Contact
ASBCB
c/o Alan Christoffels
South African National BIoinformatics Institute
University of the Western Cape
South Africa
alan@sanbi.ac.za
Geographical Area Included
Africa
Leadership Structure
Governing Board
President: Alan Christoffels (alan@sanbi.ac.za)
Vice-President: Amel Gouila (amel.ghouila@gmail.com)
Secretary: Faisal Mohamed (faisal.mohamed@hotmail.com)
Treasurer: Jean-Baka Domelevo Entfellner (j.domelevoentfellner@cgiar.org)
Training Officer: Olaitan Awe (laitanawe@gmail.com)
Communication Officer: Bright Biiga (biigba.bright2@gmail.com)
Young Scientist Representative: Samar Salah (samar.salah119@gmail.com)
Election Process
The Governing Council shall be elected by secret vote as set out in the By-Laws. The society members elects the various office-bearers by a majority vote.
Election Frequency
The Council shall consist of seven (7) persons elected for a period not exceeding two terms from among members of the Society; a term being defined as two (2) years.
Member Benefits
Membership in the society will be respected internationally as an essential demonstration of personal commitment toward the advancement of bioinformatics and computational biology.
Goals
ASBCB is a non-profit professional association dedicated to the advancement of bioinformatics and computational biology in Africa. Transforming from the African Bioinformatics Network (ABioNET), as a result of a World health Organisation sponsored meeting at the South African National Bioinformatics Institute in Cape Town, South Africa on the 13th February 2004.
We are dedicated to the advancement of bioinformatics and computational biology in Africa, and with a mission to develop the application of bioinformatics in Africa. The importance of international collaboration is emphasised by ASBCB because pan-African networks and projects are boosting bioinformatics research and infrastructure on the continent of Africa. ASBCB is growing into a large network of international collaborators, researchers and contacts. This enables African Bioinformatics researchers access to exciting new opportunities that are opening up in the field of bioinformatics in Africa. ASBCB therefore provides an international forum and resource for developing competence and expertise in these areas.
Objectives:
Identify, promote and establish opportunities for networking.
Encourage and develop bioinformatics and computational biology nodes.
Increase awareness and promote the use of bioinformatics and computational biology.
Facilitate access to bioinformatics and computational biology infrastructure.
Promote bioinformatics and computational biology education.
Activities
The calendar year of activities include:
1. Governance council meetings
Held monthly (firs Tuesday of the month) via conference call. Minutes are recorded.
2. Conference (every two years)
80-100 participants
3. COSIs
These are newly established and their activities will be defined during 2020 calendar year.
Last Updated 2024-09-20 10:33:26
Contact
Nurul Salwanie (admin@apbionet.org)
APBioNET Ltd
Dept of Biochemistry,
MD7 Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine,
National University of Singapore,
8 Medical Dr, Singapore, 1175996.
Geographical Area Included
Asia Pacific
Leadership Structure
January 2022-December 2024
President: Harpreet Singh, Ph.D
Hans Raj Mahila Maha Vidyalaya Jalandhar, India
Vice President Operations : Mohammad Asif Khan, University of Doha for Science and Technology, Qatar
Vice President Outreach: Kiyoko F. Kinoshita, Ph.D
Soka University, Japan
Treasurer: Sarinder Kaur, University Malaya, Malaysia
Secretary: N. Latha, Bennett University (Times of India Group), India
Executive Committee Members:
Esra Busra Isik, Turkey
Ragothaman Yennamalli, SASTRA University, India
Shuhaila Mat Sharani, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Malaysia
Yun Zheng, Ph.D, Fudan University, China
Election Process
Call for nominations followed by voting online and at Annual General Meeting.
Election Frequency
Every two years
Member Benefits
Discounted registration fee to attend lnCoB, lnSyB and other APBioNET endorsed events.
Discounts on APBioNET merchandise and publications.
Early invitations and notifications to APBioNet and affiliates events.
