Trainee, Visitor and Volunteer Onboarding
New Hire – Jing Yu
Jing Yu recently joined the Section as a Research Study Assistant, working with Dr. Jennifer Beane and Dr. Vijaya Kolachalama. Jing graduated from Boston University in May of 2020, with a degree in Computer Science and Mathematics. Currently she is working on projects pertaining to deep learning approaches to semantic segmentation of the epithelial regions in lung bronchial tissue.
Largest-Ever Study of Prostate Cancer Genomics in Black Patients IDs Potential Targets for Precision Therapies
Source: BU School of Medicine
Black men in the United States are known to suffer disproportionately from prostate cancer, but few studies have investigated whether genetic differences in prostate tumors could have anything to do with these health disparities.
Now, in the largest study of its kind to date, researchers from BUSM, UC San Francisco (UCSF), and Northwestern University have identified genes that are more frequently altered in prostate tumors from men with African ancestry compared to other racial groups, though the reasons for these differences is not known, the authors say. None of the individual tumor genetic differences that were identified are likely to explain significant differences in health outcomes or to prevent Black patients from benefiting from a new generation of precision prostate cancer therapies, the authors say, as long as the therapies are applied equitably.
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BU Scientists Awarded $1.9 Million to Accelerate Coronavirus Research
Source: The Brink
Since the novel and fast-spreading SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus first upended life in the United States and around the world, scientists at Boston University’s National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL) have dropped nearly every other research project to focus on understanding and combating the virus. Now, BU scientists have received nearly $1.9 million in new funding from the Massachusetts Consortium on Pathogen Readiness (MassCPR) to further advance coronavirus research—much of that work made possible by the NEIDL’s ability to safely house and work with live copies of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Deep Learning Algorithm Outperforms Experts in Making Alzheimer’s Diagnosis
Source: The Brink
Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. Today, more than five million Americans are living with the neurodegenerative disorder, and that number is predicted to rise to 14 million by 2050. Yet, because different people have different symptoms, it can be hard to get a clear diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, and even harder to predict the likelihood that a person will be afflicted by the disease.
Vijaya Kolachalama, a Boston University School of Medicine assistant professor, is making that prediction easier and more certain, with the help of a deep learning algorithm that relies on several indicators, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans, age, gender, and scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), which is commonly used to measure cognitive impairment. The algorithm, described in a paper published in Brain, generates an intuitive visualization of Alzheimer’s risk, leading to accurate diagnosis.
AI Algorithm Can Accurately Predict Risk, Diagnose Alzheimer’s Disease
Source: BU School of Medicine
Researchers have developed a computer algorithm based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) that can accurately predict the risk for and diagnose Alzheimer’s disease using a combination of brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), testing to measure cognitive impairment, along with data on age and gender.
The AI strategy, based on a deep learning algorithm, is a type of machine learning framework. Machine learning is an AI application that enables a computer to learn from data and improve from experience. Alzheimer’s disease is the primary cause of dementia worldwide. One in 10 people age 65 and older has Alzheimer’s dementia. It is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States.
“If computers can accurately detect debilitating conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease using readily available data such as a brain MRI scan, then such technologies have a wide-reaching potential, especially in resource-limited settings,” explained corresponding author Vijaya B. Kolachalama, PhD, assistant professor of medicine. “Not only can we accurately predict the risk of Alzheimer’s disease but this algorithm can generate interpretable and intuitive visualizations of individual Alzheimer’s disease risk en route to accurate diagnosis,” said Dr. Kolachalama.
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Boston University Investigators and Staff Attend 2020 Stand Up to Cancer Scientific Summit
Investigators and staff from BU recently attended the 2020 Stand up to Cancer Scientific Summit on behalf of our SU2C-LUNGevity-ALA-AACR Lung Cancer Interception Dream Team. Dr. Avi Spira (principal investigator), Dr. Sarah Mazzilli (junior investigator) and Dr. Liz Moses (project manager), as well as collaborators from UCLA, co-lead Dr. Steve Dubinett and Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Dr. Mary Reid and our two patient advocates, traveled to Santa Monica to hear the fascinating work of the SU2C-funded research teams and were able to present an exciting update on our work over the past 6 months on the pre-cancer genome atlas and early detection biomarkers for lung cancer. Feedback from the scientific review team was very positive and they are excited about the work we have planned over the next 6 months!
Novel respiratory cell changes identified from cigarette smoke exposure
Source: Medical Press
Cigarette smoking changes the types of cells that are present in the respiratory track and some biological processes necessary for detoxification of cigarette smoke are restricted to specific types of cells.
"Our study describes novel respiratory cell changes that result from cigarette smoke exposure that may be associated with the development of pre-cancerous tissue," explained corresponding author Jennifer Beane, Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine. Specifically, the researchers have identified a novel type of cell present in current smokers that remains active even after smoking cessation. Gene expressed by these cells have also been detected in both pre-cancerous lung tissue and lung tumors. Further study of these cells may result in therapies to prevent the development of lung cancer or ways to measure risk of developing lung cancer.
Read findings here
New candidate cancer genes identified using math models
Source: EurekAlert
(Boston)--Computational modeling is the use of computers to simulate and study the behavior of complex systems. Computational approaches are widely adopted in the bioimedical sciences and can be used to sift through large volumes of complex data to extract recurrent patterns that may point to a disease's causes and effects.
Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have developed a novel computational method, integration of Epi-DNA and Gene Expression (iEDGE), whose application to the analysis of more than 8,500 tumor profiles from The Cancer Genome Atlas has led to the discovery of genes whose alteration (mutation or copy number alteration) may contribute to cancer susceptibility. This breakthrough may lead to new therapeutic targets for numerous cancers.
Read more here.
Dr. Vijaya Kolachalama elected a Fellow of the American Heart Association
Dr. Vijaya Kolachalama, Assistant Professor of Medicine has been elected a Fellow of the American Heart Association (FAHA) conferred by the Council on Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD). Fellowship recognizes and awards premium professional members for excellence, innovative and sustained contributions in the areas of scholarship, practice and/or education, and volunteer service within the AHA/ASA.
Click here to learn more about FAHA.
Dr. Honghuang Lin elected a Fellow of the American Heart Association
Dr. Honghuang Lin, Associate Professor of Medicine has been elected a Fellow of the American Heart Association (FAHA) conferred by the Council on Genomic and Precision Medicine (GPM). This fellowship recognizes and awards premium professional members for excellence, innovative and sustained contributions in the areas of scholarship, practice and/or education, and volunteer service within the AHA/ASA.
Click here to learn more about FAHA.