Fostering Excellent Research, Training and Innovation in Biomedical Data Science

ongoing

The Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes (iMM) is a leading European institute in basic biomedical research, now establishing a pioneering Centre of Excellence in human-centred clinical and translational research in Portugal. Research at iMM increasingly requires analysing large volumes of molecular, phenotypic and clinical data but its development is constrained by the national scarcity of experts in biomedical data science. BIOMICS is therefore set on iMM’s strong data-driven research and innovation (R&I) model and investment on the digital transformation of biomedical and clinical research. BIOMICS aims at: 1) leveraging iMM’s excellence in biomedical data science by implementing joint research projects with the partner institutions, strengthening existing interactions and promoting new ones, through staff exchanges, expert visits and joint lab retreats; 2) training a new generation of critically thinking and ethically aware researchers who are able to test scientific hypotheses on biomedical data and soundly interpret their results, through integration in international mentoring networks, facilitating conference and thematic course attendance, and organising on-site training; 3) enhancing international awareness and attract talent to iMM in data science, through mobility of researchers, targeted dissemination and communication activities, and on-site organisation of workshops and an international conference; 4) strengthening iMM’s entrepreneurial and innovation capacity, adapting it to the digital transformation of biomedical and clinical research, through professional technology transfer activities and synergies with the information technology industry. BIOMICS will sustainably leverage iMM’s timely R&I model by supporting the associated digital transformation, making iMM internationally competitive in biomedical data science. Moreover, BIOMICS will provide the partners with a platform for exploring the translational potential of their research.