Bigpicture Community Meeting: a cornerstone for collaboration

“The meeting will be a cornerstone for collaboration,” says Erio Barale-Thomas, Bigpicture WP3, and Scientific Associate Director Pathology at Janssen R&D. “The goal is to make Bigpicture not only more relevant to future contributors and users but also sustainable in the long term.”

Erio's project engagement

As a central member of Bigpicture, Erio’s involvement in the project primarily focuses on Work Package 3 (WP3), which includes critical tasks such as metadata development and quality coordination. Additionally, Erio is also involved in Bigpicture’s WP1 (focusing on the project’s management) and WP5 (focusing on the regulatory framework) and is co-leading the Quality Control Task Force. Together with Bigpicture participant Xavier Palazzi, WP5 Lead, Global Head of Pathology at Pfizer, and a colleague outside the project, Lise Bertrand, Scientific Director in charge of Digital Pathology at CRL, Erio has been advocating the organization of the Bigpicture Community Meeting from an early stage. “We recognized the need for external engagement and are happy that this much-anticipated community meeting is finally happening,” Erio shared about the initial stages of planning the meeting.

Including the views of potential users

“For me, the Bigpicture project originated from a vision by Pierre Moulin that immediately motivated me, and it expanded with contributions from other partners,” Erio explained. “However, it’s crucial to include the views and needs of potential contributors and users, especially in terms of the project’s sustainability.” Reflecting on the timing of the meeting, Erio adds, “The meeting aligns well with the availability of our first deliverables and tools which we can showcase.”

Reducing animal use in studies

The Bigpicture project aims to create a comprehensive repository for human clinical and veterinary toxicopathology data, which will not only advance medical and veterinary standard of care and training. But Erio thinks it could play a role in improving laboratory animal welfare: “We’re looking at reducing animal use in studies by leveraging virtual control groups, which could be revolutionary and is one of the many emerging properties that, I hope, the project will generate.”

Ensuring quality from data entrance to end-user 

Erio’s personal dedication to the project extends beyond just the technical aspects. He’s involved in ensuring the quality and sustainability of the project’s outcomes. “Quality isn’t just about the initial checks. It’s a complete management system that spans from scanning to the metadata up to the final usage of the slides and data,” he noted.

What to expect from the Bigpicture Community Meeting

As the community meeting approaches, Erio is hopeful yet realistic about the impact it can have. “I have high expectations for the feedback from third parties. Even if it just confirms our current direction, that’s invaluable. But we’re also open to discovering ‘black spots’ – areas we haven’t yet considered or fully covered.”

With such a proactive approach and an open invitation to all interested parties, including societies of human and veterinary pathologists and various stakeholders in computational science and artificial intelligence, the Bigpicture Community Meeting is set to be the perfect opportunity to get involved. As Erio puts it, “This meeting is a vital step towards ensuring that Bigpicture not only meets but exceeds the expectations of the global digital pathology community.”