Data harmonization and federated analysis of population-based studies: the BioSHaRE project

Area of Science:

• Biobanking and Health Research
• European Collaborative Research Initiatives
• Data Harmonization and Federated Analysis

Background:

• International research projects face challenges in pooling individual-level data from multiple centers.
• The BioSHaRE project was established to overcome these hurdles through collaboration and tool development.
• Key areas addressed include data harmonization, database integration, and federated data analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement tools for standardizing and harmonizing data across diverse population-based studies.
• To create a federated database system for seamless data analysis across European research centers.
• To enable secure, collaborative multi-center research while maintaining data control.

Main Methods:

• Eight population-based studies from six European countries participated.
• A set of 96 key variables were identified for harmonization through collaborative workshops.
• Open-source software was developed to transform study-specific data into a harmonized format, facilitating federated analysis via DataSHIELD.

Main Results:

• Retrospective harmonization successfully generated common format variables for 73% of targeted variables across the 8 participating studies.
• Authenticated investigators can now conduct complex statistical analyses on harmonized datasets stored on distributed servers.
• The DataSHIELD method allows for analysis without direct sharing of individual-level data.

Conclusions:

• Internet-based networking and database systems enable efficient and secure collaborative, multi-center research.
• The BioSHaRE pilot project proves that internationally harmonized databases can be co-analyzed seamlessly.
• Participating studies retain full control over their individual-level data, encouraging broader adoption of these open-source tools in epidemiology and social sciences.