2009 EFI WORKING GROUP MEETING SUMMARY
Members of the IDAWG met during the EFI meeting in Ulm, Germany 11 May, 2009
Present:
Jill Hollenbach, Steve Mack (via skype), Pierre-Antoine Gourraud, Wolfgang Helmberg, Steve Marsh, Martin Maiers, Derek Middleton, Hans-Peter Eberhard (for Carlheinz Müller), Hazael Maldonado-Torres (via skype)
Summary of the discussion:
Overview
- We reviewed the thinking behind the makeup of the IDAWG — to include many perspectives and areas of expertise as possible with regard to immunogentic data management and analysis. We also sought to have worldwide representation (as much as possible); at this point the working group includes more than 20 members from 5 continents. We discussed how to make the group inclusive while still retaining a manageable size in order to most efficiently move our efforts forward.
- Jill and Steve Mack reiterated their desire to receive input from the group in terms of how the efforts of the IDAWG can be focused and what support we can provide to the group.
Related Data Standardization Efforts
- There was quite a bit of discussion about other working groups whose goals may coincide with the IDAWG. Steve Marsh discussed the European COST action, which includes HLA-Net (Molecular characterization of human MHC in European populations) (chaired by Alicia Sanchez- Mazas). It was suggested that some of the efforts of the COST may overlap with the IDAWG; we should contact Alicia and discuss possible cooperation and ongoing communication.
- Martin discussed the HIEDFS (HLA Information Exchange Data Format Standards Group) and their efforts, particularly with regard to commercial entities and issues with proprietary information. In contrast, the IDAWG is more focused on the actual users of the data, which gives us the potential for widespread adoption of the standards developed by our group.
- There was a discussion about what the focus of this group is: analysis of data for clinical care vs population level studies. Steve Mack explained that an important goal is to allow compatibility and consistency between data sets, with access to many different sources of data, without restricting ourselves necessarily to specific analyses. What kind of data we are talking about was discussed, e.g., sequence level, probe hits, etc. the goal is to be able to return to a data set at a later time point and have the ability to reinterpret the data in light of extant knowledge about allelic polymorphism.
Related Data Portability Efforts
- There was some discussion about data portability and compatibility with other data systems. Martin discussed HML (histo markup language; bioinformtics.nmdp.org) being developed by his group at NMDP in conjunction with HIEDFS, which we may be able to incorporate into a general data-mangement system. He also suggested that we consider AGNIS(agnis.net) (NIH’s caBIG Biomedical Informatics Grid). Pierre-Antoine also brought up the P3G Public Population Project in Genomics (http://www.p3gconsortium.org).
- Hazael brought up ImmPort (NIH) and it was discussed that Jill and Steve Mack have been working with Immport for some time regarding submission standards for KIR and HLA. The intention is to continue to work with Immport with regard to our efforts in the IDAWG.
Funding
- Our efforts to secure funding for the working group were summarized: A letter of intent for the Human Frontiers in Science Program was submitted in April; we will hear in July whether we are invited to submit a full proposal.
- A NIH-R01 application is being prepared for submission. This will provide support for the development of tools and standards for data analysis and management in cooperation with the IDAWG. We will also seek funding to cover travel and organizational expenses for a standalone IDAWG meeting.
Future meetings
- Derek has been assigned as our ASHI liason; we will be meeting in conjunction with the ASHI meeting in San Francico in early November. The IDAWG has been made a subcommittee of ASHI's Scientific and Clinical Affairs committee. Jill and Steve Mack will make a presentation to the Scientific and Clinical Affairs committee and afterwards we will have a meeting of the full working group. We will be assigned a meeting room but will request that the meeting not be put in the program in order to facilitate privacy.
- We also plan to have a meeting prior to the September KIR polymorphism meeting (hosted at CHORI).
- Derek will be at the ASEATTA meeting and we will try to organize a meeting of the IDAWG, with many of us participating via skype.