Decoding the Data Ecosystem: A CFDE Training Center Podcast

Podcast 07: Insights into Training and Engagement with CFDE Data

Description

In this episode, Allissa Dillman chats with Kelli Bursey about the current state of training and mentoring within the Common Fund Data Ecosystem (CFDE), and Diane Krause about academic engagement with CFDE datasets. This information was gathered by the Training Center as part of a mixed-methods landscape analysis used to identify necessary CFDE data science skills for CFDE learners, describe the existing CFDE training landscape, and identify needed training activities and resources for CFDE learners and stakeholders.

Guests

Kelli Bursey, MPH, CHES | Evaluation Lead

Diane Krause, MS-MPH, CPH, RDN | Evaluation Analyst

Guest Bio

Kelli Bursey has over 15 years of experience at ORAU as a mixed-method researcher, evaluator, and project manager. She actively contributes to a diverse range of evaluation, health communication, and formative research projects for government agencies and private sector clients, providing strategic insights and expertise to drive project success. Ms. Bursey has served over 12 years on the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and currently serves as the Chair for Oak Ridge Sitewide Institutional Review Board, and is well-versed in federal regulations for the protection of human subjects. She holds a certificate of proficiency in qualitative research and brings strong skills in both qualitative and quantitative analysis.

Diane Krause, MS-MPH, CPH, RDN, has over 15 years of experience in health communication at ORAU, specializing in media monitoring, social media listening, and information analysis. She contributed to a landscape analysis for the CFDE Training Center, where she analyzed scholarly output related to CFDE datasets and online discussions of related technical topics.

ABOUT THE PODCAST

Host Bio

Allissa Dillman, PhD, Training and Engagement Director for the CFDE Training Center, is the founder and CEO of BioData Sage LLC, a company focused on providing a holistic approach to data science integration in the biomedical and biological science fields. She works with clients in industry, academia, government, and the nonprofit sector to create and support training programs on bioinformatics, cloud computing, and the tools and standards for reproducible data science practices for scientific and lay communities. She also creates community events, such as hackathons, where broad communities work towards solving real biomedical data challenges. Dr. Dillman is a member of the adjunct faculty at Montgomery College and has over 10 years of experience working for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Her work focuses on lowering the barriers of entry for data science and cloud computing. She received her PhD in computational neuroscience as part of the graduate partnership program between NIH and the Karolinska Institute, Sweden.

Why Listen?

Decoding the Data Ecosystem: A CFDE Training Center Podcast is more than just a podcast; it's a community for anyone passionate about the potential of omics research to solve complex biological puzzles and address pressing health challenges. Whether you're a seasoned researcher, a student just starting out, or simply curious about the future of biology, this podcast offers valuable insights, inspiring stories, and practical advice to guide your journey through the world of omics research training and education.

Availability

Find Decoding the Data Ecosystem on your favorite podcast platform, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more. Subscribe today to stay updated with the latest episodes and join the conversation shaping the future of omics research training and education. This podcast is hosted by Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU). Learn more at orau.org.

Links

• Contact the CFDE Training Center

Decoding the Data Ecosystem: A CFDE Training Center Podcast

Podcast 06: Integrating Biomedical Knowledge at Scale with Petagraph

Description

In this episode, Allissa Dillman and Ben Stear discuss knowledge graphs and why they are useful. Tune in as they explore how these tools integrate vast and diverse datasets into unified, queryable networks that support discovery and predictive modeling. Ben shares how knowledge graphs like Petagraph are advancing FAIR data principles, enabling new research insights, and laying the foundation for future integration with large language models.

More information on Petagraph can be found on the project GitHub or in the recently published article: Petagraph: a large-scale unifying knowledge graph framework for integrating biomolecular and biomedical data.

Guest Bio

Ben Stear is a bioinformatics scientist at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. His recent work has focused on large data integration and analysis using graphs. He is also working on a PhD at Drexel University focusing on how to detect pleiotropy using graph machine learning and graph analysis.

ABOUT THE PODCAST

Host Bio

Allissa Dillman, PhD, Training and Engagement Director for the CFDE Training Center, is the founder and CEO of BioData Sage LLC, a company focused on providing a holistic approach to data science integration in the biomedical and biological science fields. She works with clients in industry, academia, government, and the nonprofit sector to create and support training programs on bioinformatics, cloud computing, and the tools and standards for reproducible data science practices for scientific and lay communities. She also creates community events, such as hackathons, where broad communities work towards solving real biomedical data challenges. Dr. Dillman is a member of the adjunct faculty at Montgomery College and has over 10 years of experience working for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Her work focuses on lowering the barriers of entry for data science and cloud computing. She received her PhD in computational neuroscience as part of the graduate partnership program between NIH and the Karolinska Institute, Sweden.

