The Problem

Data is crucial for understanding the mechanisms of disease and identifying effective treatments. Without sufficient data, medical researchers are unable to fully explore the complexities of disease, and this can severely limit our ability to make progress in the field. 

Lack of data hurts medical progress by making it more difficult to identify patterns and correlations between different factors that contribute to disease. For example, if researchers only have access to data from a limited number of patients or other sources, they may not be able to identify important risk factors or environmental exposures that contribute to the progression of a particular disease. This can lead to missed opportunities for prevention or treatment. 

The Solution

The Data Collaboration Center (DCC) was founded by C-Path to generate secure, large-scale data solutions for medical research, and provide unsurpassed expertise in curating, standardizing, analyzing and sharing medical data from around the world. We operate in a neutral space with a focus on accelerating clinical research and improved treatments by maximizing the utility of medical data. This is accomplished through robust data management and curation processes, and through the development and application of data standards and ontologies, as well as custom-built tools. The DCC possesses the top-tier technical expertise and project management resources to support advanced research efforts.  

The Impact

Through the collaborative environment created by this program, the DCC provides the following: 

• Customized data-sharing and analytics platforms  
• Secure transfer of data to and from all external sources 

• Planning and execution of multisource data standardization and aggregation 
• Support for FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) Guiding Principles of Data by utilizing unique identifiers, extensive metadata and indexed, searchable database architecture 
• Sustainable curation and administration of data and its storage 
• Ability for teams to work together in a secure environment to analyze and interpret data 
• Security policies and frameworks which align with industry best practices 
• An adherence to applicable security and privacy regulations in all jurisdictions where data are managed