Tag: news

Last week, we had the pleasure of participating in the 15th Conference and Labs of the Evaluation Forum (CLEF), held from 9-12 September in Grenoble, France. As part of the iDPP Challenge, we presented our work titled “Using wearable and environmental data to improve the prediction of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and multiple sclerosis (MS) progression: an exploratory study” (E. Marinello, A. Guazzo, E. Longato, E. Tavazzi, I. Trescato, M. Vettoretti, B. Di Camillo), developed within the BRAINTEASER H2020 project. The paper, included in the CLEF 2024 Working Notes, can be accessed here: https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-3740/paper-125.pdf.

Our study focuses on leveraging sensor data to enhance predictive models for ALS and MS progression, with the aim of assisting clinicians in making more informed therapeutic decisions. We developed machine learning approaches to predict ALSFRS-R scores in ALS patients and relapses in MS patients using wearable and environmental data. The results were promising, demonstrating improved prediction accuracy when sensor data were incorporated.

Participating in the iDPPChallenge provided a great opportunity to share our findings on how data science can enhance clinical decision-making in neurodegenerative diseases

On Sunday, 8th September 2024, the 2nd Stakeholder Meeting of the REDDIE project took place at the IFEMA Convention Centre in Madrid. During the event, our tenure-track researcher and PI, Martina Vettoretti, presented the activities related to Work Package 5 (WP5), Advanced Methodological Frameworks for Enhancing Clinical Trials with Real-World and Virtual Evidence, for which our group is the leader.

The presentation focused on the progress made in two key methodological tasks. The first is the enhancement of methodologies for conducting retrospective observational studies, where we have performed a systematic review to identify and evaluate available methods on a set of artificial datasets. This work aims to define guidelines for selecting appropriate methods in various contexts and develop a fully-automated analysis pipeline to improve reproducibility and scalability.
The second task involves advancing tools for building data-driven simulation models. These models are becoming increasingly important as the simulated data they can create provide a complementary perspective to real-world data and clinical trial data. Simulated data can be generated using computational models, such as dynamic Bayesian networks (DBNs), a technique in which our group has both methodological expertise and practical experience. Within the REDDIE project, we are advancing the use of DBNs to simulate long-term outcomes in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, leveraging RWD sourced from national diabetes registries to build more accurate models.
These efforts will ultimately contribute to more personalised approaches in diabetes management, while also improving the scalability and robustness of the simulation models used in healthcare research.

We extend our gratitude to the organisers for a well-executed and insightful meeting, and for the valuable feedback received from key stakeholders, whose input is essential to the success of this project.

Last week, our PhD students Francesca Longhin, Giulia Cesaro, Isotta Trescato (3rd year), Mikele Milia (2nd year), and Sara Poletto (1st year) presented their research progress to a departmental commission. This formal step in their doctoral journey offered the entire group, as well as attendees, a valuable opportunity to reflect on the progress of our young researchers. It also provided a platform to share and discuss the diverse research directions currently being developed within our team, highlighting the breadth and depth of work being undertaken in our international projects.

On July 10-12, 2024, our group had the pleasure of hosting Dr. Tirdad Seifi Ala, our esteemed partner from the Danish Medicines Agency (Lægemiddelstyrelsen, DMA), for an in-depth technical meeting within the REDDIE project. This visit was a significant milestone in our ongoing collaboration and provided an excellent opportunity to delve into the details of the current activities in Work Package 5 (WP5), titled “Advanced Methodological Frameworks for Enhancing Clinical Trials with Real-World and Virtual Evidence.”

The WP5 is led by our research group under the supervision of Principal Investigator Dr. Martina Vettoretti, with active involvement from both UNIPD and DMA. During the meeting, we had the opportunity to discuss some of the latest methodologies developed by our team, focusing on predictive models for the progression of chronic diseases and the conduction of retrospective observational studies.

The discussions were highly productive and insightful. Dr. Seifi Ala provided valuable feedback and shared his expertise, which helped refine our approaches and identify new avenues for future research. The collaborative atmosphere facilitated a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities in leveraging real-world evidence to enhance clinical trials.

