centre (DCC), to facilitate the data management of the CLSA platform. The NCC also supports the CLSA Data Access and Sample Committee to process applications to access CLSA data.

The NCC is affiliated with McMaster University and is located at the McMaster Innovation Park in Hamilton, Ontario. Dr. Parminder Raina, the lead principal investigator for the CLSA, serves as director of the NCC, and Dr. Ine Wauben serves as executive director, strategic initiatives.

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The Biorepository and Bioanalysis Centre (BCC) is the central location for storage and analysis of the biological samples collected at each of the Data Collection Sites (DCS). It is located at the McMaster Innovation Park in Hamilton, Ontario. Dr. Cynthia Balion, CLSA co-principal investigator and associate professor at McMaster University, is the centre’s director.

The biorepository consists of 31 cryofreezers that will store approximately five million biological samples (blood, urine and stool) over the course of the study. These freezers are maintained at a controlled temperature (-190C) to ensure the integrity of the samples. There is also an ambient DNA storage system where dried blood on filter paper is stored in multiwell plates. Portable, temperature-controlled nitrogen vessels, called cryoshippers, are sent to the Data Collection Sites around the country on a weekly basis for the transport of biological samples back to the BBC.

The bioanalysis laboratory includes a high-throughput robotic platform, flow cytometer, and other associated equipment for biochemical and cell analysis. The testing will aid in identifying and studying biological markers associated with aging conditions such cognitive decline and frailty.

Most recently, the BCC has become the second biorepository in Canada to receive accreditation from the College of American Pathologists (CAP). The CAP Biorepository Accreditation Program was designed to improve the quality and consistency of biorepositories by providing requirements for the standardization of processes that will result in high-quality human specimens and genetic materials that can be used to support research. With over 200 requirements, the CLSA’s biorepository met all applicable standards during the accreditation process.

Get in touch with the BBC.

The Data Curation Centre (DCC) is where alphanumeric information collected in the CLSA is verified for accuracy and prepared for analysis and for distribution to approved researchers. This “information locker” is located at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC). Dr. Christina Wolfson, CLSA principal investigator and RI-MUHC senior scientist, is the director of the DCC.

In the CLSA, data collection occurs through telephone interviews, in-home interviews and in-person visits to the Data Collection Sites. The information is “de-identified,” meaning anything that could identify participants – names or phone numbers, for example – is removed from the data before being entered into the CLSA database.

Whether a participant takes part in telephone interviews, in-home interviews and/or data collection site visits, information is first transmitted to the CLSA National Coordinating Centre (NCC) at McMaster University in Hamilton for long-term storage of the raw data. The Data Curation Centre works closely with the NCC in implementing and managing standard operating protocols for the access and use of the data.

The mandate of the DCC is to examine all of the data for accuracy, create derived variables, conduct analyses of the data for reporting and prepare the data for distribution while respecting strict security and confidentiality standards. Researchers who wish to use the CLSA data are required to follow a formal process and apply to the Data and Sample Access Committee (DSAC). The DSAC has the responsibility to review applications for all proposed uses of the data and samples and to provide recommendations for approvals to the CLSA Executive Committee. Once approval is granted, a CLSA access agreement is completed and ethical requirements have been met, the DCC staff prepare the specific data requested for the researchers.

Data collected through the CLSA is an exceptional resource for research. One of the underlying principles of the CLSA is that the data collected be made available to the research community as soon as it is feasible while protecting the privacy and confidentiality of participants. The staff at the DCC coordinate the processes involved in data access and utilization for researchers via a private and secure mechanism. The CLSA uses Mica (a software application used to create web portals for epidemiological study consortia) to provide information on the data available. The DataPreview Portal includes a variable query engine that allows researchers to evaluate the potential of CLSA data for their project.

Get in touch with the DCC.