Why Listen?

Decoding the Data Ecosystem: A CFDE Training Center Podcast is more than just a podcast; it's a community for anyone passionate about the potential of omics research to solve complex biological puzzles and address pressing health challenges. Whether you're a seasoned researcher, a student just starting out, or simply curious about the future of biology, this podcast offers valuable insights, inspiring stories, and practical advice to guide your journey through the world of omics research training and education.

Availability

Find Decoding the Data Ecosystem on your favorite podcast platform, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more. Subscribe today to stay updated with the latest episodes and join the conversation shaping the future of omics research training and education. This podcast is hosted by Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU). Learn more at orau.org.

Links

• Contact the CFDE Training Center

Decoding the Data Ecosystem: A CFDE Training Center Podcast

Podcast 05: Bio-IT World Hackathon Final Presentations

Description

The CFDE Training Center was a sponsor of the Bio-IT World Hackathon, held April 1 – 2, 2025. The event was facilitated by Dr. Allissa Dillman from CFDE Training Center. The event focused on Open Source and FAIR Data (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles, and an emphasis was placed on projects leveraging omics data and integrating CFDE tools, with a goal of improving interoperability across datasets to accelerate discoveries.

Data scientists, developers, and life science professionals collaborated on five projects to tackle real-world challenges using data from GlyGen, IDG, HuBMAP, MoTrPAC, and tools from CFDE.

This episode will consist of clips from various presentations from the hackathon.

ABOUT THE PODCAST

Host Bio

Allissa Dillman, PhD, Training and Engagement Director for the CFDE Training Center, is the founder and CEO of BioData Sage LLC, a company focused on providing a holistic approach to data science integration in the biomedical and biological science fields. She works with clients in industry, academia, government, and the nonprofit sector to create and support training programs on bioinformatics, cloud computing, and the tools and standards for reproducible data science practices for scientific and lay communities. She also creates community events, such as hackathons, where broad communities work towards solving real biomedical data challenges. Dr. Dillman is a member of the adjunct faculty at Montgomery College and has over 10 years of experience working for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Her work focuses on lowering the barriers of entry for data science and cloud computing. She received her PhD in computational neuroscience as part of the graduate partnership program between NIH and the Karolinska Institute, Sweden.

Why Listen?

Decoding the Data Ecosystem: A CFDE Training Center Podcast is more than just a podcast; it's a community for anyone passionate about the potential of omics research to solve complex biological puzzles and address pressing health challenges. Whether you're a seasoned researcher, a student just starting out, or simply curious about the future of biology, this podcast offers valuable insights, inspiring stories, and practical advice to guide your journey through the world of omics research training and education.

Availability

Find Decoding the Data Ecosystem on your favorite podcast platform, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more. Subscribe today to stay updated with the latest episodes and join the conversation shaping the future of omics research training and education. This podcast is hosted by Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU). Learn more at orau.org.

Links

• Contact the CFDE Training Center

Decoding the Data Ecosystem: A CFDE Training Center Podcast

Episode 4: How the Data Resource Center Uses the FAIR Principles to Increase Accessibility and Interoperability

Description

This month, join Dr. Allissa Dillman and guest Dr. Shankar Subramaniam, a PI of the Common Fund Data Ecosystem (CFDE) Data Resource Center (DRC), as they discuss the DRC role in integrating and making Common Fund data more accessible. They will highlight the CFDE Workbench, a robust information and data portal designed to help researchers access, analyze, and understand large datasets more effectively. They will also discuss how the DRC supports the FAIR data principles and shar tips for researchers using its tools.

Guest Bio

Shankar Subramaniam is a Distinguished Professor of Bioengineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Computer Science and Engineering and Nano Engineering. He is a pioneer in bioinformatics with his development of the Biology Workbench, the first of its kind in web-based infrastructures. He has fostered training and research in systems biology and bioinformatics at the national level, serving on the NIH Director’s Advisory Committee on Bioinformatics and played a key role in the formulation of the NIH Director’s Roadmap which places a major emphasis on the use of quantitative approaches of engineering to biomedical research in health and disease. He has been instrumental in raising national awareness of the roles of engineering approaches to biomedical research. In addition to inventing new methods for analysis of complex systems, he pioneered a novel technology for RNA sequencing with the smallest quantities of RNA leading to our ability to analyze human tissues at the microscale. His contributions to models of human disease are wide and profound and have strong implications for precision and personalized systems medicine.

