Emerging Statistical Challenges in Genome and Translational Research (08w5062)

It is now well accepted that the capacity to generate genome-wide data has far outpaced the ability to analyze and interpret it. The rapid development of new high-throughput technologies allows biological investigations on an ever-growing scale. Addressing the new statistical demands has clear relevance for continued progress in biological and biomedical research predicated on genome-scale assays.

Numerous researchers and specialists will gather at the Banff International Research Station on June 1 - 6, 2008 to discuss these topics. The primary objectives of this workshop are (1) to address emerging statistical problems in the analysis and combination of diverse datasets arising from genome-scale assays applied in clinical and molecular genetic research, and (2) to facilitate meaningful interactions between the experimental biologists and physicians who produce genome-scale data and the statisticians who develop and implement appropriate analytical methodology. Substantive collaborations between these groups are vital for transforming the massive amount of data produced by new technologies into important biological discoveries and translational research.

The Banff International Research Station for Mathematical Innovation and Discovery (BIRS) is a collaborative Canada-US-Mexico venture that provides an environment for creative interaction as well as the exchange of ideas, knowledge, and methods within the Mathematical Sciences, with related disciplines and with industry. The research station is located at The Banff Centre in Alberta and is supported by Canada's Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the US National Science Foundation (NSF), Alberta's Advanced Education and Technology, and Mexico's Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologí­a (CONACYT).