LSN707 Advanced Biomedical Data Science Project

Unit Outline: Semester 2 2024, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Overview

Biomedical data analytics is a growing field servicing diagnostics and therapeutics, patient medicine, preventative and precision medicine, health economics, telehealth, and medical research. Historically, graduates were trained in single discipline areas, meaning you studied biomedical science or data analytics. However, now that much of the data generated in biomedical science represents big data, there is an increasing demand for employees who can analyse data in a contextually relevant way. As a biomedical data analyst, you will combine your knowledge, skills, and experience as a laboratory-trained biomedical scientist with advanced data analytics training, which means you can design experiments and deliver results to take projects from the wet lab through the data analysis pipeline, asking and answering the right questions of the data to deliver results in a biologically meaningful way.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Justify the significance of the research question against already published literature.
2. Apply advanced research methodologies and data analysis skills to a biomedical based problem.
3. Critique sample preparation processes to determine sources of bias in downstream data analysis.
4. Plan and deliver professional learning for a non-biomedical audience by communicating the biological contexts of data.

Content

Learning Approaches

You are required to plan and execute a substantive project as part of this unit. This project is to be individually progressed, although you may be working in a research program, where other students are completing other parts of the program.

You may propose your own project, but it is your responsibility to have negotiated the project scope and where relevant, collaborations for your project by the beginning of semester.

You will be guided in this project by the Unit Coordinator and where relevant, key stakeholders, who may engage an industry professional if the project is performed in an industry site within Australia. There may be regular meetings with stakeholders. This is to ensure that you progress in the expected manner and will be an opportunity to discuss any problems you may have encountered. Feedback and further actions and recommendations may be provided to you during these regular meetings. Records and action items from meetings should be included in the appendices for the final report.

All project activities must be carried out within Australia and guided by the Unit Coordinator and where relevant, a QUT academic supervisor.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

You will obtain feedback on your project plan, oral presentation and report from the Unit Coordinator and where relevant, key stakeholders.

Assessment

Overview

In this unit you will design and complete a biomedical data science project in consultation with key stakeholders. You will use your existing advanced skills in experimental design and laboratory techniques to generate, record, and analyse data based on discriminatory decision-making regarding software, analysis pipelines and critical interpretation of results obtained, problem solving, and the reporting of results to diverse professional groups in various formats. Projects are intended to span biomedical science and data science contexts.

You must produce a professional project plan, and comprehensive final report. You will communicate your project to a non-biomedical audience via an oral presentation. You may include work logs, software codes (if applicable) and working papers (e.g., analysis) as appendices to the final report.

All projects will be assessed according to the same set of assessment items specified below, regardless of university-based or industry-based projects.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Professional Plan

Written project plan providing a description of the background, aim, significance, expected outcomes and/or deliverables and development schedule of the project.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Assessment: Presentation (Oral or Group)

In your role as a biomedical data analyst, you will prepare and deliver an oral presentation about the project and outcomes pitched at a non-biomedical audience of professionals and potential investors. Your presentation must include a graphical abstract and demonstration or visualisation of your preliminary results.

Assessment: Report

Written project report providing a detailed description of the project and its outcomes. Project specific appendices to the report may be specified by your project supervisor.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Requirements to Study

Requirements

All laboratory-based projects will require personal protective equipment supplied by each student:
1. Laboratory Gown - Rear fastening 100% cotton or polyester/cotton mix
2. Safety eye protection glasses - selected and used in accordance with Australian Safety Standards
3. Fully enclosed non-slip shoes

Resources

Risk Assessment Statement

This unit may include a laboratory component. You will be trained in the handling of equipment, materials and specimens normally associated with this discipline. You are required to view a Health & Safety Induction video and complete an online health and safety quiz prior to being permitted into the laboratory, to access please follow this link Health & Safety Induction. A passing score of 10/10 is required and will be checked prior to entry to the first laboratory session. You may repeat the quiz until this score is achieved. You are also referred to the Faculty of Health's Health & Safety Web Site for further information.

If you have an underlying health condition you are encouraged to consult the lecturer in charge of the unit, as you may be required to take additional precautions on occasions.