The MIDAlab, established in November 2021, is under the leadership of Dr Margarita Julià Sapé. The team is currently situated at the Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (IBB) of the UAB.
Dr. Julià holds an extensive career at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the Biosciences Faculty, having been a member of the GABRMN group within the same deparment during 21 years, until the inception of MIDAlab.
The MIDAlab maintains close ties to the GABRMN. The members of both MIDAlab and the GABRMN are part of various scientific networks, including:
- The Centro de Investigación en Red (CIBER) in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanotechnology (CIBER-BBN), specifically through group CB06/01/0010 , led by Prof. Carles Arús,
- The Nanbiosis U25. NMR: Biomedical Applications I platform.
- The SGR group N-TETRASCAN headed by Dr. Julia Lorenzo.
- The Xartec Salut network, through the SINTTC group led by Dr. Margarita Julià.
MIDAlab RESEARCH INTERESTS
MIDAlab’s research interests primarily revolve around the application of data science and machine learning (ML) to the study of metabolism.
In particular, we use metabolomics combined with imaging data to discover diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for brain diseases.
We employ metabolomics in conjunction with imaging data to identify diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for brain diseases. The primary focus is on the analysis of magnetic resonance (MR) data, particularly magnetic
resonance spectroscopy (MRS), either alone or in combination with other MR-related imaging modalities. Clinical data from collaborating hospitals and clinical centers, as well as preclinical data, are used.
In contrast to traditional MRS analysis methodologies based on peak quantification, MIDAlab excels in applying a variety of supervised, non-supervised and semi-supervised techniques, both for classification and for the discovery of hidden patterns in the data.
Although the current emphasis is on brain tumors, MIDAlab extends its analytical approach to neurodegenerative diseases through scientific collaborations.
MIDAlab STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
MIDAlab’s long-term objective is to bridge the gap between scientific findings based on MRS and their practical application in clinical settings. We aim to aid clinicians in adopting MRS more readily, by developing user-friendly decision-support tools (DSS) to unlock the full potential of MRS as a diagnostic modality in clinical practice.
MIDAlab MAIN RESEARCH LINES
- Using MRS data and imaging to find diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in brain tumours.
- Applying advanced machine learning (ML) tools to in vivo MRS data for:
- Biomarker discovery
- Automated quality control
- Developing and testing user-friendly software tools for clinical applications.
