This week's guest is Joseph Pearson, Global Product Manager of OmicSoft at QIAGEN, a global provider of sample-to-insight solutions that enable customers to gain valuable molecular insights.  

During this episode, we dive into OmicSoft, a powerful NGS analysis suite that can quickly explore and compare 500,000 curated omics samples from disease-related studies. Joseph outlines the challenges of acquiring and analysing NGS data sets, how customers can interact with OmicSoft data, and what he thinks of the build versus buy debate when selecting new bioinformatics tools.

Data in Biotech is a fortnightly podcast exploring how companies leverage data innovation in life sciences.

Chapter Markers:

[01:33] Joseph gives us a brief introduction to his career and how he got to the position that he has today. 

[03:39] Ross asks Joseph about QIAGEN and how OmicSoft complements the existing range of products the company already provides. 

[05:09] Joseph talks about the work that is going into their NGS datasets and how the company is extracting value from those datasets. 

[06:09] Ross asks Joseph about the types of customers that use this solution. 

[13:06] Joseph clarifies where the data underlying OmicSoft comes from.

[19:29] Ross asks Joseph how the company approaches educating the customer.

[22:44] Joseph explains the decision-making process that companies go through when deciding to either build or buy.

[27:15] Ross asks Joseph about the biggest challenges or criticisms people have about the platform. 

[31:07] Joseph explains how his biology background has shaped his view of the challenges he faces in his role in product management.

[34:11] Joseph tells us where we can find out more about OmicSoft and QIAGEN.

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Download our latest white paper on “Using Machine Learning to Implement Mid-Manufacture Quality Control in the Biotech Sector.”

Visit this link: https://connect.corrdyn.com/biotech-ml

This week's guest is Wolfgang Halter, Head of Data Science and Bioinformatics at Merck Life Science, a leading global science and technology company. 

Ross sat down with Wolfgang to discuss the work on the BayBE project, an open-source library built for Bayesian optimization. Throughout the episode, we go on to learn how BayBE is used for both experimental design and as a means to accelerate innovation. The pair also discusses the benefits and challenges of Bayesian optimization and the need for standardised data models. Finally, Wolfgang shares some advice for those scientists and engineers who are keen to get ahead in the industry. 

You can access the GitHub repo mentioned in the episode by clicking here: github.com/emdgroup/BayBE

Data in Biotech is a fortnightly podcast exploring how companies leverage data innovation in life sciences.

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Chapter Markers:

[1:32] Wolfgang gives us a whistle-stop tour of his career to date and explains the motivation behind pursuing a career in Data Science. 

[2:35] Ross asks Wolfgang about Merck’s mission and the role the data science team is playing in helping the company achieve that mission. 

[5:28] Wolfgang explains the work that is going into the BayBE project. 

[13:23] Ross asks Wolfgang how Merck arranged their experimental campaigns in BayBE and how they garnered insights during the process. 

[17:45] Wolfgang explains why the team developed BayBE as an open-source library.

[19:25] Wolfgang shares some more details on how the data science team at Merck is using BayBE today.

[20:42] Wolfgang shares some examples of the kinds of applications that the team is currently developing. 

[21:54] Wolfgang provides us with information about the amount of time that is saved on average as a result of adopting this approach. 

[34:38] Ross asks Wolfgang how his engineering background informs his perspective on the problems facing biotech and R&D. 

[36:57] Wolfgang gives us his advice for young scientists and engineers who are looking to learn more about biotech. 

[38:24] Wolfgang provides us with a list of resources for those who want to find out more about Merck and the BayBE project. 

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Download our latest white paper on “Using Machine Learning to Implement Mid-Manufacture Quality Control in the Biotech Sector.”

Visit this link: https://connect.corrdyn.com/biotech-ml

This week, we’re delighted to be joined by Annemie Ribbens, VP Science, Evidence and Trials at icometrix, a medical technology manufacturer that offers a portfolio of AI solutions to assist healthcare with various challenges in neurological disorders, such as brain trauma, strokes, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease.

During this episode, Annemie opens up on icometrix’s mission in analyzing and treating neurological disorders, the work that went into developing the data infrastructure and the challenges they face when dealing with such large data sets. Annemie also goes on to discuss how machine learning will influence the application of precision medicine in biotech over the next five years and the goals that the company is looking to achieve in the future. 

Data in Biotech is a fortnightly podcast exploring how companies leverage data innovation in life sciences.

Chapter Markers:

[1:14] Annemie provides us with a brief introduction into her background and what led her to pursue a career in this field.

[4:17] Ross asks Annemie about icometrix’s portfolio and what differentiates it from the other tools in the market. 

[7:36] Annemie explains how icometrix are helping physicians improve both their understanding and treatment of particular disorders. 

[13:31] Annemie dives into the role that the public patient facing app plays and how the data that it gathers feeds the ecosystem. 

[22:03] Annemie reveals how their partnerships work. 

