Cancer Data Science Pulse

Watch our time capsule video to learn about the current status of the field and new technologies that are sure to be important as we embark on the next era of cancer data research.

As NCI recognizes Childhood Cancer Awareness Month this September, we highlight a list of data science resources and tools to aid your pediatric cancer research.

Having trouble staying up to date on cancer variants? CIViC (or Clinical Interpretation of Variants in Cancer) offers an open-source knowledgebase and web interface to help connect researchers to the latest published findings on a full range of variant interpretations.

Meet the people who are breaking new ground in the data science field, whether it’s a new tool, a new model, or a completely new way of using data. Here, we’re featuring Svitlana Volkova, Ph.D., chief scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. She’ll describe how she’s using “foundation models” to give scientists and analysts a new tool for unleashing the power of artificial intelligence (AI).

Whether you are in the data science field, interested in developing computational solutions for clinical oncology, or a clinical researcher, we’ve curated a list of data sets, tools, and learning resources to showcase how these disciplines can and are working together to empower cancer research.

On April 20, Dr. Clemens Grassberger will present the next Data Science Seminar, “Computational and Mathematical Approaches to Modeling Immunotherapy-Radiotherapy Combinations.” Here, Dr. Grassberger describes how combining these two very different therapies—radiation and immunotherapy—may lead to stronger, more effective ways of treating cancer.

On April 6, Dr. Malachi Griffith will present the next Data Science Seminar, “Bioinformatics Approaches for Neoantigen Identification and Prioritization.” Here, Dr. Griffith tells how his tinkering with computers, bioinformatics, and genomics is helping him understand the complexities of this promising research area. If successful, neoantigen-based cancer therapies could prove to be the pinnacle of personalized medicine.

On March 23, Dr. Ben Raphael will present the next Data Science Seminar, “Quantifying tumor heterogeneity using single-cell and spatial sequencing.” In this blog, Dr. Raphael describes how he’s using this technology to dig deeper into the complexity of cancer.

CBIIT’s NIH Data and Technology Advancement (DATA) Scholar, Dr. Jay G. Ronquillo, offers a bird’s-eye view of cloud computing, including tips for managing costs, access, and training to help advance precision medicine and cancer research.

In this blog, Dr. Elana J. Fertig describes how she is using artificial intelligence, blended with spatial and single cell technologies, to better understand how cancer will respond to treatment. Predicting the changes that occur in the tumor during treatment may someday enable us to select therapies in advance, essentially stopping the disease in its tracks before it reaches the next stage in its evolution.