Case control studies are carried out by identifying a group of individuals with a particular disease or characteristic (cases), and then comparing those individuals with another group who do not have the disease or characteristic (controls). One then looks at a variety of different types of variables, e.g., genetic profiles, environmental exposures, or personal habits that are expressed more frequently in one group than the other. These exposures give possible clues as to the reason why the cases developed the disease or characteristic involved in the research. Case control studies can be carried out using a random sampling of the two populations, or controls can be specifically matched to cases using a match case control design. C-TASC staff have extensive experience and have conducted many studies involving both types of case control designs. One of the most interesting uses of a case control design is the use of a synthetic case control design in which cases and controls are selected from a cohort study that has banked specimens for analysis. The samples from the cases and controls are analyzed for genotypes and phenotypes. This type of study can have a tremendous cost savings for companies attempting to identify genotypic markers of disease. Dr. Thompson has been instrumental in designing such studies and identifying important genetic profiles for patients with pulmonary diseases and HIV infections. C-TASC Statisticians have developed a statistical analysis package similar to that of GeneSpring, which can be carried out over the Web by any investigator with rights to access the system. Let us help you in designing a case control study to identify your genetic markers of interest.