The National Cancer Institute of the NIH is pleased to announce a virtual Human Tumor Atlas Network (HTAN) Data Jamboree focused on utilizing HTAN atlas datasets within the HTAN Data Portal and NCI Cancer Research Data Commons (CRDC) resources accessible from the Seven Bridges-Cancer Genomics Cloud. 

The Opportunity and A Call to Action

Single-cell and spatial omics technologies are becoming widely used across biomedical research including in cancer. These rich and complex datasets provide an untapped resource for reuse, pan-cancer analysis, and integration with other datasets. However, the best approaches and tools for reusing these datasets are not well defined. Do you have an interest in utilizing single-cell and spatial omics approaches in your cancer research? Do you have creative approaches for analyzing or integrating these data? Do you want to help improve the utility and accessibility of single-cell and spatial omics data?

Join colleagues from a wide range of fields and communities to explore new approaches to analyze and integrate single-cell and spatial omics data from the Human Tumor Atlas Network (HTAN). By participating in this event, you will have the opportunity to learn more about the HTAN data and related resources, help improve the utility of HTAN data, and help build a broader and more diverse HTAN community.

About HTAN

The goal of the Human Tumor Atlas Network (HTAN) is to generate molecularly defined, multi-dimensional spatial atlases of tumors as they progress from precancer to cancer, transition from locally invasive to metastatic disease, and respond or become resistant to therapy. A brief overview of HTAN can be seen here (starting at 02h:11m:56s). The HTAN includes a Data Coordinating Center, five precancer  atlas generating centers, and five advanced cancer atlas generating centers. You can read more about the cancer and scientific focus of each center here. The initial set of HTAN atlases provide several new insights into the biology of precancer, metastasis, and therapy resistance and suggest opportunities for translation of a number HTAN findings.

Importantly, HTAN also operates as a community resource and extensive efforts have been made across HTAN to provide the data, protocols, and analytical methods underlying the HTAN atlases available to the community. You can explore the available HTAN data across multiple precancer and cancer types, including breast, colon, lung, skin, pancreas, and pediatric leukemia, here.

About the HTAN Data Jamborees

Data Jamborees provide amazing opportunities for scientists and coders of diverse expertise and experience levels to work together creatively to build unique solutions that solve relevant problems in cancer research.  The key to our Data Jamboree is the focus on collaboration.  Over 4 half-days, teams of four to eight people work on different scientific problems, emphasizing sharing expertise and insight through shared presentations and live demonstrations throughout the event.  The event will wrap up with a summary of the work accomplished during the event.

Participants may leverage the NCI CRDC resources. CRDC resources can provide an environment to work with HTAN data or combine HTAN data with publicly available datasets, including those generated by Jamboree participants. The HTAN atlas dataset contains clinical data matched to a wide variety of molecular data types, including bulk and single-cell omics and a variety of multiplexed spatial data types (i.e., multiplexed immunofluorescence or spatial transcriptomics). Cloud credits will be available for use on the NCI CRDC Cloud Resource, Seven Bridges Cancer Genomics Cloud, to continue project development and to nurture nascent collaborations.

The HTAN Data Jamborees aim to bring together investigators from outside of HTAN with an interest in utilizing HTAN data and associated tools to partner with HTAN investigators. The Jamboree planning team will organize participants into small teams with diverse expertise and experience. Each team will be focused on addressing a specific question or challenge utilizing available HTAN data. Teams will work together virtually over 4 half-days to develop creative solutions leveraging HTAN data and resources. The goals of the HTAN Data Jamborees include:

1. Promote the FAIR access and reuse of HTAN data
2. Promote collaborations to expand the size and diversity of the HTAN community
3. Promote development of new methods and tools for HTAN data analysis
4. Identify gaps and limitations of existing HTAN data and resources

HTAN Data Jamboree Projects

This HTAN Data Jamboree will focus on a variety of activities using the HTAN atlas datasets with an emphasis on promoting the accessibility and reuse of HTAN data.  We are especially interested in participants that would like to launch new collaborative projects utilizing HTAN or HTAN-like datasets.  Projects could include building analysis pipelines, visualization techniques, AI/ML algorithm development, employing statistical methods, or using existing computational, mathematical, or informatics tools to answer a new cancer-related question. Projects involving data interoperability, such as bringing public data to analyze with HTAN data are welcome.  Projects to generate tutorial pipelines and educational tools are of interest.  We are also interested in data storytelling, infographics, and other creative uses of the HTAN atlas data. Interested applicants with creative project ideas are encouraged to submit an optional project pitch with their application.

Team Leads

Whether or not you propose a project idea, you can indicate your interest in serving as a team lead. Each team lead will coordinate a group of 4-8 people in defining the project and producing a clear vision for developing a solution. To accomplish this goal, the team lead must define and delegate tasks, incorporate team members’ ideas to accomplish the goal and ensure the team’s success. Team leads are not responsible for forming teams. The Data Jamboree planning team will create teams of 4-8 individuals with various backgrounds and relevant expertise to work on each project. Each team will have access to mentors with technical expertise and working knowledge of the HTAN Atlas datasets. All participants in the event, including team leads, will need to be present for all 4 half-days.

Who Should Apply

Independent investigators, postdocs, and late-stage graduate students interested in utilizing HTAN single-cell and spatial omics data as part of their research. Investigators with cancer biology, cancer clinical research, systems biology, computational biology, and other relevant fields are all encouraged to apply. Computational expertise is not required to participate. Participants will be organized into teams with diverse expertise by the organizing committee.

Data Jamboree Schedule

The HTAN Data Jamboree will run from Monday, December 4 through Thursday, December 7. Monday through Wednesday, we will kick off each day as a group at 11am Eastern Standard Time (EST) and wrap up each day around 5pm EST. Thursday will focus on final demonstrations from each group, and we will start at 1pm EST and wrap up by 4pm EST.

How To Apply

Please submit your application by October 24, 2023 using the Application Form.

Questions?

For questions about the HTAN Data Jamborees in general or about the application process, please email Sean Hanlon (sean.hanlon@nih.gov) and the HTAN-DCC (htan@googlegroups.com).