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Visual Analytics for Public Health

 

 

HEU Project Description:

The use of interactive visualizations as analytical tools for flow cytometry and clinical studies of HIV Exposed but Uninfected Infants (HEU). This research is conducted with the Children and Family Research Institute (CFRI) of Vancouver, BC. Its purpose is to identify the immunological explanation for the impaired defense against infections in HEU infants, who manifest a higher morbidity and mortality when compared to infants whose mothers are HIV negative. The SCIENCE Lab collaborates with CFRI to provide smart analysis of immunological and biomedical data. We handled exploratory analysis using newly-developed tools and techniques in Visual Analytics (VA). We investigated both the particular kinds of tools that are most appropriate for each stage of analysis: exploratory and statistical, and the particular sub-problems that appear most susceptible to de-accelerate each stage of analysis. Spefically, we conducted expert domain case studies to assess the value of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) visualizations in flow cytometric analysis, with an eye toward more generalizable design guidelines. 

Our funding: US Department of Homeland Security International Program grant "Deriving and Applying Cognitive Principles for Human/Computer Approaches to Complex Analytical Problems.

Partner funding: HIV-Exposed but Uninfected (HEU) Infants: Explorations of the Causes of Enhanced Morbidity and Mortality. Peter Walls Institute for Advanced Studies (PWIAS) Grant, 2010-2013, $499/3yrs., PI: Dr. David Speert.

SFU Researchers:

Samar Al-Hajj, Brian Fisher

Publications:

  • Al-Hajj, S., Arias-Hernandez, R. and Fisher, B. (2011). "Interactive Visualization for Analyzing and Understanding Medical data". Proceedings of IEEE Visual Analytics in Health Care Workshop 2011: Understanding the Physician Perspective, 45-48 (October 2011)

  • Al-Hajj,S., Fortuno III, E.S. and Fisher, B. (2011). "Data Visualization of Immunological Competence of HIV Exposed but Uninfected infants". Proceedings of IEEE Visual Analytics Science and Technology (VAST) 2011 Providence, RI, USA. Best Student DE Award (IEEE VAST 2011)


Web sites

http://www.pwias.ubc.ca/awards/thematic-programs/major-thematic-grants.php