The NHLBI BioData Catalyst

Over the last several decades, NHLBI has invested in creating a significant resource for research and development by supporting the creation of many observational, epidemiological, and longitudinal datasets related to heart, lung, blood and sleep phenotypes, with the aim of uncovering insights that may be leveraged toward novel therapeutic, interventional, or preventive strategies resulting in improved patient outcomes. New technologies and favorable cost trajectories have enabled detailed characterization of these study participants including whole genome sequencing (and other omics) and imaging on hundreds of thousands of participants. Together this data coupled with animal and cellular models increase opportunities for data-driven translational science.  We have fully entered the “Big Data” arena, in which we encounter both unprecedented opportunities as well as challenges.  Current paradigms for analyzing and combining these datasets are limited by both practical and conceptual constraints. Here we introduce the NHLBI BioData Catalyst, a novel ecosystem of platforms and tools to enable and accelerate the mining of these rich datasets.