Research

Dr. Harris is the Executive Director of the AHSC Biorepository.  The Biorepository’s mission is to provide high-quality, clinically annotated specimens and superior service to the research community as well as to other institutions involved in biomedical research. In addition, the Biorepository Core collects, catalogues and distributes human biological samples with associated pertinent clinical data to facilitate translational research and help investigators accomplish their research aims. The Biorepository is housed and administered within the Arizona Health Sciences Center. The Biorepository will work closely with investigators to enhance their projects by supplying quality-controlled tissues and expert consultation.  Historically, the Biorepository has supplied investigators with tissues suitable for genomic analysis, tissue arrays suitable for immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, frozen tissue suitable for RNA profiling, and peripheral blood specimens for future analyses and biomarker development.  All samples are stored according to industry best practices, in temperature-controlled, monitored, and alarmed environments in LN2 dewers or other freezers (e.g., -80C freezers) as appropriate to maximize resource integrity utilizing Current Good Tissue Practice (CGTP) whenever possible.  The primary objective of the Biorepository is to provide a resource that contributes significantly to individual project goals.  The Biorepository provides dedicated personnel, facilities, and experience to investigators with clinically annotated high-quality biospecimens. The structure of the Biorepository takes advantage of our extensive experience in managing large, multi-site biospecimen repositories to organize and manage the multi-site nature of the proposed Projects. The Biorepository has expertise in sample procurement, processing, banking, clinical annotation and informatics for all types of biological specimens and derivatives to support and manage the need for 'real' and 'virtual' tissue banking across Institutions and Projects.  In addition to banking biospecimens, the facility serves as a source of cells and tissues for biomedical research and projects involving translational andregenerative medicine.  Finally, Dr Harris is also the Quality Director of the University of Arizona GMP Laboratory which prepares cells and tissues for use in novel clinical trials.