Financial support to attend lnCoB/lnSyB or any bioinformatics related events.
Exclusive APBioNET affiliated email.
Eligibility to represent APBioNET at key events or AGM as official delegates.
Recruitment into APBioNET Student Chapter.
Goals
APBioNET The Asia-Pacific Bioinformatics Network (APBioNet; https://www.apbionet.org/) is a nonprofit, onn-governmental, international organization founded in 1998 that focuses on the promotion of bioinformatics in the Asia-Pacific region.
APBioNET is dedicated to the advancement of the field of bioinformatics, specifically the development of bioinformatics network infrastructure, the exchange of data and information, the development of training programs, workshops and symposia and the encouragement of collaborations in the field of bioinformatics with an Asia Pacific focus.
Vision: Advance the understanding and application of bioinformatics in research, education and services in the Asia-Pacific region.
Mission: APBioNET's mission, since its inception, has been to pioneer the growth and development of bioinformatics awareness, training, education, infrastructure, resources, and research among member countries and economies.
Objectives:
APBioNET is dedicated to:
• to the advancement of the field of bioinformatics and its development network infrastructure the exchange of data and information
• the encouragement of collaborations in the field of bioinformatics
• the development of training programs, workshops and symposia
Activities
InCoB International Conference on Bioinformatics (https://incob.apbionet.org/); annually since 2002, 200-300 participants
The 22nd International Conference on Bioinformatics (InCoB 2023 https://incob.apbionet.org/incob23) was held as a physical conference Nov 12-15, 202 and organized by Translational Research Institute (TRI), Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in partnership with APBioNet; 106 participants
InSyB International Symposium on Bioinformatics, annually since 2017, 80-120 participants.
The 8th International Symposium on Bioinformatics (InSyB2024 https://insyb2024.my.canva.site/) was held in University of Delhi South Campus, India on Nov.29, 2024. The theme of this combined event was "From Codes to Cells: Advances in Bioinformatics ”. InSyB2024 was attended by 200 particpants (60 posters & 60 orals)
APBioNET collaborated together with The University of Montana, in collaboration with the National University of Singapore, the National Science and Technology Development Agency of Thailand, the Agency for Science, Technology, and Research of Singapore, and the National Supercomputing Center of Singapore, is the advanced studies workshops in computational biology in Singapore. The Singapore workshop will cover topics in the analysis of sequence data, biomolecule-ligand affinity estimation, molecular dynamics, and other current and advanced topics. Scientists from the USA, Europe, and Asia will be present as instructors, as they were at the first workshop. https://www.umt.edu/comp-bio-asia/
APBioNetTalks (https://apbtalks.apbionet.org/) was lauchned in 2020. It is platform with the simple mission of empowering the community through bioinformatics learning, education, and training. In 2023 one talk was delivered in November 2023.
APBioNET has launched a Student Ambassador Program (SAP https://www.apbionet.org/student-ambassador-program-sap/). SAP's objective is to create an opportunity for graduate students (the Student Ambassador (SA)) from Asia-Pacific geographical regions to hone bioinformatics-based research skills through a student exchange program and to contribute to APBioNET’s activities. Seven Mentors were appointed for 2022 (India 4; Japan 2; Singapore 1)
Activities and Programs That Demonstrate the Advancement of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
APBioNET supports every year between 4-6 students to attend InCoB from its Travel Fellowship program http://incob2019.org/travel-grant/. This program was suspended during COVID-19 pandemic.
APBioNET is a Gold member of Global Organisation for Bioinformatics Learning, Education and Training (GOBLET).
For the time being a candidate for hosting InCoB 2023 has been identified in Australia.
InCoB2024 will be part of the Asia-Pacific Bioinformatics Joint Congress 2024 (APBJC 2024, Oct 21-24, 2024) in Okinawa, Japan. APBioNet has initated discussions and planning more than two years ago. This year involved parties came to an agreement on the dates and venue. The congress will be organized by JSBi, APBioNet, ISCB, GOBLET, Bioclues Organization, MaSBiC, and MABBI.
