Machine Learning Featured at 10-Year History of Genomics Program Celebration Event

Presentation/Conference

August 04, 2022 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. ET

In commemoration of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) History of Genomics Program's 10^th anniversary, the institute will have three machine learning (ML) experts share what they’ve learned about genomics from the program’s archive database using their own ML analysis.

Attendees will learn about NHGRI’s influence on the scientific community, the steps the program has taken to get to this point, and how ML is playing a vital role in analyzing the comprehensive archive.

Hear from Dr. Luís A. Nunes Amaral, Mr. Spencer Hong, and Ms. Sarah Bates from the Amaral Lab at Northwestern University as they discuss how NHGRI has helped shape genomics for their program.

Thanks to the meticulous nature of Human Genome Project architects, NHGRI has a rich archive of hundreds of thousands of scanned physical documents from the project and more recent genomics initiatives, including NCI’s The Cancer Genome Atlas Program.

Luís A. Nunes Amaral, Ph.D.

Dr. Amaral is the Erastus O. Haven Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Northwestern University and a professor of medicine, molecular biosciences, and physics and astronomy. He co-directs the Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems and leads Northwestern University’s Data Science Initiative.

Spencer Hong

Mr. Hong is pursuing a Ph.D. in chemical engineering as a Ryan Fellow at Northwestern University. With guidance from the Amaral Lab and NHGRI, he is pushing the efforts to develop new computational tools for the first digital knowledge base of the NHGRI archive.

Sarah A. Bates, M.S.

Ms. Bates is the chief of NHGRI’s Office of Communications, which shares research at the forefront of genomics. Previously, as a public affairs specialist for the National Science Foundation, Ms. Bates led communications for the Engineering Directorate and the BRAIN Initiative, covering complex and sensitive topics such as gravitational waves, sexual harassment, and disaster relief.