Cloud Computing
The Saint Louis University Research Computing Group (RCG) accelerates innovation with advanced cloud infrastructures, delivering secure, scalable solutions for efficient data processing and transformative research across disciplines.
Over the past several years, SLU has developed a reputation for innovation in cloud computing. RCG’s cloud partners are excited to collaborate and provide the cloud resources needed to support your research.
If you are interested in exploring cloud infrastructure for your research, whether or not you have current funding, and regardless of your department or research area, contact Shruthi Sreenivasa Murthy at shruthi.sreenivasamurthy@health.slu.edu for more information.
Active Projects at SLU
Cloud Infrastructure for SLU Liver Center
Mark Schnitzler, Ph.D., professor of medicine, has spent over 30 years researching ways to alleviate the nationwide shortage of transplantable kidneys. With changing NIH compliance requirements, he wanted a secure research environment to continue the work. RCG built a secure, compliant research environment on AWS that ensures data protection, maintains research continuity, and supports SLU’s mission to advance equitable, life-saving care.
AI-Driven RNA and Protein Structure Prediction
Led by Jie Hou, Ph.D., assistant professor of computer science, this project develops advanced deep learning algorithms to predict RNA and protein 2D and 3D structures, accelerating discoveries in molecular biology and vaccine or antibody design. RCG built the high-performance and cloud resources needed for distributed PyTorch training on GPU clusters, enabling complex modeling workflows that run securely and efficiently on AWS and campus HPC systems. RCG was also able to secure $15,000 of AWS credits for this project.
Sinquefield Center for Applied Economic Research (SCAER)
RCG designed and built the robust data pipeline that powers SCAER’s cloud-based system, enabling the efficient processing and secure management of large-scale
mobility data for diverse research studies.
The SCAER research data-refinement process at SLU simplifies researchers' access to
de-identified cellphone mobility data provided by Veraset, while ensuring security
and flexibility to meet diverse research needs. Hosting data files dating back to
2019, SCAER’s cloud-based system supports studies on social mobility patterns, such
as patient travel to dialysis centers, food access and school commutes. The process
addresses pre- and post-processing phases by cleaning, organizing, structuring and
filtering raw data for research use. Previously, data retrieval at SLU took over 15
minutes, but with the new cloud system, researchers can submit a single query through
a data manager and receive results in under 30 seconds. This streamlined workflow
significantly reduces pre-processing time and costs, allowing researchers to focus
more on generating valuable insights for their studies.
REDCap
RCG built the cloud-based, HIPAA-compliant infrastructure for REDCap to enhance research capabilities at SLU. Offered through the AHEAD Institute, REDCap is a secure, web-based application for building and managing online surveys and databases, specifically designed to support data capture for research studies. The platform allows researchers to securely collect and manage data, with the added capability to invite external participants to surveys. Recognizing the need to provide an up-to-date, reliable and secure version of REDCap, we migrated SLU's environment to AWS, enabling expanded research functionality and ensuring compliance with data security standards.
VDW (Virtual Data Warehouse)
The AHEAD Institute hosts several large databases and supports researchers by identifying, obtaining, and maintaining data to meet their research needs. To power these efforts, RCG built the cloud-based infrastructure and standardized data pipeline for the AHEAD Institute’s Virtual Data Warehouse (VDW) on AWS. This secure repository provides SLU and SSM Health researchers access to de-identified patient data from over five million SSM Health and SLUCare patients, enabling groundbreaking research on human disease and therapies. By creating a standardized data pipeline, we’ve ensured that all data within the VDW is secure and research-ready, streamlining access to multiple analysts and accelerating discoveries in health care.
Omero (Open Microscopy Environment and Repository)
The OMERO project at SLU, built by the Research Computing Group (RCG), provides a centralized, cloud-based platform for managing, storing and sharing large volumes of microscopy images used in scientific research. This scalable and secure infrastructure allows several researchers from SLU and other institutions to collaborate on a variety of studies across disciplines. By migrating the system to AWS, we ensured that researchers have reliable access to their data from anywhere, with advanced security measures to protect sensitive information. The platform simplifies the management of complex imaging datasets, streamlines workflows, and supports data integrity, allowing easy access to researchers without the burden of managing their own storage solutions.
Training and Workshops
To strengthen technical and cloud skills across SLU, RCG organizes and hosts workshops, meet-ups, AWS Immersion Days, JAM sessions and hands-on training for faculty, staff, and students. These interactive workshops are designed to simplify cloud technologies, with a focus on practical applications in research and academic workflows. The workshops provide deep dives into cloud infrastructure, data security, and compliance best practices, while technical sessions offer collaborative problem-solving insights on specific technical challenges researchers face. Through these initiatives, RCG helps participants gain valuable cloud computing skills, enhance their ability to leverage cloud resources in research projects, and foster a culture of innovation and technical self-sufficiency at SLU.