Pediatric Research using Integrated Sensor Monitoring Systems (PRISMS): Data and Software Coordination and Integration Center (DSCIC)

Ambite, Jose-Luis; Gilliland, Frank

Abstract

Pediatric Research using Integrated Sensor Monitoring Systems (PRISMS), a new program initiated by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), aims to develop sensor-based integrated health monitoring systems to serve as research tools to measure pediatric environmental, physiological, and behavioral factors in epidemiological studies of asthma, and eventually other chronic diseases, in the pediatric population. To address the critical need to create a central data and software resource for integrating and facilitating access, analysis, and dissemination of data and software generated within the PRISMS program, we are proposing the University of Southern California PRISMS Data and Software Coordination and Integration Center (USC PRISMS DSCIC). Our team will work closely with the other two arms of PRISMS to coordinate and integrate outputs from the program's informatics platform centers that collect, analyze and present data from pediatric sensor-based health monitoring systems with an initial focus on pediatric asthma. We will ultimately address significant data science and tool development challenges associated with integrated monitoring systems datasets to enable important advances in our understanding of environmental determinants of pediatric asthma. Our proposal is structured around the four main research objectives specified in the RFA: 1) Integrated Knowledge Environment; 2) Data Integration; 3) Collaborative Environments and Technologies; and 4) Unified Access to PRISMS PTC Resources. The team is led by Co-PIs Drs. Jose Luis Ambite and Frank Gilliland at USC. Outdoor air pollution at levels occurring in many urban areas around the world has substantial adverse effects on health. Children in general, and children with asthma in particular, are sensitive to the adverse effects of outdoor air pollutants, includin ozone, nitrogen oxides, and respirable particulate matter. The prevalence of asthma in the U.S. increased from 7.3% in 2001 to 8.4% in 2010, while children aged 0-17 years had asthma prevalence of 9.5%, compared to adults aged 18 and over at 7.7%, for the period 2008-2010. Consistent with the increased vulnerability of children, a large and growing number of studies show that children living near traffic or high levels of ozone, nitrogen dioxide, or PM have increased risks of adverse respiratory effects, such as new-onset asthma, asthma symptoms, exacerbations, school absences, and asthma-related hospitalizations. Ongoing studies also show that genetic variations in antioxidant and inflammatory genes play a role in ozone susceptibility. New methods in big data science are providing powerful tools for confronting critical research questions in asthma, in a range of areas from genomics to health informatics to environmental research.