Juergen Hahn is a Professor and Department Head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Rensselaer, and a speaker at this year's 2nd Bioengineering & Translational Medicine Conference in Minneapolis, MN. I recently spoke with Juergen to learn more about his presentation.
How would you describe translational medicine to a layperson, and why is this area so important?
Translational medicine is the process by which research results produced in a research lab are making their way into clinical practice or into the development of a product. This area is important because it forms an essential bridge between research and practice.
What specifically will you be talking about at the 2nd Bioengineering & Translational Medicine Conference in Minneapolis?
I will present how multivariate data analysis of clinical data from a trial on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be used to derive a biomarker that can aid in the diagnosis of ASD. Traditionally used analysis methods find differences between children who have ASD and their typically developing peers, however, they were unable to be used as a diagnostic tool. Our techniques are based upon multivariate methods and are able to be used for diagnostic purposes.
What message would you like the audience to take away from your presentation and the conference?
There are two messages:
- Multivariate statistical techniques are very important when we deal with clinical trial data that involve measurements that are interconnected, e.g., via a metabolic or signaling pathway.
- Multivariate methods can be successfully used to identify abnormalities in diseases such as autism spectrum disorder, whereas traditional univariate statistical methods have failed in this task.
How do you envision translational medicine advancing some of the Grand Challenges in engineering and society (medicine, health informatics, etc.)?
Translational medicine is an essential part of the development of new diagnostic tools and treatments for some diseases.
Click here to learn more about this event.