GSoC 2020 project idea 19: Responsive dashboards for extensive exploration, monitoring and reviewing of large neuroimaging datasets

The aim of this GSoC project is to take part in the design of a suite of visualization modules to facilitate exploration, review and quality control of XNAT-hosted datasets. The project will consist of a series of full stack coding tasks (web development, database interfacing, network controlling, security) leading to the implementation of dashboards for the monitoring of a neuroimaging ecosystem. The tool will be used to generate highly-visual summarized representations of complex scientific data and facilitate user navigation through large cohorts.

The developed solution will go through testing for continuous integration. The candidate will work at the interface between the IT and the neuroimaging groups and will benefit from the training and mentoring from both.

Required/desired skills:

  • Proficiency in web development and Python
  • Familiarity with Python/web based data visualization libraries
  • Creative and concerned about user experience
  • Comfortable with a heterogeneous and evolving context
  • Appetite for problem solving and code quality

We welcome candidates without all the skills, but they should show a strong motivation to acquire them.

The GSoC student will develop their skills working with Python (and/or web development for this project) and with modern software testing tools for improved reproducibility and robustness of code, while learning about data analysis in neuroimaging. The interested candidate will also learn about code distribution and related matters (linting, testing, packaging, …)

Mentors: Greg Operto (goperto@barcelonabeta.org) and Jordi Huguet (jhuguet@barcelonabeta.org), BarcelonaBeta Brain Research Center, Spain

1 Like

Hi @malin ,
I am Mohammad Asif Hashmi a final year CSE student from Galgotias College of Engineering and Technology, India.
I am interested in this project. I have worked with python, databases and web development.
I have some queries like what framework will be used for backend like django or flask if the backend is to be written in python and the database type as well as the frontend type and the data visualisation library like react-vis, chart.js or any specific one form the mentor of the project.
Can you tell me where to head for further information on this project?

Hello! You can contact the mentors @goperto and @jhuguetn for more information. /Malin, org admin

Hi @goperto and @jhuguetn
I am Rahul Keshervani, Final Year B Tech Computer Engineering student at College of Engineering, Pune (CoEP).

I wanted to know more about what security features are needed in the dashboard. I have full stack web development experience, would like to learn more about web security, and network controlling. Also would like to know how much neurology knowledge would be required

Hi @rahulkeshervani,

Thank you for your interest in our project.

The main project goals/stages are as follows,

  1. understanding the nature and structure of data stored and learning how to interface with such data,
  2. design proper data visualization views for different roles/personas to allow extensive exploration/review of large neuroimaging datasets
  3. build an opensource web application using coding best practices intended for any neuroimaging group using XNAT

Information security ⁠—although is something we want to put attention at since dashboard app would be interacting with medical imaging databases— is not a major topic for this project. Building a web application using existing mature frameworks which comply with common standards in security should suffice.

Control or monitoring of the communications network is not needed.

Knowledge in Neurology or any other Medicine-related discipline is not a requisite for working on that project.

For inspiration you may give a look at this public XNAT instance for an idea of the data structure. Getting to know about XNAT’s data model may help.
You may also start playing with the public instance using pyxnat.

We hope this will help. Please let us know if you have further questions.

Hello, I am Akshit Bhatia and I’m a 3rd year Btech CSE Student. My skills are Web Development(Front-end, Backend), Data Analysis and Visualization, Machine Learning, C++, Python. I want to be a part of INCF for Gsoc. I am interested in dashboard project, So where to get started?

Thank you @Ak-Bhatia for your interest. Given the timing, you may start already to work on your GSoC proposal. You may also email us if you have any questions, to share your ideas in relation to the project, and/or to let us know more about your interest and motivations.

Thank you for replying @jhuguetn. I am interested to do this project and have started working on the proposal. I hope you review it and can give me some pointers. I have emailed you the work-in proposal.
Also a doubt, in point 2 of your reply, what you mean by data visualization views for different roles/personans? there is a requirement to make different views for different users?

Hello, my name is Aniket Thomas. I am currently a 3rd year B.Tech student majoring in Computer Science and Engineering. My area of interest is Machine Learning, Deep learning and general programming for problem solving. Besides this, I am proficient in Data Visualization using python (Matplotlib, seaborn) and with the languages C, C++, Java and basic knowledge of R. I have some familiarity with Front-end (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) and a bit Django. I want to be part of INCF’s Dashboard project. Please someone guide me how can I start?