Approved Research

Using UK Biobank data for the training of health- and bio-informaticians in UK and abroad.

Lay summary

We have created a new MSc programme aimed at training the next generation of multidisciplinary scientists and clinicians that can utilise and apply health and biomedical informatics techniques and technologies that have, and will, transform epidemiology, biology and healthcare. The ideal teaching tool to achieve this is the UK Biobank. The requirements for a successful education in this arena lie in machine learning and artificial intelligence capabilities added to statistical and analytical skills, plus awareness of the challenges and potential within huge multidimensional datasets. Thus, the course gives a generic skills base in advanced data analytics coupled to understanding healthcare issues. Use of the multidimensional UK Biobank data offers an amazing educational opportunity to train people and train them well in the rainbow approach to modern biomedical and digital health research. This is where many different kinds of data are integrated and manipulated to find out new things about human health. The colourful pallet of datatypes available means students can learn better and quicker about integrated health informatics and bioinformatics research with the use of UK Biobank data. We will:

*Provide students with the passion, knowledge, and confidence to apply data sciences and informatics to real world problems using UK Biobank and other large data repositories

*Train students in core informatic and AI skills to apply to healthcare, biomedical and medical challenges using UK Biobank data, in part.

*Provide multi-disciplinary learning by combining expertise in informatics, AI, statistics, and the fields of epidemiological and biomedical, health and medical research.

*Provide learners with the hard and soft skills to prepare them for a career in data sciences

*Foster a cohort culture that encourages peer-to-peer learning, with team projects to develop problem-solving skills in a collaborative and multi-disciplinary setting.

*Develop an ethical and responsible approach to technology development and encourage students to consider how they can enhance societal wellbeing.

We are creating a scheme that enhances structured accessibility to UK Biobank for the next generation of researchers. There is a high-level ambition within this programme to produce graduates who understand and can tackle the challenges generated by large datasets for the creation and further development of outcomes to support improved understanding of disease, health, and wellness.