- Chief, Scientific Policy and Program Branch A
- Supervisory Health Scientist Administrator, Office of Data Sharing at NCI
As a farmer’s daughter, Dr. Subhashini Jagu often draws parallels between agriculture and research. “They’re similar because neither provides immediate results,” she says. “It takes time to see the products of your labor.”
Subhashini, who oversees data sharing and accessibility efforts at NCI, sees CCDI as a model of team science—researchers, providers, patients, and families working together toward a common goal. Sharing data and experiences within such a network has the potential to spark new developments in childhood cancer research and treatments.
One crucial ember from that spark is CCDI’s Molecular Characterization Initiative (MCI). MCI helps the very patients who motivate Subhashini by using state-of-the-art testing to provide a more precise diagnosis. “MCI is very unique, and we’re learning a lot about predicting drug effectiveness and how clinicians use testing data in real time to make treatment recommendations,” she says.