Digital Pathology Analyst, Cancer Research UK Birmingham Centre
Kelly is one of our former BEAR Champions and is no longer at the University of Birmingham.
What is your research background and current role in the University?
I am funded by the Cancer Research UK Birmingham Centre to support image analysis across cancer research, with a particular focus on multiplex fluorescence and high-plex in situ techniques. I also contribute to experimental design for related techniques and I work closely with the Birmingham Molecular Histology Facility in the 5th floor labs of the Institute of Translational Medicine.
Which BEAR Services are most relevant to your area?
CaStLeS storage is a critical part of my work, from the first home for the data generated by the lab, to hosting the data behind a web-based digital slide platform.
The Research Data Network (RDN) ensures that this data is fed into the various centrally hosted windows servers we use, as quickly as possible. The instruments in the lab are also connected to the RDN to offload data to CaStLeS quickly, as are the analysis workstations which gives the analysis software efficient access to the stored data. RDN gets us in, around and back out.
BEAR on Demand allows research groups to access centrally managed R packages, execute them proximal to the data and do this via a web based GUI.
BEAR Datashare facilitates collaboration with on and off site clinicians, lowering the burden of entry to collaboration with UoB translational research [note from Editor: BEAR DataShare is now retired - see this KB article for alternative options].
BEAR Software Carpentries courses have been valuable in skilling myself and the researchers I work alongside to do data science better and faster.
We are also exploring ways to leverage BEAR HPC for our image analysis AI work.
How widespread to you think BEAR Services are know in your School/College and how do you plan to spread the word?
BEAR is generally well known, especially for data storage but both the storage and other services are not leveraged to their full potential.
I integrate BEAR services behind the scenes in the workflow from the lab to the researcher. I also use my contact time with researchers to suggest ways that BEAR can improve their workflow.
I plan to host BEAR events and contribute to an Image Analysis User Group.