Objective 7: Leverage emerging opportunities in data science to open new frontiers in research on heart, lung, and blood diseases and sleep disorders

New technologies — from omics platforms to high-throughput screening — have generated vast amounts of data that have the potential to provide new insights into the preemption and precise treatment of HLBS diseases and disorders. Unfortunately, only a small portion of these datasets are being optimally assessed and incorporated into practice. Additional consideration must be given to the ethical, legal, and social implications of artificial intelligence use and data-sharing approaches in disease diagnosis and management. Developing innovative approaches to the integration, analysis, and interpretation of data from multiple sources will be essential. This information can then be effectively used to understand biological, social, environmental, and behavioral determinants associated with HLBS health and disease and to improve patient outcomes.

Envision a future in which we can...
  • Accelerate the discovery of mediators of health and disease through the seamless and shared use of readily accessible cloud-based datasets that integrate genomics and other omics analyses with carefully phenotyped research participant data from diverse sources.
  • Develop handheld devices to process and integrate genomics and clinical and personal health data at the bedside to assist clinicians in their care of patients.
  • Leverage the NHLBI BioData Catalyst, NHLBI biorepositories, and other data resources to evaluate emerging therapeutics for HLBS diseases and disorders using cutting-edge data science, bioinformatics, and synthetic biology techniques.
  • Integrate data resources to create a digital lung, which incorporates the molecular, cellular, pathophysiology, and physical dynamics of the lung to gain a better understanding of chronic lung disease and to develop data-driven treatment strategies.

Overarching Objectives

  1. Understand normal biological function and resilience
  2. Investigate newly discovered pathobiological mechanisms important to the onset and progression of heart, lung, and blood diseases and sleep disorders
  3. Investigate factors that account for differences in health status among populations
  4. Identify factors that account for individual differences in pathobiology and in responses to treatments
  5. Develop and optimize novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to prevent, treat, and cure heart, lung, and blood diseases and sleep disorders
  6. Optimize clinical and implementation research to improve health and reduce disease
  7. Leverage emerging opportunities in data science to open new frontiers in research on heart, lung, and blood diseases and sleep disorders
  8. Further develop and sustain a scientific workforce capable of accomplishing NHLBI’s mission