Extracting Value from Public Data!

We're excited to host Randy Kerber, CTO, Data2Discovery, Inc. (https://www.d2discovery.com) and Kevin Kesseler, PhD, founder of AdderStone Predictive Analytics, LLC.

Free parking is available in the Seward Parking Ramp across Winter Ave from the DeVos Center (same side of the freeway as DeVos). Simply inform the parking attendant that you are with the Big Data and Hadoop Users Group of West Michigan.

Beginning shortly after 6 PM, Mr. Kerber will present "Extracting Hidden Value from Large Networks of Public Life-Science Data." There are hundreds of freely-available, public life-science datasets. The immense value potentially residing in these datasets is widely recognized. Although scientists desire to explore and exploit these datasets, much of the potential value remains unrealized because the datasets are not correlated, not adequately documented, not curated to consistent standards, or not maintained after funding dries up. In addition, the skills and resources needed to effectively leverage this body of knowledge are highly fragmented. Chemists, for example, tend to focus on a handful of familiar chemistry datasets, while biologists study other datasets. Other scientists study clinical data across diverse populations. Not enough scientists possess the software or skills needed to bridge the data gaps. Randy Kerber is Chief Technology Officer of Data2Discovery, a startup working to assemble an integrated network of life-science data from the trove of publicly-available data and develop computational methods based on data science and AI to assist pharmaceutical researchers in answering questions about drug efficacy. Mr. Kerber will discuss and demonstrate some of the methods used and results achieved by Data2Discovery.

Pizza and soft drinks will be served at 7 PM after the first presentation, courtesy of the GVSU Statistics Department! Thanks, GVSU Statisticians!

After refreshments, Dr. Kesseler will describe a specific project to leverage public medical databases and data science techniques to model and predict the efficacy of chemotherapy or radiation in treating cancer. Dr. Kesseler will explain how this project complements the use of computational models of biochemical pathways in developing effective cancer treatments. Kevin Kesseler is an entrepreneur and scientist working to foster scientific innovation and facilitate its technological implementation and successful commercialization.

The last 5 minutes of the meeting are reserved to solicit your suggestions for topics, presenters, and venues for future meetings.

We look forward to seeing you there!