Events:
Bioinformatics for Beginners: A Free 5-Day Course Series
Date & Time: Monday-Friday, April 6-10, 2024, from 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM
Location: Virtual (Details available on the UC Santa Cruz events page)
Overview:
Introduction to the booming field of bioinformatics, highlighting its significance in health data analysis and its role in discovering cures and vaccines.
Live lectures by experts from Silicon Valley, covering essential tools and technologies in bioinformatics.
Designed for individuals with no prior experience, catering to those interested in exploring a career in bioinformatics.
Session Details:
April 6th Introduction to bioinformatics and the UCSC certificate program by Janani Rangarajan, M.S.
April 7th-8th Overview of Next-generation Sequencing (NGS) technology and its applications in research and medicine by Paul Saunders, Ph.D.
April 9th Basics of linear regression and its applications in biology by Laurynas Kalesinskas, a doctoral candidate at Stanford University.
April 10th Introduction to R programming and its use in statistical computing and biomedical data analysis by Bibek Paudel, Ph.D.
You may attend one or all of the five one-hour, stand-alone sessions.
Webinar on Discovering Predictive Biomarkers for Pancreatic Cancer
Date & Time: Wednesday, April 24, 2024, from 2-3PM)
Location: Virtual Zoom Meeting (Details available on CGC webinar page)
Overview:
Pancreatic cancer, known for its low 5-year survival rate of approximately 10%, presents significant treatment challenges partly due to the scarcity of effective biomarkers for chemotherapy guidance.
The webinar proposes a novel approach to identify predictive biomarkers of chemotherapy sensitivity in pancreatic cancer by utilizing advanced analytical techniques on a comprehensive dataset.
Featured Speaker
Dr. Basil Bakir, a clinical fellow specializing in medical oncology with a focus on gastrointestinal cancers at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. He has an extensive educational background, including an MSTP from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and an internal medicine residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Bakir is currently involved in research with Dr. Ken Olive's laboratory, where his clinical work is concentrated on gastrointestinal cancers.
Louise M. Slaughter National DNA Day Lecture: Do People Really Know What DNA Is?
Date & Time: Friday, April 26, 2024, from 3-4PM)
Location: Hybrid and Virtual Zoom (Details available on NIH/NHGRI webpage)
Overview:
The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) annually commemorates Representative Louise M. Slaughter's contribution to genomics by hosting a National DNA Day lecture at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
It explores the essential role of DNA in modern biology and addresses common questions and misconceptions about genetic engineering, genetic privacy, and the inception of life.
Featured Speaker
Joe Palca, a seasoned science communicator with nearly four decades of experience, including a notable tenure as a science correspondent for NPR (National Public Radio) from 1992-2022. With a background in science, holding a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of California at Santa Cruz, Palca has extensively covered a wide array of science topics. He is also the co-founder of the NPR Scicommers program and has been honored with numerous awards, including induction into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2019.
Quick heads-up: National DNA Day is coming up on April 25th, celebrating the groundbreaking discovery of DNA's structure back in '53. It's a big moment for anyone into genetics or bioinformatics, and there are tons of free events planned. If you're free and keen to dive deeper into bioinformatics, these events are a goldmine. Workshops, talks from genomics pros, and a great chance to connect with like-minded folks. Perfect for any STEM students looking to broaden their horizons and maybe snag some inspiration for future projects.
Interested? Could be a fun way to spend some time and learn something new. Let me know, and maybe we can hit up a couple of these events together.
Catch you later,
-Satvik
