This document discusses the promise and challenges of data analytics in healthcare and biomedical research. It notes that we are at a point of deception, where digitization is disrupting traditional models through increased data volume, velocity and variety. The document outlines NIH's Big Data to Knowledge initiative to accelerate biomedical discovery through open data sharing and improved analytics. Precision medicine is highlighted as one area that could see major breakthroughs through these approaches. Challenges around data standards, privacy, workforce needs and demonstrating value are also discussed.

1. Data Analytics
Philip E. Bourne, PhD, FACMI
Associate Director for Data Science
National Institutes of Health
UM iSchool
November 3, 2015

2. Pre-reading
Health Informatics: Practical Guide for
Healthcare and Information
Technology Professionals
Chapter 3 Healthcare Data Analytics
William Hersh

3. This is a Conversation NOT a Lecture

4. We Have Been Successful
World Climate Report 2011
http://www.cnet.com/news/china-unseats-u-s-in-supercomputer-ranking/

5. Why Now?

6. Harnessing Data to Improve Health:
BD2K (Big Data to Knowledge)
NIH’s 6-year initiative to use data science to foster an
open digital ecosystem that will accelerate efficient,
cost-effective biomedical research to enhance health,
lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability
Programs and activities:
Advance discovery for biomedical research
Facilitate use and re-use of biomedical data
Develop analytical methods and software
Enhance biomedical data science training

7. Big Data in the Life Sciences …
This speaks to something more
fundamental that more data …
It speaks to new methodologies, new
skills, new emphasis, new cultures,
new modes of discovery …

8. The History of Computational
Biomedicine According to Bourne
1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020
Discipline:
Unknown Expt. Driven Emergent Over-sold A Service A Partner A Driver
The Raw Material:
Non-existent Limited /Poor More/Ontologies Big Data/Siloed Open/Integrated
The People:
No name Technicians Industry recognition data scientists Academics
Searls (ed) The Roots in Bioinformatics Series PLOS Comp Biol

9. Consider what the expert
prophets are saying …

10. We are at a Point of Deception …
 Evidence:
– Google car
– 3D printers
– Waze
– Robotics
– Sensors
From: The Second Machine Age: Work, Progress,
and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technologies
by Erik Brynjolfsson & Andrew McAfee

11. Example - Photography
Digitization
Deception
Disruption
Demonetization
Dematerialization
Democratization
Time
Volume,Velocity,Variety
Digital camera invented by
Kodak but shelved
Megapixels & quality improve slowly;
Kodak slow to react
Film market collapses;
Kodak goes bankrupt
Phones replace
cameras
Instagram,
Flickr become the
value proposition
Digital media becomes bona fide
form of communication

12. We Are At a Point of Deception
The 6D Exponential Framework
Digitization of Basic &
Clinical Research & EHR’s
Deception
We Are Here
Disruption
Demonetization
Dematerialization
Democratization
Open science
Patient centered health care

13. What Are Some General Implications
of Such a Future?
 Open collaborative science becomes of increasing
importance
 The value of data and associated analytics becomes
of increasing value to scholarship
 Opportunities exist to improve the efficiency of the
research enterprise and hence fund more research
 Current training content and modalities will not match
supply to demand
 Balancing accessibility vs security becomes more
important yet more complex

14. An Example of That Promise:
Comorbidity Network for 6.2M Danes
Over 14.9 Years
Jensen et al 2014 Nat Comm 5:4022

16. “And that’s why we’re here today. Because something
called precision medicine … gives us one of the greatest
opportunities for new medical breakthroughs that we
have ever seen.”
President Barack Obama
January 30, 2015

17. Precision Medicine Initiative
 National Research Cohort
– >1 million U.S. volunteers
– Numerous existing cohorts (many funded by NIH)
– New volunteers
 Participants will be centrally involved in design and
implementation of the cohort
 They will be able to share genomic data, lifestyle
information, biological samples – all linked to their
electronic health records

19. Center of Excellence for Mobile
Sensor Data-to-Knowledge (MD2K)
Santosh Kumar, Ph.D.
Director, MD2K Center of Excellence
Professor & Moss Chair of Excellence in Computer Science
University of Memphis
https://datascience.nih.gov/bd2k/funded-programs/centers

20. MD2K Applications – CHF and Smoking

21. Strategic
Areas
Sustainability
Workforce
Development
& Diversity
Discovery &
Innovation
Policy &
Process
Leadership
Research Objects in the Commons
Voxel Wide Genome Scanning
MRI standardization
Over 100 Public Lectures
Collaboration with a Minority Institution
185 Institutions Involved
Genomic Data Sharing
Policy
Example: BD2K Center
Working Across Strategic Areas

22. BD2K Targeted Software Topics
Supports innovative analytical methods and software tools
that address critical current and emerging needs of the
biomedical research
2015 Topics (18 awards, U01s)
– Data Compression
– Data Provenance
– Data Visualization
– Data Wrangling
2016 Topics (U01s, under review)
– Data Privacy
– Data Repurposing
– Applying Metadata
– 2016: Crowdsourcing and interactive Digital Media
(UH2)

23. Goal: To strengthen the ability of a
diverse biomedical workforce to develop
and benefit from data science

24. Key Chapter Points
 Provenance
 Proof of the value of analytics is still forming
 Work force - shortage

26. I not only use all the brains
I have, but all I can borrow.
– Woodrow Wilson

27. The Team
27

28. NIHNIH……
Turning Discovery Into HealthTurning Discovery Into Health
philip.bourne@nih.gov
https://datascience.nih.gov/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/research/staff/bourne/