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Hello listeners, we are sorry to say we have to pause temporarily. We hope we will be bringing you more content soon. In the meantime please see our resources on https://www.itcrtraining.org/

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In this episode of Cracking the Cancer Code, we discuss critical role of ethics in cancer research data management. Dr. Jody Platt discusses with us how researchers navigate patient consent, data sharing, and privacy protection in an era of rapidly evolving technology. The episode highlights the importance of transparent communication, cultural competency, and the emerging concept of data sovereignty in building ethical research practices.

Note: There are laws to prevent discrimination based on genetic risk by employers and insurance companies, however advances in technology have created emerging potential concerns. See this article https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-genom-111119-011436  for more information on the nuances involved.

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This episode takes a powerful and human-centered look at the stories behind cancer data. While researchers often work with spreadsheets full of numbers and categories, each data point represents a real person with a complex, emotional journey.

The episode features intimate conversations with three cancer survivors:

• Johanna Kenney, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at an unusually young age
• Christina Sisti, whose cancer journey intertwined with her husband's own battle against head and neck cancer
• Grace Waller, who fought osteosarcoma as a teenager and participated in a clinical trial that later became standard treatment

Through their stories, listeners learn how cancer statistics and medical records often fail to capture the full depth of the patient experience - from the shock of diagnosis, through the challenges of treatment, to the ongoing reality of life after being declared cancer-free. The episode also explores the vital role of patient advocates in helping bridge the gap between researchers and the people they're ultimately trying to help.

It's a moving reminder that behind every clinical trial, every survival rate, and every data point is a human being with hopes, fears, and a story that deserves to be heard.

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This episode focuses on the often-overlooked administrative side of scientific research, particularly in cancer research. We talk to Sandy Ormbrek and Dr Anna Green about the complex world of grant administration and funding.

Special thanks to Maleah O'Connor for all the work she does to support the grants we work on!

Also a special thanks to Allison Peters, Denise Albano, Maria Owens and Sana Hirata for all they do!

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In this episode we discuss how modern cancer research increasingly requires collaboration between traditional lab scientists and computational experts from the earliest stages of study design. The episode challenges the common misconception that data scientists only analyze data after collection, highlighting how early involvement of computational experts can strengthen experimental design and ultimately lead to more robust cancer research.

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This podcast episode discusses the importance of reproducibility in modern cancer research and data science. Through interviews with experts like Dr. Roger Peng, Dr. Casey Greene, and Dr. Jaclyn Taroni, it explores how making research reproducible - by sharing code, data, and detailed documentation - not only helps verify scientific findings but also makes research more efficient and builds a stronger foundation for future discoveries in cancer treatment. The experts emphasize that while implementing reproducible practices requires upfront effort, it ultimately saves time and protects research integrity.

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This episode discusses the dramatic increase in data use in cancer research over the past two decades. It highlights how the data revolution has democratized access to data, creating new challenges in data management and analysis. The episode features insights from Dr. Jeffrey Leek, a Chief Data Officer, and Dr Juli Klemm, the program director for NCI's Informatics Technology for Cancer Research (ITCR) initiative. The discuss with us the importance of data infrastructure and education. The ITCR supports the development of informatics tools for cancer research, addressing the growing need for specialized software and expertise in the field.

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This episode of "Cracking the Cancer Code" explores the critical role of data sharing in cancer research, particularly in pediatric oncology. Featuring interviews with experts from the "Data for the Common Good" initiative at the University of Chicago, the podcast highlights how collaborative data sharing is essential for meaningful research in rare diseases. The initiative focuses on building community, creating data standards, and developing governance structures to facilitate effective data sharing across institutions and countries. 

The episode discusses the challenges of changing academic culture from data hoarding to sharing, and proposes various incentives to encourage researchers to participate. These efforts have already led to improvements in disease treatment and patient outcomes. The podcast emphasizes that proper data sharing requires specific skills and training, and that data science and management are as crucial as clinical research in advancing cancer treatment. Overall, the episode underscores the transformative potential of data sharing in accelerating progress in cancer research and improving patient care.

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This episode of "Cracking the Cancer Code" focuses on the challenges and advancements in working with different types of cancer data, particularly free text clinical data and imaging data. The hosts, Dr. Carrie Wright and Candace Savonen, interview experts in these fields to discuss the current state of cancer informatics and the tools being developed to improve data analysis.


A special thanks to Dr David Hanauer and Dr. Gordon Harris for taking the time out of their busy schedules to talk with us for this episode. 

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This podcast episode introduces a new series called "Cracking the Cancer Code" that explores cancer research and how data science is revolutionizing the field. The hosts, Dr. Carrie Wright and Candace Savonen, discuss the history of cancer, its complexity as a disease, and how cancer research has evolved over time.

Find out more about the ITCR Training Network at the website
Find out more about ITCR at their website.

Special thanks to the individuals who allowed us to interview them:

Researchers:
Juli Klemm - Director of ITCR program
Jeff Leek - Chief Data Officer of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Drew Jones - Assistant Professor at NYU Langone
Susanna Kiwala - Business and Technological Applications Analyst II - McDonnell Genome Institute
Kartik Singhal - PhD Student at Washington University in St. Louis
Anja Conev - Computer Science PhD Student at Rice University
Mariam Khanfar - PhD Student at Washington University in St. Louis
Chloe Herman - Ph.D. student at Northern Arizona University

What is Cancer Informatics? Interviewees:
Celina Bowman
Beverly Booth
Alyssa Kivari
Ann Savonen

Credits:
Directed by Candace Savonen and Carrie Wright
Produced by Elizabeth Humphries, Candace Savonen, and MJ Wu
Edited and written by MJ Wu
Also written by Elizabeth Humphries and Candace Savonen
Hosted by Candace Savonen and Carrie Wright