Cracking the Cancer Code - Empowering cancer research through data - ITCR

Empowering cancer research through data - ITCR

11/04/24 • 22 min

This episode discusses the dramatic increase in data use in cancer research over the past two decades. It highlights how the data revolution has democratized access to data, creating new challenges in data management and analysis. The episode features insights from Dr. Jeffrey Leek, a Chief Data Officer, and Dr Juli Klemm, the program director for NCI's Informatics Technology for Cancer Research (ITCR) initiative. The discuss with us the importance of data infrastructure and education. The ITCR supports the development of informatics tools for cancer research, addressing the growing need for specialized software and expertise in the field.

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Sharing Data for the Common Good

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This episode of "Cracking the Cancer Code" explores the critical role of data sharing in cancer research, particularly in pediatric oncology. Featuring interviews with experts from the "Data for the Common Good" initiative at the University of Chicago, the podcast highlights how collaborative data sharing is essential for meaningful research in rare diseases. The initiative focuses on building community, creating data standards, and developing governance structures to facilitate effective data sharing across institutions and countries.

The episode discusses the challenges of changing academic culture from data hoarding to sharing, and proposes various incentives to encourage researchers to participate. These efforts have already led to improvements in disease treatment and patient outcomes. The podcast emphasizes that proper data sharing requires specific skills and training, and that data science and management are as crucial as clinical research in advancing cancer treatment. Overall, the episode underscores the transformative potential of data sharing in accelerating progress in cancer research and improving patient care.

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Reproducibility as non-negotiable

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This podcast episode discusses the importance of reproducibility in modern cancer research and data science. Through interviews with experts like Dr. Roger Peng, Dr. Casey Greene, and Dr. Jaclyn Taroni, it explores how making research reproducible - by sharing code, data, and detailed documentation - not only helps verify scientific findings but also makes research more efficient and builds a stronger foundation for future discoveries in cancer treatment. The experts emphasize that while implementing reproducible practices requires upfront effort, it ultimately saves time and protects research integrity.