Abstract

BioGrid is a ‘virtual’ or federated research repository of clinical, laboratory and genetic data sets across multiple sites and diseases. The data is physically located across jurisdictions within independent hospitals and research organisations, and with authorization, can be combined, searched and queried over the Internet in a de-identified format. The challenges of ethics, privacy, and data ownership have been addressed. BioGrid has developed multi-disciplinary and comprehensive data collections and has conducted multi-centre research and audit studies, demonstrating the utility of this eResearch platform in the life sciences.

Multisite expansion across 10 cancer tumour streams, the neurosciences, diabetes and cystic fibrosis has highlighted the importance of eResearch fundamentals and collaborative behavior. The significant and diverse research outcomes already enabled by the BioGrid research platform will be presented, these include analysis of biomarkers for responders / non responders to therapy in patients with epilepsy; sensitivity of faecal occult blood testing for asymptomatic colorectal cancer and advanced adenomas over a 27-year experience in colorectal cancer screening; differences in colorectal cancer outcomes and survival patients with diabetes; the influence of language spoken on colorectal cancer diagnosis, management, outcomes and quality ‘audit’ of treatment in colorectal cancer. The infrastructure of BioGrid has enabled discovery and collaborative research to be accessible via the Web with security, intellectual property and privacy addressed.

About the speaker

Marienne Hibbert is the Project Director of the Bio21:MMIM Project. She has a lead the MMIM project team for Melbourne Health since MMIMs inception. Her background is in health research and epidemiology as well as Health IT, Informatics and project management. Her passion is improving health outcomes – through health promotion, research and improved informatics.