Maria-Esther Vidal and the Scientific Data Management group at TIB, awarded for their responsible research

The science prize of Responsible Research (Forschung in Verantwortung) awarded by the organization Stifterverband with the recommendation of the Leibniz Association, has recognized the research conducted by Prof. (Univ. Simon Bolivar) Dr. Maria-Esther Vidal and the members of the Scientific Data Management group at TIB. Guided by data privacy and responsible data management principles, Maria-Esther Vidal and her team are developing digital technologies that make the context of existing data understandable by machines and humans.

These knowledge-driven frameworks are applied in the context of biomedicine to create holistic profiles of patients who suffer from complex diseases, e.g., lung cancer, Alzheimer’s, and immunological disorders. Patient profiles are part of knowledge graphs that integrate Electronic Health Records with scientific literature and genomic and pharmacology data. These integrated bases of knowledge provide medical science with entirely new analytical methods that empower the understanding of individual conditions that may influence the risk of suffering a disease or its progression.

In the context of BigMedilytics, these techniques are applied in the lung cancer pilot to understand the impact of individual characteristics like lifestyle, pre-existing conditions, and drug-drug interactions, on the effectiveness of treatments and clinical services. They represent building blocks to support the individualized prescription of treatments that may increase the chances of survival and quality of life.

Find more information at www.leibniz-gemeinschaft.de/festveranstaltung2020.