Winter School in Mathematical and Computational Biology 2018
This year’s UQ-based Winter School in Mathematical and Computational Biology is set for the week 2–6 July.
Keynote speakers include:
- Prof. John Quackenbush, Harvard University, USA (a popular, past Winter School speaker)
- Prof. Melissa Little, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Australia
- Prof. Sean O'Donoghue, CSIRO, Australia
- Dr Simone Linz, Auckland University, NZ
- Dr Joshua Ho, Victor Change Cardiac Research Institute, Australia, and
- Cameron Bean, Max Kelsen, Australia.
Also lined up to speak is the 2015 Young Tall Poppy Science Award winner, Dr Chris Brown of Griffith University. Dr Brown, who won last year’s audience-voted Winter School F1000 Speaker Prize, is returning to this year’s Winter School to show how to create awesome data visualisations using the R programming language.
The 30-some Winter School speakers are chosen as leading national and international authorities, selected for their ability to make their topic accessible and exciting for a non-specialist audience.
Presentations will range from introductory to advanced, and will focus on both mathematical and biological issues.
This year’s Winter School will feature the following themes:
- next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics
- data science and machine learning for bioinformatics
- bio-data analysis and visualisation
- advanced microscopy analysis and modelling.
The annual Winter School is designed to introduce bioinformatics, mathematical and computational biology to advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students, postdoctoral researchers and others working in the fields of biology, medical sciences, mathematics, computer science, information technology, complex systems analysis, chemistry and engineering.
Past Winter School attendees have provided glowing feedback about the conference; from early-career researchers (“The speakers are fantastic… I am really excited for my future in bioinformatics”), to more established researchers (“I got heaps out of the week. Very worthwhile for my research.”)
One researcher concluded: “I would strongly encourage all biologists, even without any mathematical background, to attend the Winter School of Mathematical and Computational Biology.”
Run annually since 2004, and attended by more than 3,000 students, postdocs and lab heads over the years, the Winter School has become an important fixture on the Australian bioinformatics calendar and attracts both a local, national and international audience.
“Indeed, the school has now been running for so long that attendees that initially came as postgraduate students many years ago are now returning as invited speakers who lead their own labs at major Australian research centres. Many a bio-research career has begun at Winter School,” said Winter School organiser Dr Nick Hamilton of RCC, IMB and QCIF.
The 2018 Winter School venue will be the same as previous years: the Queensland Bioscience Precinct (building 80), Institute for Molecular Bioscience, UQ, St Lucia.
Visit the Winter School 2018 website for more information. Any queries, email Dr Nick Hamilton: n.hamilton@imb.uq.edu.au.
Prof. John Quackenbush speaking at the 2017 Winter School. (Photo: Dr Nick Hamilton, RCC/QCIF/IMB.)