[28:11] Ross asks Annemie to provide some insights into how icometrix went about developing their data infrastructure.

[31:23] Annemie shares the channels involved when processing and analysing large data sets. 

[40:01] Annemie explains the methodology that enables icometrix to know what core areas to focus on.

[43:07] Annemie reveals one of the projects that she is most proud of. 

[45:00] Annemie gives us her thoughts on what the future holds for machine learning. 

[47:33] Annemie explains where listeners can go to find out more information on icometrix. 

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If you’re a biotech company struggling to unlock a data challenge, CorrDyn can help.

Whether you need to supplement existing technology teams with specialist expertise or launch a data program that lays the groundwork for future internal hires, you can partner with Corrdyn to unlock the potential of your business data - today.

Visit connect.corrdyn.com/biotech to learn more.

This week, we’re delighted to be joined by Lana Denysyk, Head of RWD Assets at Novo Nordisk.

During this conversation, Lana shares how real-world data is used in biotech, diving into how it can help clinicians understand patient experiences outside clinical trials. Lana also discusses the challenges in acquiring and utilising real-world data, the importance of having a centralised team to manage it, and emerging data types like patient-reported outcomes and health equity data. 

Data in Biotech is a fortnightly podcast exploring how companies leverage data innovation in life sciences.

Discussed: 

[1:08] Lana talks about her career to date, from public health graduate to head of a real-world data department at Nova Nordisk. 

[3:55] Ross and Lana break down exactly what real-world data means and how biotech organisations use it. 

[7:03] Lana outlines that RWD is part of a diverse data ecosystem in organizations and why it's crucial to understand which data type best suits specific research questions to avoid silos and maximize data utilization. 

[8:40] Lana gives examples of the types of stakeholder groups that have research questions where RWD is helpful. 

[11:54] Lana walks through how she thinks about scoping a request for RWD and understanding the limitations and applicability of the data. 

[17:36] Ross and Lana discuss the role of RWD professionals in facilitating broader access to data through platforms and tools for non-data scientists. 

[19:33] Lana highlights why standardizing real-world data management processes, despite the diversity in data types, is crucial for efficiently integrating new data into an organization and what this process looks like. 

[21:31] Lana discusses the role of GDPR and HIPAA and its impact on RWD. 

[23:52] Lana discusses real-world data strategy in pharma, highlighting the importance of assessing data adequacy, employee training, and educating all staff on data capabilities and limitations for effective future use. 

[29:10] Lana shares her excitement about emerging real-world data sets beyond traditional claims and EMR sources in pharma,

[32:30] Lana lists some resources people can use to stay up-to-date on the application of RWD in biotech.

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If you’re a biotech company struggling to unlock a data challenge, CorrDyn can help.

Whether you need to supplement existing technology teams with specialist expertise or launch a data program that lays the groundwork for future internal hires, you can partner with Corrdyn to unlock the potential of your business data - today. 

Visit connect.corrdyn.com/biotech to learn more.

This week, we’re delighted to be joined by Cody Schiffer, Associate Director, Machine Learning at SMPA - a biopharmaceutical company focused on delivering therapeutic and scientific breakthroughs in areas of critical patient need,

During this conversation, Cody and Ross discuss the construction, maintenance, and application of a knowledge graphic in biopharma, including how to integrate structured and unstructured data to support tasks like literature searches, competitive intelligence and drug discovery and the challenges in keeping a knowledge graph updated with new, real-time information. 

Data in Biotech is a fortnightly podcast exploring how companies leverage data innovation in life sciences.

Discussed:

[1:09] Cody shares his background and career to date.

[2:43] Cody outlines how SMPA leverages data science to support its pipeline of investigational assets in healthcare.

[7:36] Cody explains how his team approaches helping scientists better understand scientific literature.

[12:44] Cody explains how the SMPA knowledge graph was constructed and how it is updated over time.

[18:13] Cody discusses how his team incorporates unstructured data in the knowledge graph.

[23:05] Cody explains how they apply weighting to the information that is gathered and ultimately fed into the knowledge graph.

[28:16] Cody shares the biggest lessons he has learned from building and maintaining the knowledge graph.

[34:48] Cody explains how he and SMPA view the build versus buy question when developing internal tools.

[38:47] Cody shares his thoughts on what the future holds for his team and the tools they are building internally.

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If you’re a biotech company struggling to unlock a data challenge, CorrDyn can help.

Whether you need to supplement existing technology teams with specialist expertise or launch a data program that lays the groundwork for future internal hires, you can partner with Corrdyn to unlock the potential of your business data - today. 

Visit connect.corrdyn.com/biotech to learn more.

This week, we’re delighted to be joined by Vera Mucaj, Chief Scientific Officer at Datavant, a data logistics company for healthcare.

During the interview, Vera shares how the organization helps companies overcome issues of data fragmentation and availability, which ultimately leads to better decision-making in healthcare, the importance of connecting clinical trial data with real-world data to improve research outcomes and the challenges of semantic interoperability in data sets.

