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BIOINFORMATICS COLLOQUIUM
School of Computational Sciences
George Mason University
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Interdisciplinary data and knowledge integration 
Dr. Olga Brazhnik

Tuesday, September 13, 2005
4:30 pm
Verizon Auditorium, Prince William Campus
 
 
Abstract
 
Creating coherent knowledge is the ultimate goal of data acquisition. Just as the physical 
world is assembled from atoms organized in molecules, molecules assembled in cells, 
and cells accumulated into organisms, -- bits of data produce information and information 
assimilates to generate knowledge. However, data, information and knowledge exist in 
the virtual universe that is governed by laws different from the Newtonian laws of 
physics. Concepts encapsulate our knowledge and provide a basis for data acquisition. 
Every discipline operates with a specific set of concepts organized in models. They 
change as we learn more, creating a challenge of re-interpreting data.
 
Based on a geometrical interpretation of knowledge space, this presentation will discuss 
relationships between data, concepts and models, and a framework for their integration. 
Findings of multiple disciplines such as category theory, knowledge representation theory 
and enterprise modeling techniques, enable us to distinguish between models and data; 
define complex relationships and provide specifications for storing them in a database.  
Proper organization of data presents the first step in the process of creating coherent 
knowledge. It has to be followed by conceptual data modeling that builds an inventory of 
informational assets. 

Biography
Dr. Olga Brazhnik is a computational scientist with the Office of the Chief IT Architect at 
NIH. Olga's professional goal is to develop a computational framework that enables 
creating coherent knowledge from diverse scientific data. She started her career as a 
physicist applying theoretical and computational methods in biology and medicine. In 
1993, she was awarded a research grant by the US National Research Council and  
Academy of Sciences and came to work to the James Franck Institute, University of 
Chicago, then progressed to VA Tech. In 1998, she moved into IT professionally 
searching for technologies that would enable effective transformation of over-abundant 
scientific data into knowledge. Since 2000 she worked at the Virginia Bioinformatics 
Institute on creating bioinformatics databases (ESTAP, DOME, SeedGenes). In 2002, 
Olga became the Chief Database Architect for Epidemic Outbreak Surveillance Project 
and later for COHORT project on real-time integration of clinical systems with the US 
Air Force Surgeon General Office. She worked on integration of clinical and biological 
data, designing and developing databases systems in Oracle, SQL-2000, PostgreSQL, 
Access; participating in development of protocols for study design and data collection, 
analysis of microarray data, implementation of MIAME and HL7 standards. In 2004 she 
joined NIH. Olga has published in peer-reviewed journals, presented at numerous 
international professional meetings, and is an Affiliate Associate Professor at George 
Mason University.