INTUS:: An INtelligent TUtor System architecture to support biomedical Informatics e-learning

The sciences of Genomic Epidemiology and Pharmacogenetics have experienced a tremendous revolution following to the sequencing of the human genome. The Genomic Epidemiology science studies the relationship between certain illnesses and the living habits of individuals, according to their genetics. The Pharmacogenetics science focuses in the design and optimisation of drugs, to make them more efficient and, therefore, more cost effective. The large volume of data produced by the research activities in these two sciences requires the application of computational techniques for their filtering, storage and analysis. We encounter hence a brand new science of its own, namely Biomedical Informatics. Provide the novelty of Biomedical Informatics, it is relatively difficult to find qualified professionals. Even if the formative offer increases more and more everyday, mostly as postgraduate studies, it is based upon the attendance to classes subject to strict schedules. In the majority of the cases, it turns out to be complicated, if not impossible, for the researchers to find their time to attend the lessons. To solve this problem, we have designed and deployed a web based INtelligent Tutor System (INTUS), which allows the accommodation of contents and pedagogic strategy to the capacity and time availability of the students. This article presents the INTUS developed within the INBIOMED Spanish thematic research network. First, the general characteristics are introduced, then the classical architecture for this category of applications is presented and at last some results and conclusions are provided.