Federated Information Systems

Our Research

Data-driven research in the health sector depends therefore on the exploitation of distributed sources of data and tissue samples. Two significant fields of research emerge from these requirements. First, establishing the basis for carrying out research efficiently in networked federations at the technical and data content levels. Second, the implementation of regulatory requirements, which arise naturally during the processing of sensitive patient data (e.g. data protection).

In the Department of Federated Information Systems, we investigate problems that frequently arise in networked medical research:

Semantics of data, to provide a common understanding of their meaning
Multi-center integration of data from heterogeneous sources
Data protection, consent management, record linkage and pseudonymization
Distributed processes for evaluating and exchanging data
Measurement and improvement of data quality over multiple sites

We are actively engaged in developing interoperable and reusable tools for tackling the problems in this area. In addition, we have deployed our solutions in national and international treatment federations. With our “Bridgeheads” we have created a network of exceptional partners (cf. diagram).

Projects and Networks

To build bridges for biomedical research, we pioneer novel methods solving both technical and medico-legal data sharing issues. We create real-world networks for joint use of data and biosamples in Europe and beyond.
We build bridges among institutions with GDPR-compliant federated data management solutions, including the “Mainzelliste” for pseudonymization and record linkage, several federated search solutions and the “Bridgehead” for controlled data sharing. These form the backbone of the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), lung cancer patients data collection in the National Network Genomic Medicine (nNGM) and the “Sample Locator”, which allows federated search across more than 15 European biobanks (BBMRI-ERIC). As a bridge division to the University Medicine Mannheim, we foster data-driven collaborations as part of the DKFZ Hector Cancer Institute’s novel approach to data sharing with the Medical Informatics Initiative.

Projects and Networks

Software

Beyond concepts and prototypes, we routinely develop our methods into production-ready software tools, which we - as strong advocates of free open source software (FOSS) - publish under FOSS licences on GitHub and elsewhere.

Software