I would like to thank BIRS for hosting the workshop on Statistical, Computational, Translational, and Ethical Challenges in Biobank Data Analysis. The organizers did an outstanding job inviting global leaders, resulting in stimulating presentations and discussions throughout the duration of the workshop.

[link to this testimonial]

In July 2024, I attended the BIRS Statistical, Computational, Translational, and Ethical Challenges in Biobank Data Analysis workshop at Banff Center, Alberta, CA. The workshop was organized by BIRS. The workshop aimed to bring together researchers from different disciplines and backgrounds to discuss the current state and future directions of biobank data analysis. The talks covered a wide range of topics related to biobank data analysis, such as data quality control, imputation, bioinformatics and LLM on data annotation, harmonization, integration, association testing, causal inference, polygenic risk prediction, gene-environment interaction, ethical and social implications, and translational applications. The speakers were experts in their fields and presented their latest findings and challenges. Each talk was followed by a session of lively discussions which were interactive and stimulating and fostered cross-disciplinary collaborations and exchanges. I found the workshop very informative and inspiring. I learned a lot from the talks and the discussions and gained a deeper understanding of the field of biobank data analysis. I also appreciated the opportunity to network with other researchers and establish new connections. I was impressed by the diversity and richness of the biobank data and the potential they have for advancing science and improving health. I realized that there are still many challenges and opportunities in the field, and that biobank data analysis is crucial for achieving precision medicine in the future. I am more motivated to devote my research time to statistical genetics and contribute to this exciting and important field.

[link to this testimonial]

The workshop discussed many extremely important topics about biobank data, such as analysis challenges, recent developments in biobank data, data computation and storage, ethics and privacy. The workshop should have influenced my students and postdocs and hiring decisions. It will affect the research topics in my lab. The workshop indeed has had an impact on my scientific discipline. For example, it makes to think how should I embrace cloud computation.

[link to this testimonial]