Setting up a Data Science core facility from scratch
In December 2023 we set out to build a Data Science core facility at the Malaghan Institute. Our goal is to provide expert data science support to our researchers and collaborators, developing robust bioinformatic pipelines, statistical models, and applications to integrate and analyse their diverse data sets. We support this goal not only by building the right capability, but also carefully evaluating what tools we build versus ones we buy. Add to this our strong focus on training, and this setup helps us meet researchers where they are and weave with their work, rather than impose novel or alien structures.
A year in we have added expertise in data science and software engineering to create a team of four technical experts in computational biology, data science, and digital technology. We have made our existing high-performance computing capability far more accessible by embracing DevOps practices. We have introduced project planning to the broader core facility and Institute. We have run training courses in programming and data presentation. And we have established a collaboration model with our lab groups that allows us to provide a predictable service, while also making time to build for the future needs of the Institute.
This approach looks to various disciplines and sectors for inspiration, chiefly the world of digital technology (“big tech”). In this talk I will outline how this all comes together, what practices translate directly from other sectors, and what we had to tailor to our niche as a focussed, independent Institute in our relatively isolated island nation.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hercules Konstantopoulos - Growing up by the mountains of Northern Greece, Hercules Konstantopoulos developed a fascination with the night sky and all its intrigue. After a career as a researcher in astrophysics that spanned ten years and four continents, he became drawn to addressing a greater variety of data-related problems. Data science ensued with work on sustainability, renewable energy, enterprise software, and now medical research. His work focuses on converting information into strategy, and on crafting useful tools, apps, and visuals.
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