Chapter 2 : The Power of High-Dimensional Data in Medicine

In the vast landscape of modern medicine, data is the new currency. However, not all data is created equal. Enter high-dimensional data – the powerhouse of information revolutionizing our understanding of health and disease.

I vividly recall attending a conference in Colorado where Dr. Garry Nolan, a pioneer in the field, spoke. His presence was drawing a crowd of eager scientists and researchers. His department was so vital that he was funded by the Defense Department, whose budget has stayed the same over time. There, I truly grasped the concept of high-dimensional data in biological systems.
Imagine you’re trying to describe your new neighbor at a cocktail party. You could mention their height, hair color, and profession. Low-dimensional data is a handful of characteristics that paint a broad picture. Now imagine describing every detail of their appearance, entire life history, genetic makeup, and the contents of their last meal. Welcome to the world of high-dimensional data.
In medicine and biology, high-dimensional data refers to the simultaneous measurement of many parameters or features from a single sample or cell. As Spitzer and Nolan eloquently put it in their 2016 review, “Mass cytometry: single cells, many features,” this approach allows us to “capture a large fraction of the complexity of biological systems” (Spitzer & Nolan, 2016).