Register Now for UCLA Computational Genomics Summer Institute 2017

CGSI brings together mathematical and computational scientists, sequencing technology developers in both industry and academia, and the biologists who use the instruments for particular research applications. Research talks, workshops, journal clubs, and social events provide a unique opportunity to foster interactions between these three communities over an extended period of time and advance the mathematical foundations of this exciting field.

SHORT PROGRAM: July 10 – 14, 2017
LONG PROGRAM: July 6 – 26, 2017
@ UCLA Campus, Los Angeles

Visit our website to learn more:
http://computationalgenomics.bioinformatics.ucla.edu/

REGISTRATION IS OPEN

Register now for this upcoming summer’s Short and Long Courses:
http://bit.ly/2017CGSIapplication
The deadline to register for the 2017 programs is February 1, 2017.

Overview

In 2015, Profs. Eleazar Eskin (UCLA), Eran Halperin (UCLA), John Novembre (The University of Chicago), and Ben Raphael (Brown University) created the Computational Genomics Summer Institute (CGSI). A collaboration with the Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics (IPAM) led by Russ Caflisch, CGSI aims to develop a flexible program for improving education and enhancing collaboration in Bioinformatics research.

Over the past two decades, technological developments have substantially changed research in Bioinformatics. New methods in DNA sequencing technologies are capable of performing large-scale measurements of cellular states with a lower cost and higher efficiency of computing time. These improvements have revolutionized the potential application of genomic studies toward clinical research and development of novel diagnostic tools and treatments for human disease.

Organizers

Eleazar Eskin
University of California, Los Angeles
CGSI Director

Eran Halperin
University of California, Los Angeles
CGSI Director

Russ Caflisch
University of California, Los Angeles
IPAM Director

John Novembre
University of Chicago

Ben Raphael
Brown University

Francesca Chiaromonte
Penn State University

2017 Faculty

Note: This is a list of confirmed faculty for the 2017 programs, as of Jan. 20. We will expand this list in coming weeks.

Kin Fai Au, University of Iowa domain-tiniest
Brian Browning, University of Washington domain-tiniest
Jason Ernst, UCLA domain-tiniest
Eleazar Eskin, UCLA domain-tiniest
Jonathan Flint, UCLA domain-tiniest
Ilan Gronau, Herzliya Interdisciplinary Center domain-tiniest
Eran Halperin, UCLA domain-tiniest
Jo Hardin, Pomona College domain-tiniest
Fereydoun Hormozdiari, University of California, Davis domain-tiniest
David Koslicki, Oregon State University domain-tiniest
Jessica (Jingyi) Li, UCLA + IPAM domain-tiniest
Jennifer Listgarten, Microsoft Research domain-tiniest
Kirk Lohmueller, UCLA domain-tiniest
John Novembre, University of Chicago domain-tiniest
Lior Pachter, University of California, Berkeley domain-tiniest
Bogdan Pasaniuc, UCLA domain-tiniest
Ben Raphael, Princeton University domain-tiniest
Gunnar Rätsch, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich domain-tiniest
Saharon Rosset, Tel Aviv University domain-tiniest
Cenk Sahinalp, Simon Fraser University domain-tiniest
Sriram Sankararaman, UCLA domain-tiniest
Alexander Schönhuth, Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica, Amsterdam and UCLA IPAM domain-tiniest
Sagi Snir, University of Haifa domain-tiniest
Jae-Hoon Sul, UCLA domain-tiniest
Fabio Vandin, University of Padova domain-tiniest
Daniel Wegmann, Université de Fribourg domain-tiniest
William (Xiaoquan) Wen, University of Michigan domain-tiniest
Noah Zaitlen, University of California San Francisco domain-tiniest
Alex Zelikovsky, Georgia State University domain-tiniest
Or Zuk, Hebrew University of Jerusalem domain-tiniest

CGSI is made possible by National Institutes of Health grant GM112625.

Read more about CGSI’s 2016 programs at the ZarLab blog: http://www.zarlab.xyz/ucla-launches-cgsi-with-inaugural-summer-programs/.

UCLA Launches CGSI with Inaugural Summer Programs

In 2015, Profs. Eleazar Eskin (UCLA), Eran Halperin (UCLA), John Novembre (The University of Chicago), and Ben Raphael (Brown University) created the Computational Genomics Summer Institute (CGSI). A collaboration with the Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics (IPAM) led by Russ Caflisch, CGSI aims to develop a flexible program for improving education and enhancing collaboration in Bioinformatics research. In summer 2016, the inaugural program included a five-day short course (July 18-22) followed by a three-week long course (July 22 to August 12).

Over the past two decades, technological developments have substantially changed research in Bioinformatics. New methods in DNA sequencing technologies are capable of performing large-scale measurements of cellular states with a lower cost and higher efficiency of computing time. These improvements have revolutionized the potential application of genomic studies toward clinical research and development of novel diagnostic tools and treatments for human disease.

Modern genomic data collection creates an enormous need for mathematical and computational infrastructures capable of analyzing datasets that are increasingly larger in scale and resolution. This poses several unique challenges to researchers in Bioinformatics, an interdisciplinary field that cuts across traditional academic fields of math, statistics, computer science, and biology—and includes private-industry sequence technology developers. Innovation depends on seamless collaboration among scientists with different skill sets, communication styles, and institution-driven career goals. Therefore, impactful Bioinformatics research requires an original framework for doing science that bridges traditional discipline-based academic structures.

The summer 2016 courses combined formal research talks and tutorials with informal interaction and mentorship in order to facilitate exchange among international researchers. Participants in the short program attended five full days packed with lectures, tutorials, and journal clubs covering a variety of cutting-edge techniques. Senior trainees, including advanced graduate students and post-docs, underwent additional training through the long program’s residence program. The extended program enabled these scientists to interact with leading researchers through a mix of structured training programs and flexible time for collaboration with fellow participants and other program faculty.

Collaboration on a wide variety of problem types and research themes facilitated cross-disciplinary communication and networking. During both courses, CGSI participants shared technical skills in coding and data analysis relevant to genetic and epigenetic imputation, fine-mapping of complex traits, linear mixed models, and Bayesian statistics in human, canine, mouse, and bacteria datasets. Scholars at different stages of their careers explored application of these methods, among others, to emerging themes such as cancer, neuropsychiatric disorders, evolutionary adaptation, early human origins, and data privacy.

CGSI instructors and participants established mentor-mentee relationships in computational genomics labs at UCLA, including the ZarLab and Bogdan Lab, while tackling practical problems and laying groundwork for future publications. In addition, participants developed comradery and professional connections while enjoying a full schedule of social activities, including dinners at classic Los Angeles area restaurants, volleyball tournaments in Santa Monica, bike rides along the beach, morning runs around UCLA campus, and even an excursion to see a live production of “West Side Story” at the Hollywood Bowl.

CGSI organizers thank the National Institutes of Health grant GM112625, UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute grant UL1TR000124, and IPAM for making this unique program possible. We look forward to fostering more collaboration between mathematicians, computer scientists, biologists, and sequencing technology developers in both industry and academia with future CGSI programs.

Visit the CGSI website for an up-to-date archive of program videos, slides, papers, and more:
http://computationalgenomics.bioinformatics.ucla.edu/

Enrollment in 2017 CGSI programs opens this fall with a registration deadline of February 1.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.