Digital Transformation for Biomedical Research & Health Informatics
Accelerating Scientific Discovery with Secure, Scalable Data Platforms
In the rapidly evolving landscape of biomedical research, the ability to securely share, analyze, and collaborate on data is essential to accelerating scientific discovery and improving health outcomes. Publicis Sapient stands at the forefront of digital transformation in health informatics, empowering research agencies, academic partners, and health data consortia to modernize their informatics infrastructure and drive impactful research across disease areas.
The Challenge: Data Silos and the Need for Collaboration
Biomedical research generates vast and complex datasets, often siloed across institutions and studies. Researchers face mounting challenges in securely sharing sensitive data, ensuring privacy, and enabling cross-study analytics—especially as the demand for multi-institutional collaboration and rare disease research grows. Legacy systems and fragmented platforms can slow progress, limit data reuse, and hinder the translation of research into real-world impact.
Our Approach: Secure, Extensible, and Collaborative Platforms
Publicis Sapient partners with leading health agencies to design and implement secure, scalable, and disease-agnostic data platforms that break down silos and foster collaboration. Our solutions are built with:
- Security and Privacy by Design: Protecting sensitive human subject data is paramount. Our platforms leverage advanced de-identification, access controls, and compliance with regulatory standards to ensure data privacy while enabling meaningful research.
- Scalability and Flexibility: We architect extensible, modular systems that can be rapidly adapted to new research domains, supporting everything from large-scale clinical trials to rare disease registries.
- Collaborative Data Sharing: By enabling standardized data dictionaries, federated repositories, and robust user management, we empower researchers to share, query, and analyze data across programs and agencies—without compromising security or control.
- Advanced Analytics and AI: Our platforms are designed to support advanced analytics, machine learning, and AI-driven insights, unlocking new opportunities for biomarker discovery, patient stratification, and longitudinal studies.
Case Study: NIH’s Biomedical Research Informatics Computing System (BRICS)
A hallmark of our work in biomedical informatics is the Biomedical Research Informatics Computing System (BRICS), developed in partnership with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Center for Information Technology and other federal agencies. BRICS is a web-based, extensible bioinformatics platform that has become a foundation for disease research worldwide.
Key Features and Impact:
- Modular Architecture: BRICS offers customizable, plug-and-play modules—including data dictionaries, repositories, meta-study tools, and imaging data submission—allowing research programs to tailor the platform to their unique needs.
- Secure Data Sharing: The platform employs a Global Unique Identifier (GUID) system, enabling researchers to correlate participant data across studies without exposing personally identifiable information.
- Scale and Reach: BRICS supports over three million records representing nearly 100,000 diverse subjects, powering more than 200 research studies across 11 disease areas. It serves as the backbone for major programs such as the Rare Diseases Registry Program (RaDaR), Federal Interagency Traumatic Brain Injury Research (FITBIR), and the Parkinson’s Disease Biomarkers Program.
- Cross-Agency Collaboration: Developed as a joint effort between NIH, the Department of Defense, and other partners, BRICS exemplifies how shared digital infrastructure can unite disparate research communities, accelerate biomarker discovery, and enable rapid response to emerging health challenges.
“BRICS allows an avenue for researchers to unite, collaborate and ultimately expedite the advancement of understanding and treatment of Parkinson’s disease.”
Supporting Rare Disease Registries and Data-Driven Research
Rare disease research demands platforms that can aggregate and harmonize data from small, dispersed patient populations. Publicis Sapient’s solutions, as demonstrated by BRICS and its support for the Rare Diseases Registry Program, enable:
- Comprehensive Data Capture: Standardized data collection and integration across studies and sites.
- Longitudinal Tracking: Securely following patient outcomes over time, supporting natural history studies and clinical trial readiness.
- Data Reuse and Meta-Analysis: Facilitating secondary analyses and meta-studies that maximize the value of every data point collected.
Enabling Cross-Agency and Multi-Program Collaboration
Our platforms are designed for interoperability and extensibility, supporting seamless collaboration across agencies, research consortia, and disease areas. By providing robust account management, federated access, and standardized data models, we help organizations:
- Break Down Barriers: Connect data and expertise across institutional and programmatic boundaries.
- Accelerate Discovery: Enable rapid hypothesis testing, biomarker validation, and translational research.
- Respond to Emerging Needs: Adapt quickly to new research priorities, public health emergencies, or funding opportunities.
Why Publicis Sapient?
With decades of experience in digital transformation for the public sector and health sciences, Publicis Sapient brings a unique blend of strategy, engineering, and data expertise. Our agile, partnership-driven approach ensures that solutions are not only innovative but also practical, secure, and sustainable. We are recognized leaders in cloud, data, and experience design services, and our work has been instrumental in transforming how biomedical research is conducted and shared.
Ready to modernize your research infrastructure and accelerate scientific discovery?
Connect with Publicis Sapient to learn how our digital transformation solutions can empower your organization to lead the next era of biomedical research and health informatics.