Cancer Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Monthly Seminar

Shuangge Ma, PhD, Professor of Biostatistics at Yale University, presents “Hierarchical Cancer Heterogeneity Analysis Based On Histopathological Imaging Features.” 

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ABSTRACT:

In cancer research, supervised heterogeneity analysis has important implications. Such analysis has been “traditionally” based on clinical/demographic/molecular variables. Recently, histopathological imaging features, which are a “byproduct” of biopsy, have been shown as effective for modeling cancer outcomes, and a handful of supervised heterogeneity analysis has been conducted based on such features. There are two types of histopathological imaging features, which are extracted based on specific biological knowledge and using automated imaging processing software, respectively. In this study, using both types of histopathological imaging features, our goal is to conduct the first supervised cancer heterogeneity analysis that has a hierarchical structure. That is, the first type of imaging features defines a “rough” structure, and the second type defines a nested and more refined structure. This objective can be achieved using either a penalization or Bayesian approach. Simulation shows satisfactory performance of the proposed analysis. In the analysis of lung adenocarcinoma data, it identifies a heterogeneity structure significantly different from the alternatives and has satisfactory prediction and stability.

BIO:

Dr. Shuangge Ma obtained Ph.D. in Statistics from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He was a Postdoctoral Associate at the University of Washington between 2004 and 2006. He is now a Professor of Biostatistics at Yale University. His research interests include high-dimensional data analysis, cancer biostatistics, health economics, and others.

The meeting agenda includes a presentation, programmatic announcements, and updates from Cancer Center program leaders.

This group meets once a month from noon – 1 p.m.