NHLBI implements LinkML schema to standardize clinical research data

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) is testing a “converter box” to address data format challenges in federal health research. Sweta Ladwa, chief of the scientific solutions delivery branch at the NHLBI, stated that the tool uses the Linked Data Modeling Language (LinkML) schema to map clinical data from various formats and ontologies into standardized JSON or YAML outputs. This initiative aims to improve interoperability and maximize the value of the institute’s 12 petabytes of research data for artificial intelligence applications.

Broadly, the life sciences industry is transitioning from AI experimentation to strategic execution. Achieving measurable business value through AI requires clinical data harmonization to restructure how trial data is ingested and analyzed. This shift occurs alongside an evolving regulatory landscape, including the FDA and the European Union’s AI Act, which requires companies to balance innovation with compliance and transparency.