ABOUT THE PODCAST

Host Bio

Allissa Dillman, PhD, Training and Engagement Director for the CFDE Training Center, is the founder and CEO of BioData Sage LLC, a company focused on providing a holistic approach to data science integration in the biomedical and biological science fields. She works with clients in industry, academia, government, and the nonprofit sector to create and support training programs on bioinformatics, cloud computing, and the tools and standards for reproducible data science practices for scientific and lay communities. She also creates community events, such as hackathons, where broad communities work towards solving real biomedical data challenges. Dr. Dillman is a member of the adjunct faculty at Montgomery College and has over 10 years of experience working for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Her work focuses on lowering the barriers of entry for data science and cloud computing. She received her PhD in computational neuroscience as part of the graduate partnership program between NIH and the Karolinska Institute, Sweden.

Why Listen?

Decoding the Data Ecosystem: A CFDE Training Center Podcast is more than just a podcast; it's a community for anyone passionate about the potential of omics research to solve complex biological puzzles and address pressing health challenges. Whether you're a seasoned researcher, a student just starting out, or simply curious about the future of biology, this podcast offers valuable insights, inspiring stories, and practical advice to guide your journey through the world of omics research training and education.

Availability

Find Decoding the Data Ecosystem on your favorite podcast platform, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more. Subscribe today to stay updated with the latest episodes and join the conversation shaping the future of omics research training and education. This podcast is hosted by Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU). Learn more at orau.org.

Links

· Contact the CFDE Training Center

Decoding the Data Ecosystem: A CFDE Training Center Podcast

Episode 3: Navigating the Common Fund Data Ecosystem’s Data & Resources to Empower Scientific Discoveries

Description

This month, tune in to Dr. Allissa Dillman and Jennifer Burnette, CFDE Training Center Project Director, as they introduce the goals and initiatives of the CFDE Training Center (TC). They highlight a new Mentoring Program Pilot launching as a 10-week virtual program from June to August, where mentee teams will work on open-source projects using CFDE datasets.

Guest Bio

Jennifer Burnette is a project manager and director for ORAU expertly steering complex, interdisciplinary programs that bridge local, state, and federal stakeholders. Her career is a testament to her ability to navigate complex networks, having successfully coordinated projects for over 20 federal agency customers including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), and 13 DOE and other federal national laboratories.

ABOUT THE PODCAST

Host Bio

Allissa Dillman, PhD, Training and Engagement Director for the CFDE Training Center, is the founder and CEO of BioData Sage LLC, a company focused on providing a holistic approach to data science integration in the biomedical and biological science fields. She works with clients in industry, academia, government, and the nonprofit sector to create and support training programs on bioinformatics, cloud computing, and the tools and standards for reproducible data science practices for scientific and lay communities. She also creates community events, such as hackathons, where broad communities work towards solving real biomedical data challenges. Dr. Dillman is a member of the adjunct faculty at Montgomery College and has over 10 years of experience working for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Her work focuses on lowering the barriers of entry for data science and cloud computing. She received her PhD in computational neuroscience as part of the graduate partnership program between NIH and the Karolinska Institute, Sweden.

Why Listen?

Decoding the Data Ecosystem: A CFDE Training Center Podcast is more than just a podcast; it's a community for anyone passionate about the potential of omics research to solve complex biological puzzles and address pressing health challenges. Whether you're a seasoned researcher, a student just starting out, or simply curious about the future of biology, this podcast offers valuable insights, inspiring stories, and practical advice to guide your journey through the world of omics research training and education.

Availability

Find Decoding the Data Ecosystem on your favorite podcast platform, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more. Subscribe today to stay updated with the latest episodes and join the conversation shaping the future of omics research training and education. This podcast is hosted by Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU). Learn more at orau.org.

Links

• View the full presentation
• Contact the CFDE Training Center

Decoding the Data Ecosystem: A CFDE Training Center Podcast

Episode 2: Reproducibility and Training on the Elements of Style

Description

Join Dr. Allissa Dillman and guest Dr. Anne Deslattes Mays, creator of the Kids First & INCLUDE Elements of Style in Workflow Creation 5-day training. They will discuss ways to make bioinformatics projects more reproducible and accessible, the role of instructors and trainers in lowering the barriers to accessibility, community collaboration’s impact on reproducible research, and what makes the Kids First dataset unique.

Guest Bio

Anne Deslattes Mays is a mathematician and software engineer by training, with a PhD in Tumor Biology, and more than 30 years of experience in large-scale computing for biomedical research. Recent roles include serving as Principal Computational Scientist at The Jackson Laboratory and as a DATA Scholar Fellow in the Office of Data Science and Sharing at NIH. She is also the author of an upcoming book, Elements of Style in Creating Workflows for Biomedical Research (Springer Verlag), which will include practical guidance, analyses, and a supporting GitHub repository. This work reflects her commitment to sharing knowledge and advancing the biomedical data ecosystem through open, accessible tools and practices.