As our partnership with DMA continues to strengthen, we are excited about the potential to contribute significantly to the use of real-world evidence for complementing randomized controlled trials. Our joint efforts aim to improve the efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness of technologies designed to prevent and treat diabetes, ultimately benefiting patients and healthcare systems alike.

We look forward to continuing this fruitful collaboration and are eager to see the impact of our combined contributions to the REDDIE project.

On July 3-4, 2024, our group hosted a productive technical meeting between UNIPD and NOH in the context of the REDDIE project. This significant event was focused on exploring collaborative opportunities and discussing the utilisation of data from Danmarks Statistik.
The meeting brought together key researchers from both institutions, who engaged in in-depth discussions on the methodologies for analysing diabetes outcomes using real-world data. The exchange of ideas and expertise was stimulating, as participants identified numerous points of contact and potential synergies.
Throughout the two days, the researchers delved into various aspects of diabetes research, emphasising the importance of leveraging real-world data to enhance the understanding of diabetes outcomes. The discussions underscored the potential benefits of integrating diverse datasets and employing advanced analytical techniques to improve research quality and impact. The event concluded with a shared vision of developing innovative solutions and methodologies that will ultimately benefit patients and healthcare providers.
This meeting marks a promising step forward in the collaboration between our group and NOH. The partners expressed enthusiasm about the future possibilities and are committed to continuing their joint efforts to advance diabetes research. 

Yesterday, June 4, 2024, a meeting took place between the Department of Information Engineering and the Department of Women’s and Children’s Health at the University of Padova. The objective of this meeting was to present our respective research areas and explore potential synergies and points of collaboration.
Our researchers, Martina Vettoretti and Giacomo Baruzzo, showcased the research directions of our group, highlighting ongoing projects and key topics. Their presentations were well-received and sparked a lively discussion, with numerous insightful questions from attendees.
This productive meeting demonstrated a strong interest in potential collaborations between the two departments. We are optimistic that this initial exchange will lead to fruitful cooperative opportunities in the near future.

We are thrilled to announce that our team will be actively participating in the upcoming BITS 2024 and CIBB 2024 conferences! These events present a significant opportunity for us to share our research, connect with fellow professionals in the field, and discover the latest innovations in bioinformatics and computational biology. We hope to see you there!

We are also excited to share some fantastic news: our Principal Investigator, Barbara Di Camillo, will be part of the organizing committee for IEEE ICHI 2025! Stay tuned for more updates.

Yesterday we had the pleasure to contribute with 3 presentations at the research event “DEI-AI 2024” hosted by our Department of Information Engineering, where we had the opportunity to showcase our latest groundbreaking work.

In our first presentation, titled “Exploring AI Applications in Medicine: Methodological Challenges and Examples,” Barbara Di Camillo, head of Sysbiobig, delved into the intricate world of AI applications in medicine, addressing methodological challenges head-on. From robust feature selection in omics data to dynamic Bayesian networks for simulating disease progression, we showcased cutting-edge methodologies and ongoing projects, including the BRAINTEASER project.

Following that, our second talk, “Artificial Intelligence Methods to Power Real-World Clinical Studies,” was delivered by our researcher Enrico Longato. This presentation underscored the importance of real-world effectiveness in evaluating treatments. We delved into the nuances of retrospective observational studies and discussed innovative AI approaches to combine weighting and matching techniques for robust analysis, a pivotal goal we are actively pursuing within the REDDIE project.

But that’s not all! Our researcher Martina Vettoretti also presented her recently funded project titled “BREATHE – Big data, internet-of-things and aRtificial intelligence to study the impact of personal Exposure to air pollution on AsTHma Exacerbations.” This project, funded under the PRIN 2022 call, aims to revolutionise our understanding of asthma control by studying the impact of personal exposure to air pollution. By leveraging an innovative infrastructure and employing advanced machine learning techniques, Martina and her team are paving the way for the development of prognostic models capable of predicting asthma exacerbations.

These presentations truly underscore our unwavering commitment to advancing AI research in healthcare and driving real-world impact. A heartfelt thank you goes to the event organisers for providing such a platform!