Core 06: Biomedical Informatics Core

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Project Summary: Biomedical Informatics Core The overall goal of the Biomedical Informatics (BMI) Core of the Louisiana Clinical and Translational Science Center (LA CaTS) is to build on our accomplishments and continue to develop and deploy “state of the art” informatics services to LA CaTS investigators. During the current funding period, the BMI Core provided significant support to 27 LA CaTS Investigators across 14 institutions, resulting in 46 publications and 18 funded grant applications. The BMI Core constructed 12 “virtual cohorts”, which were used in 30 projects leading to 3 major NCI grant awards. We created the data infrastructure for 3 “virtual biorepositories” and provided the informatics backbone for the participation of LA CaTS in the NIH “All of Us” research program and the National COVID-19 Cohort Collaboration (N3C). The BMI Core contributed to the LA CaTS response to the COVID-19 pandemic in multiple ways: 1) Supported 2 multi-CTR N3C projects exploring the relationship of drug exposures and rurality with COVID-19 outcomes; 2) Provided the informatics infrastructure for 2 epidemiological studies of SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and virus testing; and 3) Supported 3 projects on SARS-CoV-2 variant sequencing in Louisiana. The BMI Core also supported the COBRE Center for Translational Viral Oncology and served an invaluable role in the close collaboration between LA CaTS and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)- led Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences (CCTS), as well as the UAB-led, NIMHD-funded Obesity and Health Disparity Research Center. Our commitment to building a diverse pipeline of translational data scientists led to a) the first Master of Science program in Bioinformatics in Louisiana, and b) the expansion of Core personnel to include 3 early-stage investigators. During the next funding period, the BMI Core will expand its mission to include integrative clinical and bioinformatics, machine learning/artificial intelligence, access to national and regional clinical databases, individualized mentorship, didactics, as well as community stakeholder and citizen scientist support. In cycle 3 we will pursue three important specific aims. Aim 1. Provide training and enhance utilization of high-resolution bioinformatics and artificial intelligence/machine learning algorithms. Aim 2. Expand our existing support for collaboration and data sharing within LA CaTS Cores and between LA CaTS investigators and CTSA Centers, as well as with Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) and the Louisiana Biomedical Research Network (LBRN) by broadening the geographic scope and population coverage of data resources available to LA CaTS investigators. Aim 3. Expand our educational mission, in close cooperation with the Professional Development (PD) Core, to create a pipeline of translational data scientists with emphasis on diversity and to enable and support data research by citizen scientists and community stakeholders. We expect that the accomplishment of these Aims will produce a cutting edge, multidisciplinary BMI Core that forms the data science backbone of the LA CaTS Center and enables local, regional, and national collaborations, while enhancing our data scientist pipeline and public awareness. The BMI Core will give a vital contribution to the Center’s mission to transform clinical and translational research in Louisiana and alleviate health disparities.