An Integrated Environment for Translational Breast Cancer Research within the Biobanking Ecosystem
Institution: Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Corresponding Researcher: Claude Chelala
Publication Link(s): NA
Data Link(s): NA
Keyword(s): biobanking, research portal, analytics hub, cohort browser, research catalogue
Summary
Translational cancer research relies on access to structured, high-quality specimens linked to rich longitudinal clinical and molecular data. However, integrating and querying such multi-faceted datasets remains a significant barrier to progress. Biobanks that recognise the enduring value of multi-modal data will evolve into dynamic, integrated platforms capable of delivering linked clinical, imaging, pathological and molecular data to accelerate discovery.
We have developed the Breast Cancer Now Biobank (BCNB) Research Environment, an informatics platform that interconnects diverse data sources within the biobanking ecosystem. Functioning as an informatics niche, the platform extends its tendrils throughout the ecosystem linking clinical, histopathological, digital and radiological data from electronic health records; and molecular research data generated using biobank samples. These interconnected pathways facilitate seamless access to specimens and their associated clinical and research data, enabling streamlined discovery, data exploration and translational analysis.
The Research Environment comprises three interlinked modules: Research Catalogue, Analytics Hub and Cohort Browser. These enable flexible querying, exploratory analytics and cohort selection, facilitating hypothesis generation, project planning and data-driven collaboration across the full translational research lifecycle, from concept to validation. The BCNB model serves as a sustainable, model for data integration and user engagement in biobank-based translational cancer research, extending the utility of the biobank beyond its original transactional functions.
