Maulik Kamdar, Graduate Student
Musen Lab, Stanford University

Abstract:
Biomedical informatics research relies on the ability to integrate and analyze data and knowledge from several heterogeneous sources simultaneously. However, biomedical data and knowledge exist in isolated databases and knowledgebases, with varying schemas, notations and formats. This necessitates biomedical researchers to jump across these sources, or require increased skills and knowledge to query them in unison, and to integrate the retrieved results. To address the challenges of integrative bioinformatics, data publishers have started using Semantic Web technologies, such as the Resource Description Framework (RDF) and the SPARQL structured query language. Semantic Web technologies generate a linked and heterogeneous data space, termed Life Sciences Linked Open Data Cloud (LSLOD), which extends over the traditional Web. However, the current state of the LSLOD cloud is still unusable for most biomedical researchers due to architectural issues and learning requirements.
In this talk, I will discuss current methods in query federation over the LSLOD cloud. I will also present our research and ideas for a rule-based query federation method. Finally, I will discuss application of this method towards biomedical question-answering and systems pharmacology.