Invited Keynote Talk: Quiet Revolution: Connectivity in the Cancer Research Community

Abstract

Biomedicine in general - and cancer research especially - are moving toward an enhanced understanding of the molecular basis of disease. To realize the benefits of this revolution - earlier detection, more productive drug discovery and development, more individualized patient care - biomedical researchers need to utilize all the new technologies available in basic and clinical research. The National Cancer Institute has developed the caBIG^TM initiative (cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid^TM) to overcome the ”silos” and data disconnects that slow cancer research. This voluntary, open-source network is unique in the history of biomedical research. caBIG^TM connects scientists and practitioners through a shareable, interoperable infrastructure; provides standard rules, unified architecture, and a common language to share information; and offers free, open-source software tools for collecting, analyzing, integrating, and disseminating information. With that foundation, NCI is fulfilling the vision of a truly connected cancer enterprise across the nation that achieves optimum research productivity for improved clinical outcomes.