Improved cancer risk prediction using combined medical and biobank data
Enhanced Cancer Risk Predictions through Robust Multi-Source Data Integration
Builds better breast and prostate cancer risk tools for people from diverse backgrounds by combining electronic health records and biobank data.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11253256 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will combine electronic health records linked to biobanks from multiple sources to create risk models for breast and prostate cancer. They will develop algorithms that let sites share summary information or use federated approaches so individual patient data remain private. The methods are designed to work better for people with diverse or admixed ancestry and for groups with smaller sample sizes by pooling evidence across studies. The team will validate the resulting models across different datasets to see if predictions become more accurate and equitable.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with or without a breast or prostate cancer diagnosis who have electronic health records or have contributed samples to health-system-linked biobanks—especially people from underrepresented ancestral or demographic groups.
Not a fit: People without linked health records or biobank samples, or those who do not want their data used, are unlikely to directly benefit from this project in the short term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could produce more accurate and fair cancer risk tools that help guide earlier screening and prevention for diverse patient groups.
How similar studies have performed: Previous efforts like polygenic risk scores and federated algorithms have shown promise but often work less well in underrepresented groups, so this work extends and adapts those approaches.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Columbia University Health Sciences — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gu, Tian — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Gu, Tian
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.