UND faculty to partner with emerging South Korean tech firm on clinical data analysis software and digital healthcare research
GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Faculty at the UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences (SMHS) have entered into a research partnership with YooJinBioSoft (YJB) on the use of the South Korean tech firm’s “TnF interactive” clinical bioinformatics data analysis software and related digital healthcare research and development activities.
The software will help SMHS researchers perform statistical analyses more easily and conveniently by automating the matching of anonymized clinical data with specific algorithms within an interactive digital platform.
“This agreement marks a significant advance in our research and collaboration efforts,” said Junguk Hur, Ph.D., associate professor in the School’s Department of Biomedical Sciences, of the memorandum of understanding his group signed with YJB. “The introduction of the TnF Interactive software to our laboratory and UND community will provide advanced data analysis tools to a wider range of users, benefiting both data experts and non-specialists with varied datasets.”
Part of this agreement grants SMHS researchers across specialties access to technology that will enable them to frontload clinical data into projects, allowing them to engage in more efficient clinical research. The entire agreement was thoroughly vetted by UND’s Office of the Vice President for Research prior to the start of the project.
Jintae Yoo, the chief executive officer of YJB, commented on the need for such software in the healthcare realm.
“In medical research, using precise statistical algorithms for data analysis is crucial for hypothesis testing,” Yoo said. “However, most statistical software comes with complex user interfaces, making it difficult to use – and the interpretation of the results can be challenging. Our software automatically matches the appropriate statistical algorithm with the input data, performs the analysis, and provides results in fully formatted tables and figures that are ready to be used directly by researchers.”
As a result, said Yoo, even researchers unfamiliar with statistical modeling software can significantly reduce the time, effort, and cost of their clinical research projects.
Furthermore, the partnership will allow faculty engaged in “digital healthcare” to develop accurate disease-onset prediction models based on patients’ biological age.
“This innovation has the potential to better predict major diseases, such as cancer and diabetes, allowing for earlier and more personalized medical interventions,” continued Hur, whose research emphases encompass bioinformatics, machine learning, and systems pharmacology. “These initiatives not only advance my research agenda but also enhance the scientific capabilities of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences and thus contribute significantly to the health and well-being of our state.”
The Chair of UND’s Department of Geriatrics, Donald A. Jurivich, D.O., agreed, expressing enthusiasm for the products developed by YooJinBioSoft.
“We hope to compare U.S. with South Korean adults to see if biological age can be a powerful motivator for better health practices,” explained Jurivich, who is part of a team that brought a $5 million federal grant to North Dakota recently to help the state bolster its geriatric health workforce and the “age friendly” status of its communities. “From a medical-teaching perspective, we hope that early adoption of the user-friendly software by community-based faculty will accelerate scholarly activities and provide new insights into everyday clinical practices.”
UND’s Center for Innovation, Jurivich said, will be a partner in the agreement, giving the SMHS “an unrivaled catalyst” for academic units at UND, including Jurivich’s Department of Geriatrics, to partner with private sector enterprises and advance clinical discovery through community-based research. Private sector partners include several of the state’s health systems. Such research likely will include populations in the state that are typically under-represented in health research, such as those from Indigenous communities and older adults living in rural areas.
“This partnership is a significant step forward in our collaborative research efforts and brings innovative healthcare solutions to our university and the broader community,” concluded Scott Snyder, UND’s vice president for research & economic development. “This work is an excellent example of UND's commitment to partner with industry to provide real world solutions to pressing health challenges.”
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Brian James Schill
Director, Office of Alumni & Community Relations
University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences
701.777.6048 direct | 701.777.4305 office
brian.schill@UND.edu | www.UND.edu