Course
Life Sciences Data Integration Challenge
Data science is revolutionizing our understanding of biology in biotechnology and systems health… Can you uncover something new in one week?
Current and future scientific problems require multi-disciplinary solutions and research teams composed of members from broad domain backgrounds. To train our future researchers, the Life Sciences Data Integration Challenge 2024 is targeted at MSc students and PhD candidates from life science, biotechnology, and bioinformatics fields. Over 5 days, participants will form multi-disciplinary teams to analyse a research problem using data science, statistical analysis and mechanistic models, with the aim of uncovering new insights and observations.
Background
Current and future scientific problems require multi-disciplinary solutions and research teams composed of members from broad domain backgrounds.
Challenge aim
Over 5 days, participants will form multi-disciplinary teams to analyse a research problem using statistical and mathematical modelling pipelines, with the aim of uncovering new insights and observations. Combining big data analysis with modelling methods, i.e. combining statistical tools with explainable/interpretable models.
During the challenge, teams will be provided with data covering a range of biological systems (from microbes, to plants, and animals or human health). Precise projects will be announced later.
Alongside an overview of the available data, teams will also receive supporting references, tools that may be useful for data analysis, and example research questions that they could look to tackle. At the end of the challenge, teams will be judged on the novelty of their analysis and the results they obtain – we encourage teams to think out of the box and to combine tools in new and exciting ways!
Target group
To train our future researchers, the Life Sciences Data Integration Challenge 2024 is targeted at PhD candidates and MSc students fromlife science,biotechnology, andbioinformatics fields. The course also welcomes post-docs as well as professionals from industry and research centers.
If you would like to supply a data problem to be analysed in the challenge, then please get in touch. Information about the final projects being used in the challenge will be revealed at a later date.
Programme
Details on the programme will be announced when finalized.
Course coordinators/lecturers
Dr Robert Smith and Dr Cristina Furlan - Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University and Research
Lunch Seminar Speakers
to be confirmed
Date & duration
The course will be held from Monday 18 November till Friday 22 November 2024
Study load
The study load of this course is 1.4 ECTS.
Language
The course language will be English.
Contact information
Information concerning the course contents can be obtained from Dr Robert Smith
For organisational matters please contact: Cornelia van Bree-Evers
Location & Accommodation
The challenge takes place on Wageningen Campus.
The town of Wageningen is 5 km from Ede-Wageningen railway station, from which there is a regular bus service to the Wageningen Campus and city centre. The Ede-Wageningen railway station can be reached by train from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport in about one hour. For train schedules visit: www.ns.nl.
Hotels:
Other accommodation:
Registration & course fee
The number of participants to the course is limited to 24 participants. Applicants will be informed of acceptance of their registration within two weeks of the final registration date. Participants will then receive instructions for payment of the course fee and further course details.
Course fee
Course fee includes online available materials, coffee/tea during breaks, lunches and a course dinner but does not cover accommodation. The course fee depends on the participant's affiliation:
| WUR PhD candidates affiliated with one of the Wageningen Graduate Schools* | € 275 |
| All other PhD candidates/ postdocs WUR | € 500 |
| other academics/non profit organisations | € 725 |
| Industry/for-profit organisations | € 1600 |
* VLAG/PE&RC/EPS/WIAS/WASS/WIMEK PhD candidates with an approved TSP
Cancellation policy
After acceptance of your registration, the VLAG Cancellation Conditions for course participants will apply.