First International Summer School of Biomedical Informatics (ISSBI)
1^st announcement

Introduction

Organisation: 2008 International Summer School of Biomedical Informatics is an event organised jointly by the Center for Biomedical Informatics, Institute of Computer Science of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic in Prague and the Czech National Group of the International Society for Clinical Biostatistics.

The aim: The aim is to bring together researchers from various scientific disciplines interested in statistical, genetical and information methodologies that dominate current trends in multidisciplinary biomedical research.

Open to: This event is open to all researchers and postgraduate students interested in biomedical research, especially in genetics, medical statistics and/or biostatistics, medical informatics and/or bioinformatics who would like to explore current trends in scientific methodology relevant to multidisciplinary biomedical research.

Place:
Institute of Computer Science AS CR, v.v.i.
Pod Vodarenskou vezi 2
182 07 Prague
Czech Republic
Date: 8. – 11. 7. 2008

ISSBI Secretary:
Lenka Semeráková
Centre for Biomedical Informatics
Department of Medical Informatics
Institute of Computer Science AS CR
semerakova@euromise.cz
Phone: +420 266 053 480
Fax: +420 286 581 453

 Registration

Registration options with Conference Fees:
1. Early Bird Registration Fee (until April 30, 2008): 180 €
2. Regular Registration Fee (May 1 – June 15, 2008): 240 €
3. Late Registration Fee (after June 15, 2008, until July 1st, 2008): 300 €

Registration options and payments:
1. Bank transfer (for more details, please, follow the Registration link.)

NEW! The organisers allow for a part time registration. If you are interested only in "Biomedical Informatics" section, please, indicate this by placing the note in the "Special Requests" section of the online registration form, e.g. "I wish to register only for a Course in Biomedical Informatics (2 days)". Similarly, you can register only for "a Course in Missing Data Analysis (2 days)". In both cases the optional registration fee is half the amount of the corresponding full registration fee.

Also, please specify any additional requirements, such as the disability options or request for lunches during the course (affordable 4-days menu costs only 30€ and includes a soup, main course and a drink) in the section “SPECIAL REQUESTS”.

Programme

Scientific Program

July 8, 2008: 1-Day Course in Biomedical Informatics, part I.
Lecturer - Prof. Dr. Fernando J. Martin-Sanchez
Bioinformatics Unit
National Institute of Health Carlos III
Madrid
Spain

Lecturer - Dr. Luciano Milanesi
Head of the Bioinformatics Division
Institute of Biomedical Technologies
National Research Council
Italy

July 9, 2008: 1-Day Course in Biomedical Informatics, part II.
Lecturer - Prof. Dr. Ulrich Mansmann
IBE, University of Munich
Marchioninistrasse 15
81377 Munich
Germany

July 10-11, 2008: 2-Days Course in Missing Data Analysis
Lecturer - Prof. Dr. James Carpenter
Medical Statistics Unit
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Keppel Street
London WC1E 7HT
United Kingdom

Course content

1-Day Course in Biomedical Informatics, part I.
Theme: "Towards Individualized Healthcare: Information and Genomic based medicine"
The course will provide basic information on the Human Genome Project and will give introduction to related concepts and technologies (bioinformatics, microarrays)
Will introduce the concept of molecular and individualised healthcare
Will discuss new solutions emerging from genomic medicine, which will be analysed in terms of new diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive approaches
Theme: "Introduction to using High Performance Computing and GRID Technology in Healthcare"
Theme: "BioInfoGRID project: Overview of Bioinformatics applications in Life Sciences"

1-Day Course in Biomedical Informatics, part II.
Theme: "From Technology Driven Research to Hypothesis-Based Questioning: Microarrays in Molecular Medicine"
Answering the pressing questions:
Can we find the genes and assign them functions?
Can we reconstruct metabolic, signaling, and other pathways?
Can we reconstruct informational networks?
Can we link genotype to phenotype?
Can we use genotype/phenotype to predict clinically relevant outcome?

2-Days Course in Missing Data Analysis
Introduction: Issues raised by missing data
Simple ad-hoc methods for coping with missing data and their shortcomings
Common jargon (MCAR, MAR, NMAR, ignorable) explained in non-technical terms
Principled methods for handling missing data
Understanding the reasons for missing data / dropout
Mixed models and multiple imputation for the analysis of partially observed data
Practical methods for sensitivity analysis

Venue

Place: The Institute of Computer Science of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic is easily accesible using public transportation. The easiest way is to use the underground ("metro"), line C. You will exit at the "Ladvi" station. A few minutes walk should get you safely to the ICS building.
Map: An area map is located here for your convenience.

Accommodation

Accommodation:

At this time the organisers are no longer able to help with hotel reservations. Finding a suitable accommodation now remains a full responsibility of the course participant. The sections below provide a few links for your convenience. July is typically a fairly busy season in Prague, owing not only to historic attractions, but increasingly so due to Prague's becoming an important conference centre in the heart of Europe. We advise you to make your hotel reservations early!

Hotels in the vicinity of the ISSBI venue:

M-Pension
reservations: http://www.pension-m.cz/index_en.html
Hotel Troja
reservations: http://www.hoteltroja.cz/index3_en.htm
Hotel Duo Prosek
reservations: http://www.hotelduo.cz/index.php

More Prague links: a few additional accommodation links are provided below for your convenience

http://www.hotel-line.cz/
http://www.incoczech.com/
http://www.praha.cz/

Contact

International Summer School of Biomedical Informatics (ISSBI)

Place:
Institute of Computer Science AS CR, v.v.i.
Pod Vodarenskou vezi 2
182 07 Prague
Czech Republic

Date:
8. – 11. 7. 2008

Local Organisation:
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zdeněk Valenta
Centre for Biomedical Informatics
Department of Medical Informatics
Institute of Computer Science AS CR
Pod Vodarenskou vezi 2
182 07 Prague
Czech Republic

ISSBI Secretary:
Ms. Lenka Semeráková
Centre for Biomedical Informatics
Department of Medical Informatics
Institute of Computer Science AS CR
semerakova@euromise.cz
Phone: +420 266 053 480
Fax: +420 286 581 453