Author: Yael Silberberg, VP Data Science, Lynx.MD
Overcoming the Challenges of Traditional Data
As a bioinformatics data scientist, I’ve spent years in the trenches of medical research. One of them was working at a small startup that aimed to find the best treatments for cancer based on biopsy results. In that role, the process was meticulous and slow—each study required us to carefully design a protocol, recruit patients with specific indications, and wait for months to determine whether the treatment was effective. We collected data painstakingly, one patient at a time, over long periods. This is still the case for many diagnostic startups and even large pharmaceutical companies, where every new patient adds a valuable data point, but progress is often measured in small, incremental steps.
A Paradigm Shift: The Power of Pre-Existing Data
When I moved to my new role, the first thing that blew my mind was the sheer volume and accessibility of the data. All the information we had slowly accumulated in my previous job—biopsy images, treatment plans, patient responses—was already here, waiting to be analyzed. And not just for a few patients, but for thousands, across a wide range of indications. It felt like stepping into a researcher’s dream.
While retrospective data should never fully replace the rigor of prospective data, where hypotheses are tested in real time, the ability to rapidly generate and test new hypotheses using pre-existing data is a game-changer. Instead of waiting for months or years to gather enough data to draw meaningful conclusions, I can now leverage vast datasets that span different providers, countries, indications, and populations. The potential to validate findings across multiple datasets, in a fraction of the time it would take in a traditional research setting, is nothing short of revolutionary.
The Impact on Medical Research
This transition has opened my eyes to the incredible possibilities that come with having access to such rich, diverse datasets. Here are just a few ways in which this data is transforming the research landscape:
- Accelerating Hypothesis Generation and Testing: In the traditional research model, formulating and testing a hypothesis could take years. With the data now at our disposal, hypotheses can be generated and tested almost as quickly as we can code. This rapid iteration process allows us to explore a wide array of potential treatments and diagnostic markers, refining our understanding at an unprecedented pace.
- Enhancing the Power of Retrospective Analysis: While prospective studies remain the gold standard, retrospective analysis using large datasets offers a powerful complement. By analyzing existing data, we can identify patterns and correlations that might not be apparent in smaller studies. Finding new biomarkers that were not even collected in traditional studies. This can inform the design of future prospective studies, making them more focused and effective.
- Validating Across Diverse Populations: One of the biggest challenges in medical research is ensuring that findings are applicable across different populations and centers. With access to data from multiple providers and countries, we can validate our hypotheses in diverse patient populations. This not only increases the robustness of our findings but also ensures that treatments are more universally effective.
- Streamlining Phase 4 Clinical Studies: Traditionally, Phase 4 clinical studies, which assess the long-term side effects of new drugs, are lengthy and resource-intensive. By leveraging existing data, we can conduct these studies more efficiently, monitoring patient outcomes over extended periods and identifying long-term adverse effects more quickly and without opening a new study, only by analyzing the data that is collected anyway in the clinics .
Challenges and Opportunities
Of course, there are many challenges that come with working with such vast datasets. Data quality, integration across different sources, and ensuring patient privacy are just a few of the hurdles we face. However, these challenges are far outweighed by the opportunities. Having access to this data is the dream of any researcher, offering a chance to make meaningful discoveries that can transform patient care.
The Dream of Every Researcher Reflecting on my journey from a small startup to my current role, I can’t help but feel a sense of excitement and possibility. The transition has not only expanded my access to data but has also broadened my perspective on what’s possible in medical research. The ability to work with such a rich, diverse dataset is something I could only dream of in my previous roles, and I am eager to see how this data will continue to drive innovation and improve patient outcomes in the years to come.
About the Author
In addition to her work with Lynx.MD, Yael is also the Director of Computational Biology at Point6 Bio, where she has been leading research since March 2024. With over a decade of experience in data science and bioinformatics, Yael has held senior roles at Pyxis Diagnostics, including VP of Data Science, and at BiomX Ltd, where she served as Head of Data Science. Her expertise spans big data analytics, computational biology, and bioinformatics, honed through her academic journey at Tel Aviv University, where she earned a PhD in Bioinformatics.
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