Wrapping Up Day One of R/Medicine 2025 with Peter Higgins
As we draw the curtains on Day 1 - after 3 days of Demos and Workshops, the events shifted to Keynotes, Talks and Lightning Talks - of the R/Medicine 2025 conference, Peter Higgins from the University of Michigan delivered the closing remarks, emphasizing the wealth of knowledge shared throughout the day and the excitement building up for what’s to come.
The event has showcased the immense potential of the R language in revolutionizing medicine and healthcare.
Highlights of Day One
The day was packed with a myriad of topics that span across different facets of medicine and technology. From the integration of artificial intelligence in medicine to ensuring data consistency through harmonization and controlled vocabularies, the sessions were nothing short of enlightening. Participants had the opportunity to delve into statistical consistency with CIS ARS and the validation of Shiny apps, alongside discussions on Shiny lifecycle management.
One of the standout aspects of the day was the focus on reproducibility, emphasized through talks on the rum package. This package is pivotal for ensuring that medical research and practices are backed by reproducible and verifiable data. Furthermore, R’s capabilities in handling deep learning were highlighted, with particularly engaging discussions on applications in health, including asthma and other medical conditions.
The day also featured presentations from the winners of the R/Medicine data challenge. These individuals and teams showcased innovative solutions that have the potential to transform healthcare practices. The challenge not only sparked creativity but also encouraged collaboration among R enthusiasts, setting the stage for future competitions.
Looking Forward to Day Two
As the conference gears up for Day Two of talks and its final day, anticipation is high. The keynote will focus on model evaluation, a critical aspect of healthcare analytics that ensures the accuracy and reliability of predictive models. Attendees can also look forward to sessions on risk calculators and talks addressing nonprobability surveys, which are crucial in understanding population health dynamics.
The conference will also celebrate diversity and inclusivity with the rainbowR Community session, bringing to light the importance of diverse perspectives in the R community. Furthermore, the role of accelerometry as a biomarker will be explored, presenting new avenues for health monitoring and diagnosis.
The excitement doesn’t stop there. The introduction of a new package, redquack, which combines REDCap and DuckDB, is set to be a game-changer for data management in healthcare research. Additional sessions will cover a variety of packages, including ggswim, kidney.epi, nix, and distanceHD.
In the lightning talks, topics will range from bootstrapping to NHIS data, culminating in a deep dive into survival analysis with computation through deep learning. These sessions promise to be a treasure trove of insights and innovations.
Community Engagement and Interactivity
An exciting update for Day One is the activation of chat sessions during presentations. This feature is expected to enhance interactivity, allowing participants to engage in discussions, ask questions, and share their experiences in real-time.
This type of collaborative environment is one of the hallmarks of the R/Medicine conference, fostering a sense of community among attendees.
Closing Thoughts
Peter Higgins’ closing remarks for Day One encapsulated the essence of the R/Medicine 2025 conference — a celebration of knowledge, innovation, and community. The event has provided a platform for sharing groundbreaking ideas and tools that have the potential to redefine medicine and healthcare practices.
As the conference concludes, it is hoped that participants are inspired to continue exploring and leveraging the power of R in their work. Whether through participating in future data challenges or developing new packages and tools, the possibilities are endless.
In case you missed any of the sessions, fear not! Almost all the content is recorded and will be available on the R Consortium’s YouTube channel. This ensures that the learning and inspiration derived from R/Medicine 2025 can continue to reach a wider audience, fostering growth and development within the R community.
For more information on the event and to access resources, visit the official R/Medicine website and the R Consortium site.