Data Visualization in Biomedical Sciences:
More than Meets the Eye
Nils Gehlenborg, PhD
Department of Biomedical Informatics
Harvard Medical School
http://gehlenborglab.org @ngehlenborghttp://gehlenborglab.org
datavisyn
Co-Founder
Thank you!
Data Visualization in Biomedical Sciences:
More than Meets the Eye
Nils Gehlenborg, PhD
Department of Biomedical Informatics
Harvard Medical School
http://gehlenborglab.org @ngehlenborghttp://gehlenborglab.org
http://gehlenborglab.org
http://gehlenborglab.org
Research Data Clinical Data
http://gehlenborglab.org
Research Data Clinical Data
Casual Users
Expert Users
http://gehlenborglab.org
Clinical Data
Casual Users
Expert Users
Research Data
http://higlass.io http://hipiler.higlass.io
http://caleydo.org/tools/stratomex http://halyos.gehlenborglab.org
https://vcg.github.io/upset
OncoThreads
http://gehlenborglab.org
REPORT
experiment
DATA
INSIGHT HYPOTHESIS
interpretation
hypothesis
generation
REPORT
experiment
DATA
INSIGHT HYPOTHESIS
interpretation
hypothesis
generation
EXPLANATION
“Storytelling”
REPORT
experiment
DATA
INSIGHT HYPOTHESIS
interpretation
hypothesis
generation
EXPLORATION
EXPLANATION
“Storytelling”
“Pattern Discovery”
REPORT
experiment
DATA
INSIGHT HYPOTHESIS
interpretation
HYPOTHESIS
hypothesis
generation
EXPLORATION
EXPLANATION
“Storytelling”
“Pattern Discovery”
HYPOTHESIS-DRIVEN DISCOVERY
REPORT
experiment
DATA
INSIGHT HYPOTHESIS
interpretation
DATA
hypothesis
generation
EXPLORATION
EXPLANATION
“Storytelling”
“Pattern Discovery”
DATA-DRIVEN DISCOVERY
Insight
EXPLORATION EXPLANATION
Adobe IllustratorCytoscape
Insight
EXPLORATION EXPLANATION
Insight
EXPLORATION EXPLANATION
Researchers Researchers
Decision Makers
Policy Makers
Citizens
…
Insight
EXPLORATION EXPLANATION
Decision Makers
Policy Makers
Citizens
…
Researchers Researchers
Decision Makers
Policy Makers
Citizens
…
Insight
EXPLORATION EXPLANATION
Decision Makers
Policy Makers
Citizens
…
Researchers Researchers
Decision Makers
Policy Makers
Citizens
…
Insight
EXPLORATION EXPLANATION
Decision Makers
Policy Makers
Citizens
…
WHY SHOULD WE CARE?
Nature asked 1,576 researchers if there
is a reproducibility crisis in science.
M Baker, Nature 533, 452-454, 2016
0% 100%
No crisis (3%)
Don’t know (7%)
Slight crisis (38%)
M Baker, Nature 533, 452-454, 2016
Significant crisis (52%)
Nature asked 1,576 researchers if there
is a reproducibility crisis in science.
M Baker, Nature 533, 452-454, 2016
M Baker, Nature 533, 452-454, 2016
M Baker, Nature 533, 452-454, 2016
Intentional?
Inability to capture everything?
Inability to communicate everything?
M Baker, Nature 533, 452-454, 2016
Intentional?
Inability to capture everything?
Inability to communicate everything?
SOCIAL ISSUE
TECHNICAL ISSUES
M Baker, Nature 533, 452-454, 2016
HOW IS THIS RELATED TO
DATA VISUALIZATION?
Tumor Subtypes
PROBLEM 1
Visualize overlap of patient sets across two or more stratifications.
PROBLEM 2
Visualize characteristics of patient sets within a stratification of interest.
M Streit, A Lex, S Gratzl, C Partl, D Schmalstieg, H Pfister, P Park, N Gehlenborg , Nature Methods (2014)
StratomeX
Tumor Subtypes
PROBLEM 1
Visualize overlap of patient sets across two or more stratifications.