ABOUT THE PODCAST

Host Bio

Allissa Dillman, PhD, Training and Engagement Director for the CFDE Training Center, is the founder and CEO of BioData Sage LLC, a company focused on providing a holistic approach to data science integration in the biomedical and biological science fields. She works with clients in industry, academia, government, and the nonprofit sector to create and support training programs on bioinformatics, cloud computing, and the tools and standards for reproducible data science practices for scientific and lay communities. She also creates community events, such as hackathons, where broad communities work towards solving real biomedical data challenges. Dr. Dillman is a member of the adjunct faculty at Montgomery College and has over 10 years of experience working for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Her work focuses on lowering the barriers of entry for data science and cloud computing. She received her PhD in computational neuroscience as part of the graduate partnership program between NIH and the Karolinska Institute, Sweden.

Why Listen?

Decoding the Data Ecosystem: A CFDE Training Center Podcast is more than just a podcast; it's a community for anyone passionate about the potential of omics research to solve complex biological puzzles and address pressing health challenges. Whether you're a seasoned researcher, a student just starting out, or simply curious about the future of biology, this podcast offers valuable insights, inspiring stories, and practical advice to guide your journey through the world of omics research training and education.

Availability

Find Decoding the Data Ecosystem on your favorite podcast platform, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more. Subscribe today to stay updated with the latest episodes and join the conversation shaping the future of omics research training and education. This podcast is hosted by Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU). Learn more at orau.org.

Links

• Contact the CFDE Training Center

Decoding the Data Ecosystem: A CFDE Training Center Podcast

Episode 1: Unveiling the Strengths of the CFDE: A Resource for All Researchers

Description

In the inaugural episode of the Decoding the Data Ecosystem: A CFDE Training Center Podcast, join Dr. Allissa Dillman as she engages in an enlightening conversation with Noël Burtt, the Principal Investigator for the CFDE Knowledge Center at the Broad Institute. With a background in molecular biology and human genetics, Noël brings a wealth of knowledge and insight into the broad applications of the CFDE. Together, they will explore the multifaceted strengths of the CFDE and discuss how researchers across various fields can effectively utilize the resources available to advance their work. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in harnessing the power of the CFDE to fuel their research endeavors, regardless of their focus area.

Guest Bio

Noël Burtt is the director of operations and development of the Diabetes Research & Knowledge Portals in the Medical and Population Genetics Program and Metabolism Program at the Broad Institute. Her work centers on the operational and organizational leadership of large-scale, international genetics consortia and public/private partnerships for human genetics studies. She has worked to facilitate data deposition and shape the ethos of the Knowledge Portals for the consortium and the larger community of common disease researchers. She has also managed two public-private partnerships with Novartis and Pfizer as part of the effort to use human genetics to develop better therapies for diabetes. Trained in molecular biology and human genetics, she received her B.S. from the University of New Hampshire.

ABOUT THE PODCAST

Host Bio

Allissa Dillman, PhD, Training and Engagement Director for the CFDE Training Center, is the founder and CEO of BioData Sage LLC, a company focused on providing a holistic approach to data science integration in the biomedical and biological science fields. She works with clients in industry, academia, government, and the nonprofit sector to create and support training programs on bioinformatics, cloud computing, and the tools and standards for reproducible data science practices for scientific and lay communities. She also creates community events, such as hackathons, where broad communities work towards solving real biomedical data challenges. Dr. Dillman is a member of the adjunct faculty at Montgomery College and has over 10 years of experience working for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Her work focuses on lowering the barriers of entry for data science and cloud computing. She received her PhD in computational neuroscience as part of the graduate partnership program between NIH and the Karolinska Institute, Sweden.

Why Listen?

Decoding the Data Ecosystem: A CFDE Training Center Podcast is more than just a podcast; it's a community for anyone passionate about the potential of omics research to solve complex biological puzzles and address pressing health challenges. Whether you're a seasoned researcher, a student just starting out, or simply curious about the future of biology, this podcast offers valuable insights, inspiring stories, and practical advice to guide your journey through the world of omics research training and education.

Availability

Find Decoding the Data Ecosystem on your favorite podcast platform, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more. Subscribe today to stay updated with the latest episodes and join the conversation shaping the future of omics research training and education. This podcast is hosted by Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU). Learn more at orau.org.

Links

• Contact the CFDE Training Center