Call for Papers and Posters
Precision Medicine
Multi-modal and multi-scale methods to promote mechanistic understanding of disease
Pacific Symposium on Biocomputing Session
January 4-8, 2025
The Big Island of Hawaii, U.S.A.
Motivation
Technological advances in high-throughput omics technologies have made it possible to develop a new class of biomarkers that predict patient drug responses, susceptibility to diseases, and other medical outcomes. Toward the goal of precision medicine, methodological advances are needed to translate such biomarkers to the clinic as well as provide mechanistic insight as to their clinical utility. We welcome all submissions relevant to this exciting and growing area of research.
This year, we are seeking papers that work with diverse data to advance understanding of disease or therapeutic mechanisms in order to uncover barriers and opportunities for precision medicine approaches. To this end, we will invite submission of papers that analyze two or more forms of genomic, metagenomic, and protein sequences, as well as other -omic data, clinical phenotypes, lifestyle measurements (e.g. via wearable technologies), and patient-specific data. We plan to emphasize topics including patient microbiome/genome interactions, combined use of imaging and molecular data, epigenetics-informed polygenic risk estimation for clinically or laboratory measured endo-phenotypes, advances in deep learning approaches using two or more data sources relevant to precision medicine, portability of multi-modal/multi-scale biomarkers across different populations and secure data sharing and federated learning for complex multi-modal data.
Session Topics
We invite contributions in a broad range of computational topics applicable to precision medicine research, both in and outside the clinic. The session is expected to cover original research and methodology related to precision medicine’s most pressing or anticipated problems or needs related to human health.
Examples of topics within the scope of this session include but are not limited to:
• Exploration of novel machine learning approaches, especially deep learning techniques in nonlinear interpretation of genome variation
• Analysis of multi-omic data, lifestyle measurements, and other patient-specific data to predict clinical phenotypes
• Methods or approaches for interpreting genome relationship with the microbiome in the clinical context
• Large language models, and methods for literature analysis contributing to novel insight into genomic variation impact on pathogenesis and pharmacogenetics
• Methods that enable data and model sharing while preserving patient privacy
• Innovations in polygenic risk score estimation and their clinical applications
• Methods or approaches to clinically annotate and interpret whole genome sequencing data
• Methods for multi-ethnic analyses that explain observed health disparities, and approaches to ensure equity and effectiveness of precision medicine for populations from diverse genetic and environmental backgrounds.
• Methods for estimating and/or incorporating genetic ancestry for genomic discovery or precision medicine implementation.
• Methods of analyzing, interpreting, and applying pharmacogenetics information
• Development of causal or predictive models for genotype, gene expression, disease labels and intermediate phenotypes across populations, as well as multi-omic models that incorporate intermediate phenotypes in evaluating disease status.
• Methods for making use of rare and low frequency noncoding variants arising from whole-genome sequencing.
• Methods for incorporating data from biological perturbations generated by advanced genome editing techniques into phenotype predictive or integrative models.
• Methods that exploit and integrate genomic, proteomic, transcriptomic, metabolomic, metagenomics, and other data for high-resolution individualized health- related outcomes.
Session Organizers
Yana Bromberg, Emory University; yana.bromberg@emory.edu
Steven Brenner, University of California, Berkeley; brenner@compbio.berkeley.edu
Hannah Carter, University of California San Diego; hkcarter@health.ucsd.edu
Submission Information
The submitted papers are fully reviewed and accepted on a competitive basis.
Important Dates
Please see the PSB paper format template and instructions at http://psb.stanford.edu/psb-online/psb-submit.
Paper Submissions
Unlike the abstracts at most biology conferences, papers in the PSB proceedings are archival, rigorously peer-reviewed publications. PSB publications are Open Access and linked directly from MEDLINE/PubMed and Google Scholar for wide accessibility. They should be thought of as short journal articles that may be cited on CVs and grant reports.
Travel Fellowships for Trainees
PSB traditionally provides fellowships for select trainees. The application process opens upon paper acceptance. Individuals from underrepresented communities are particularly encouraged to participate in the conference and apply for travel support.
Poster Format
Poster presenters will be provided with an easel and a poster board 32"W x 40"H (80x100cm). One poster from each paid participant is permitted. See the submission portal web site for the instructions regarding poster submissions.