Public Health

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Neuroscience
• Data Science

Background:

• Decentralized dementia research platforms hinder data discovery and reuse.
• Researchers face challenges navigating multiple sites and manually compiling metadata.
• Existing platforms like Dementias Platform Australia, Dementias Platform UK, and ADDI emphasize FAIR data principles but lack unified access.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an integrated solution for exploring and comparing dementia research datasets across multiple platforms.
• To enhance data Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability (FAIR) in dementia research.
• To facilitate cross-platform collaboration and federated analysis.

Main Methods:

• Developed the Global Ageing and Dementia Study Explorer (GLADSE), an open-source R Shiny application.
• Collected and standardized metadata using the C-SURV data model themes and domains.
• Built GLADSE with R Shiny modules under the golem framework for modularity and scalability.

Main Results:

• GLADSE centralizes metadata exploration, enabling direct comparison of datasets across platforms.
• The tool offers an interactive dashboard with filters, visualizations, and report generation.
• Early feedback indicates improved data discovery, cross-platform collaboration, and federated analysis capabilities.

Conclusions:

• GLADSE advances dementia research by making data FAIR and fostering collaboration.
• Future developments include incorporating measurement-level, imaging, and genomic metadata.
• The tool maximizes public investment in research infrastructure and supports progress in dementia understanding and treatment.