PROBLEM 2
Visualize characteristics of patient sets within a stratification of interest.
PROBLEM 3
Identify relevant stratifications, pathways, and clinical variables.
Is there a mutation that overlaps with this mRNA cluster?
Is there a CNV that affects survival?
Is there a pathway that is enriched in this cluster?
Is there a mutually exclusive mutation?
Query
Stratifications
Clinical Params
Pathways
Guided
Exploration
M Streit, A Lex, S Gratzl, C Partl, D Schmalstieg, H Pfister, P Park, N Gehlenborg , Nature Methods (2014)
Query
Rank
Visualize
Stratifications
Clinical Params
Pathways
Guided
Exploration
M Streit, A Lex, S Gratzl, C Partl, D Schmalstieg, H Pfister, P Park, N Gehlenborg , Nature Methods (2014)
?
AND NOW WHAT?
DATA-DRIVEN DISCOVERY
REPORT
experiment
DATA
INSIGHT HYPOTHESIS
interpretation
DATA
hypothesis
generation
EXPLORATION
EXPLANATION
“Storytelling”
“Pattern Discovery”
DATA-DRIVEN DISCOVERY
REPORT
experiment
DATA
INSIGHT HYPOTHESIS
interpretation
DATA
hypothesis
generation
EXPLORATION
EXPLANATION
“Storytelling”
“Pattern Discovery”
DATA-DRIVEN COMMUNICATION
DATA-DRIVEN DISCOVERY
finding figure/videoAuthoringExploration Presentation
DATA-DRIVEN COMMUNICATION
finding figure/videoAuthoringExploration Presentation
Current Model
DATA-DRIVEN DISCOVERY
DATA-DRIVEN COMMUNICATION
finding figure/videoAuthoring Presentation
What we show.
DATA-DRIVEN DISCOVERY
DATA-DRIVEN COMMUNICATION
finding figure/videoAuthoring Presentation
What we tell.
DATA-DRIVEN DISCOVERY
DATA-DRIVEN COMMUNICATION
finding figure/videoAuthoring Presentation
What we did.
DATA-DRIVEN DISCOVERY
DATA-DRIVEN COMMUNICATION
DATA-DRIVEN DISCOVERY
DATA-DRIVEN COMMUNICATION
track provenance
annotate observations
make sense of observations
tell the story
DATA-DRIVEN DISCOVERY
DATA-DRIVEN COMMUNICATION
Capture
Label
Understand
Explain
track provenance
annotate observations
make sense of observations
tell the story
C
L
U
E
DATA-DRIVEN DISCOVERY
CLUE
vistories
Authoring
Exploration Presentation
CLUE Model
DATA-DRIVEN COMMUNICATION
DATA-DRIVEN DISCOVERY
Exploration
Authoring
Presentation
Exploration
Authoring
Presentation
Exploration
Authoring
Presentation
Exploration
Authoring
Presentation
Exploration
Authoring
Presentation
Exploration
Authoring
Presentation
Exploration
Authoring
Presentation
Exploration
Authoring
Presentation
VISTORY = visualization + story + history
Do collaborative data analysis.
Use during peer-review.
Publish with a paper.
Embed in a presentation.
DATA-DRIVEN DISCOVERY
DATA-DRIVEN COMMUNICATION
DATA-DRIVEN DISCOVERY
DATA-DRIVEN COMMUNICATION
http://vistories.org
DATA-DRIVEN DISCOVERY
DATA-DRIVEN COMMUNICATION
http://vistories.org
SAMUEL GRATZL
ALEXANDER LEX
MARC STREIT
DATA-DRIVEN DISCOVERY
DATA-DRIVEN COMMUNICATION
http://vistories.org
REPORT
experiment
DATA
INSIGHT HYPOTHESIS
interpretation
DATA
hypothesis
generation
EXPLORATION
EXPLANATION
“Storytelling”
“Pattern Discovery”
DATA-DRIVEN DISCOVERY
DATA-DRIVEN COMMUNICATION

Data Visualization in Biomedical Sciences: More than Meets the Eye