Data in Biotech is a fortnightly podcast exploring how companies leverage data innovation in life sciences.

Discussed:

[1:06] Vera introduces herself, explains her role, and explains what drove her to join the scientific field.

[4:00] Vera outlines the challenges that Datavant customers face in the acquisition and sharing of medical data.

[8:49] Vera unpacks the role Datavant plays in enabling healthcare organizations to produce and consume data to answer important scientific questions.

[12:21] Vera addresses the problem of security around data assets and how the company helps producers tackle the risk of the potential de-identification of sensitive patient data.

[15:27] Vera explains the most common use cases of the Datavant platform and the value that can be unlocked by consumers of the platform.

[22:10] Vera outlines Datavant's business model.

[27:06] Vera talks about how Datavant is leveraging AI to generate, analyze and create imputations of data sets.

[31:09] Vera discusses the regulatory and cultural barriers to making data available in healthcare.

[38:53] Vera shares her thoughts on semantic interoperability between data sets.

[44:31] Vera shares the resources that she follows to better understand the work of Datavant.

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If you’re a biotech company struggling to unlock a data challenge, CorrDyn can help.

Whether you need to supplement existing technology teams with specialist expertise or launch a data program that lays the groundwork for future internal hires, you can partner with Corrdyn to unlock the potential of your business data - today. 

Visit connect.corrdyn.com/biotech to learn more.

Data in Biotech is a fortnightly podcast exploring how companies leverage data innovation in life sciences.

This week, we’re delighted to be joined by James Winegar, CEO of CorrDyn, a data-driven technology consultancy that helps some of the largest biotechnology manufacturers in the US make smarter strategic decisions by unlocking the value of their data.

In this conversation, James and Ross discuss the application of machine learning in biotech manufacturing quality control, their work in providing a custom oligo manufacturer with a data analysis system to track whether certain manufacturing events are anomalous or part of regular operations, and how trust issues between internal teams can lead to conflict, misunderstandings, and ultimately failure to deliver ROI. 

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CorrDyn is the proud producer of Data in Biotech.

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If you’re a biotech company struggling to unlock a data challenge, CorrDyn can help.

Whether you need to supplement existing technology teams with specialist expertise or launch a data program that lays the groundwork for future internal hires, you can partner with Corrdyn to unlock the potential of your business data - today. 

Visit connect.corrdyn.com/biotech to learn more.

Data in Biotech is a fortnightly podcast exploring how companies leverage data innovation in life sciences. 

This week, we’re delighted to be joined by Harry Rickerby, Co-founder of Briefly Bio, a groundbreaking platform he's developing to streamline experimental design in life sciences using large language models (LLMs).

Host Ross Katz speaks with Harry about how LLMs are used to facilitate experiment protocol structuring in the platform, the limitations of LLMs in scientific fields, how we can improve collaboration, consistency, and reproducibility in biotech, and how metadata is generated within the experimental design process while interacting with an LLM.

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If you’re a biotech company struggling to unlock a data challenge, CorrDyn can help.

Whether you need to supplement existing technology teams with specialist expertise or launch a data program that lays the groundwork for future internal hires, you can partner with Corrdyn to unlock the potential of your business data - today. 

Visit connect.corrdyn.com/biotech to learn more.

Data in Biotech is a fortnightly podcast exploring how companies leverage data innovation in life sciences.

This week, we’re delighted to be joined by Jesse Johnson, Founder of Merelogic, a consultancy service for biotech startups who want to get their data under control so they can focus on the science.

Host Ross Katz speaks with Jesse about the importance of data in biotech startups, the challenges of bridging the gap between biologists and data scientists, the need for more modular and customizable data tools, and the potential for automation and AI in biotech research.

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If you’re a biotech company struggling to unlock a data challenge, CorrDyn can help.

Whether you need to supplement existing technology teams with specialist expertise or launch a data program that lays the groundwork for future internal hires, you can partner with Corrdyn to unlock the potential of your business data - today. 

Visit connect.corrdyn.com/biotech to learn more.

Data in Biotech is a fortnightly podcast exploring how companies leverage data to drive innovation in life sciences. 

This week, we're delighted to be joined by Tommy Tang, Director of Computational Biology at Immunitas Therapeutics - an immuno-oncology therapeutics company advancing multiple programs to the clinic.

Host Ross Katz speaks with Ming “Tommy” Tang about the scalability of the cloud and its impact on improving biotech data, Keeping data in-house vs. big data warehouses (and the messiness of public data), where ML should best play in computational biology and so much more. 

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If you’re a biotech company struggling to unlock a data challenge, CorrDyn can help.

Whether you need to supplement existing technology teams with specialist expertise or launch a data program that lays the groundwork for future internal hires, you can partner with Corrdyn to unlock the potential of your business data - today. 

Visit connect.corrdyn.com/biotech to learn more.