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About the Institute for Data Science in Oncology

The answers to overcoming cancer lie within reach, but simply analyzing the available data with current approaches will not tackle the pressing challenges before us. Instead, we have created a data ecosystem that revolutionizes collaboration and connectivity — from data generation through clinical impact — to unlock the power of complex information and to advance our mission to end cancer.

Megatrends, including artificial intelligence (AI), are shaping every aspect of our lives. At MD Anderson, we see the opportunities and risks associated with the emergence of AI and an ever-increasing amount of data being generated by our research, patient care and clinical operations, as well as the use of wearable devices that monitor an individual’s health and fitness. Caring for one of the largest cancer patient populations in the world, we have the responsibility to harness these opportunities to fuel new insights and cutting-edge discoveries faster than ever before.

The Institute for Data Science in Oncology (IDSO) integrates the tremendous power of meaningful data extraction and interpretation with MD Anderson’s unparalleled expertise to transform the future of cancer in ways only possible with our Houston-based patient volumes and our national network.

IDSO builds on the most sophisticated data and computational scientific approaches to push the envelope for what’s possible. As new technologies and discoveries become available, we develop innovative approaches to better gather, understand and use data for the benefit of our patients.

One example of how we will maximize learning and impact through data is the use of “digital twins.” These continually updated, digital representations are used to predict possible outcomes or behaviors, and often assist with decision-making. For individual patients, a digital twin of their tumor or themselves can be used to consider and identify the most effective treatment (e.g., best response, less side effects, and reduced toxicity). Digital twins for entire populations can be used to identify patterns related to environmental factors and cancer incidence, informing effective preventive measures for whole communities. For operational efficiency, digital twins can help us calibrate our capabilities to enhance access as well as the safety and quality of patient care (e.g., patient intake, surgical room utilization, and appointment scheduling).

We are bringing together the world’s most talented experts in data science to fortify our position as a leader in the field. To advance this collaborative, industry-leading approach, our teams have prioritized five focus areas:

Quantitative Pathology and Medical Imaging

Harnessing enormous amounts of data produced by digital pathology and radiological imaging to provide accelerated, rigorous and actionable insight for patients, from diagnosis to intervention and follow-up. Current manual approaches to understanding this data are limiting, and IDSO will bring a rigorous and actionable lens to pursuing advances in automated tools and AI algorithms to allow us to more rapidly detect cancers, possibly at earlier stages, and also provide measurable assessment of the treatment response of each patient using the full scope of information available in the gigabytes of data derived from our state-of-the-art 3D imaging systems. Already underway is the Tumor Measurement Initiative (TMI), which is building an institutional framework that supports standardized, automated, quantitative, imaging-based tumor measurements across each patient’s treatment to reduce uncertainty in determining tumor progression and empower physicians to adapt treatments more quickly, if needed.

Single Cell Analytics

Advances in methods to store the complex inter-relations between the millions of molecular components are required, and new approaches to look for correlations and ultimately connections require us to adopt biology-informed machine learning approaches. Working with the strong basic science and bioinformatics community across MD Anderson, including the development of combining existing treatments with the advances of immunotherapy led by the James P. Allison Institute, IDSO will bring thought leaders in machine learning and graph-based approaches from other industries to accelerate discovery and understanding of the fundamental science of cancer with the purpose of creating new understanding of biology to create interventions that can strike at the very heart of the disease.

Computational modeling for precision medicine

Cancer patients are all individuals with individual tumors that change over time and through the course of treatment. Standardized treatments treat the ‘average’ patient. With revolutions in data generation and data science, we are finally in a position to bring technology to bear to individualize treatments for our patients. This focus area is dedicated to multiscale modeling of cancers from atomic to patient level. We will use this foundation to develop adaptive digital twins that ensure the treatment and treatment combinations continually optimize and adapt to the changes in the tumor and the patient, maximizing response and minimizing adverse events.

Decision analytics for health

By integrating the many dimensions of impact of cancer on the individual and society – including personal, societal and economic – it creates the necessary nuances and dimensions of messaging to compel real change. The impact of cancer on lives lost, overall community health, economics and productivity are important messages for our government and community leaders. Through the leadership of MD Anderson, Texas will serve as a scalable model in using data-informed computational approaches to illustrate the impact of decision making at the personal, regional, state, national and international level to improve cancer outcomes. Designed correctly, the model will support all dimensions of intervention from prevention to end-of-life care and help make a data-driven and compelling case for concrete innovations and investments to end cancer.

Safety, Quality, and Access

Development of Automated Approaches to Increase Access, Safety and Quality in Cancer Care: IDSO works with leaders across the institution to build expertise in data science to address a variety of challenges including scheduling and optimization of patient access such as improved appointment templates, implementation of AI in patient monitoring to avoid adverse events, and to monitor the digital health of our environment such as network traffic to detect and shutdown potential cyberattacks. This includes the use of data science to improve the quality and safety of some of our most effective care interventions, such as surgery, interventional radiology, radiation therapy or chemotherapy.

TMC Helix Park

IDSO’s home is within the TMC3 Collaborative Building. A destination for influential lectures, illuminating conversations, game-changing collaborations, and big ideas, the location attracts industry partners and venture capital firms by allowing collaborators the opportunity to co-locate and engage with our experts.

Helix Park Campus

Peter WT Pisters, M.D.

President

MD Anderson Cancer Center

IDSO creates an unprecedented opportunity to advance the emerging power of data science to unlock the mysteries of cancer.

A collaborative approach

IDSO has established academic relationships and collaborations in data science and computational modeling discovery with The University of Texas at Austin Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences and the Texas Advanced Computing Center, and is building upon our strong relationship with Rice University, as well as the Data Science Hub of the recently formed Break Through Cancer effort that links MD Anderson with other top cancer centers. IDSO is interested in collaborating with leaders in academia and industry to support our bold mission to end cancer, as well as recruiting top talent and developing the next generation of data scientists. MD Anderson is creating an environment where data scientists from other fields can thrive and bring their expertise to important cancer problems by identifying the most impactful data opportunities.

The institute engages with our exceptional talent in data science across MD Anderson to ensure there is a productive culture and environment to enable team data science, and to engineer and operate a world-leading data supply chain.

Three critical and aligned efforts will advance the institute:

Continue to foster a culture and ecosystem of team data science throughout MD Anderson.
Engineer an unparalleled data and metadata supply chain in oncology.
Drive a global community focused on data science in cancer medicine through the recruitment of diverse talent and the creation of strategic academic and industry collaborations in data science.

Data science advances cancer care and research

IDSO plays a key role in the next phase of MD Anderson's history. The institute uses data science to generate clinically meaningful insights from complex and vast quantities of data that can be brought directly to our patients. IDSO will ensure pace and progress toward our mission to end cancer.

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