Interactive tools to explore detailed tumor and tissue images
Visual Analytics for Exploration and Hypothesis Generation Using Highly MultiplexedSpatial Data of Tissues and Tumors
This project builds easy-to-use cloud tools to help cancer researchers and clinicians explore very detailed images of tumors and tissues to spot new patterns.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Harvard Medical School NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11176219 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are creating cloud-based software that lets people view, annotate, and measure highly detailed tissue and tumor images across scales from tiny subcellular features to whole tissue sections. The tools will link imaging with molecular data (like RNA and small molecules) so users can see how cells and molecules are arranged in the tumor environment. The project emphasizes standards, sharing through public tumor atlas efforts, and machine-learning methods to find meaningful patterns. The goal is to make these capabilities accessible and interoperable for cancer biologists and clinical teams.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients with cancer who donate tumor tissue, whose samples are included in tumor atlas projects, or who receive care at centers contributing data are the most likely to be connected to this work.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate treatment or clinical benefit should note this is a software and data project, not a therapy trial, so it offers no direct treatment benefits.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these tools could speed discovery of new tumor biomarkers and help guide better diagnosis and treatment choices in the future.
How similar studies have performed: Existing digital pathology and imaging tools have helped researchers, but they generally do not handle the very high-plex, multi-scale tumor data this project targets, so this work builds on promising prior tools but addresses gaps.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Harvard Medical School — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pfister, Hanspeter — Harvard Medical School
- Study coordinator: Pfister, Hanspeter
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.