# Visualization hub for genomics data exploration and translational discovery

> **NIH NIH U24** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SANTA CRUZ · 2020 · $860,716

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Large NCI clinical trials and research projects have been generating data on cancer genomes at an
unprecedented rate, elucidating the mechanisms of cancer initiation and evolution, as well as resistance to
therapy. To fully utilize this comprehensive data resource, which has exceeded a petabyte (1015 bytes) of data,
the scientific community needs deep, user-friendly interactive computer visualizations of the data. These will
empower investigators to discover the molecular processes driving each patient's cancer, and to identify
potential translations of this knowledge into new therapies, ultimately advancing both our knowledge of cancer
mechanisms and patient outcomes.
We propose to develop a web-based Data Hub and Viz Hub platform to allow researchers to visualize the
richness of the NCI's cancer genomics data from a single web interface. Visualizations will be composed of a
set of “bio-centric” views developed by the bioinformatics community and made available in BioJS, an open-
source repository of tools to represent biological data. This will establish a new paradigm of web-based
biological data visualization development by way of sharable and reusable modular open source components.
To initiate the Viz Hub platform, we will integrate seven popular 3rd-party bioinformatics visualizations into the
existing UCSC Xena Browser utilizing a plug-and-play framework. We will then work closely with several
clinical labs to develop two new translational visualizations for the next generation of genomic medicine. One
will be a Longitudinal Omics Integrator, giving researchers a highlighted overview of a patient while drilling
down into genomic and functional data collected throughout treatment. Another will help researchers
investigate responses to various new types of immunotherapy, which promise to revolutionize cancer
treatment. This Immuno-Tracker and Immunoediting Viewer will show how immunogenic neoantigens, T-cell
receptors, and B-cell receptors change over disease progression and in response to treatment.
The visualization needs of the scientific community, NCI's Genomic Data Analysis Network, and Disease
Working groups will be fully supported through our system of public and restricted Data Hubs. Our high-
performance Data Hubs will be easy to install on a diverse range of computing environments. Users will be
able to integrate public and restricted data, from large consortia and individual researchers (including their own
labs), seamlessly on our web-based Viz Hub. Our commitment to bioinformatics community standards, such as
GA4GH and BioJS, ensures that our contributions will be interoperable. Our designs will be vetted by users
through testing in tumor boards and at designated booths at international cancer meetings. This will ensure
that our platform will effectively serve researchers, biologists and clinicians now and into the future of precision
medicine.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10003174
- **Project number:** 5U24CA210974-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SANTA CRUZ
- **Principal Investigator:** Eric Collisson
- **Activity code:** U24 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $860,716
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-09-13 → 2022-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10003174

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10003174, Visualization hub for genomics data exploration and translational discovery (5U24CA210974-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10003174. Licensed CC0.

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