APBioNET proposed to publish an article on Grand Challenges in Bioinformatics Education (https://www.apbionet.org/bgcc/) and is working with members of other Societies including Goblet and ISCB towards this goal. The final version of the manuscript is expected to be submitted in December 2022.
APBioNET is present in the following social media: Facebook: 889 followers (6% increase); Twitter: 616 followers (24% increase); MailChimp 1682 subscribers (25% increase) ; Since 2016 13 newsletter were published on https://www.apbionet.org/newsletter/.
Last Updated 2025-01-31 08:55:30
Contact
Marcelo Brandão (UNICAMP), President
<marcelo.brandao@ab3c.org.br>
Geographical Area Included
Brazil
Leadership Structure
Composition of the Executive Board for the three-year term 2024/2026:
Marcelo Brandão (UNICAMP), President
Fabrício Martins Lopes (UTFPR), Vice President
Nicole Scherer (INCA), First Secretary
Ana Carolina Guimarães (Fiocruz/RJ), Second Secretary
Sávio Farias (UFPB), Treasurer
Helder Nakaya (Instituto Israelita de Ensino e Pesquisa Albert Einstein), Second Treasurer
Election Process
Election by public notice every 3 years with the participation of active AB3C members.
Election Frequency
3 years
Member Benefits
Discounts on events promoted by AB3C.
Technology resources for offering courses.
Promotions with manufacturers and suppliers in the context of bioinformatics.
Goals
AB3C began its activities in 2004 with the aim of bringing together students, researchers and enthusiasts in the context of bioinformatics. Since then it has promoted training courses and scientific events with the aim of disseminating science and promoting engagement in bioinformatics. AB3C is currently promoting the 20th edition of X-Meeting (https://www.x-meeting.com/events/), the main bioinformatics congress in Brazil.
Activities
https://www.x-meeting.com/events/
Activities and Programs That Demonstrate the Advancement of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
AB3C develops several projects for the Bioinformatics community in Brazil, in particular the 21st edition of X-Meeting is scheduled to be held in the city of João Pessoa in northeastern Brazil between June 3 and 6, 2025 (https://x-meeting.com/events/2025).
Another relevant activity is the 'Vozes' project (https://site.ab3c.org.br/vozes-ab3c), which is a podcast with interviews with professionals and students in the context of bioinformatics to disseminate ideas, projects, and online discussions.
Last Updated 2025-01-31 08:55:30
Contact
Prof Jessica Mar
Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology
University of Queensland QLD 4067
Australia
jessica.mar@uq.edu.au
Geographical Area Included
Australia
Leadership Structure
2026 National Executive Committee:
President – Jessica Mar
Vice-President – Feargal Ryan
Past President – Jimmy Breen
Treasurer: Mirana Ramialison
Secretary: Anna Trigos
Post-doctoral Representative: Hani Kim
Student Representative: Inam Ul Haq Azad
Professional Bioinformatician Representative: Chris Love
Diversity Representative: Nikeisha Caruana
Ordinary Members: Selene Fernandez-Valverde, Roxane Legaie
Election Process
Election at the Annual General Meeting
Election Frequency
Annually
Member Benefits
1. Discounted registration fee for the ABACBS annual conference and other society events
2. Become eligible to be nominated for society prizes, awards and honours
3. Regular email newsletter from the society
Goals
Founded in 2015, ABACBS represents researchers, educators, students, and professionals working across all areas of bioinformatics and computational biology. ABACBS is Australia's peak national society for bioinformatics and computational biology. Our goal is to support our community through strengthening our discipline, providing advocacy and representation, and recognising excellence.
ABACBS aims to
1. strengthen the science and profession
2. encourage and support students
3. provide representation and advocacy
4. promote interaction and awareness
of bioinformatics and computational biology.
The vision of ABACBS is
1. for people to understand why bioinformatics and computational biology are important
2. for excellence in the science and profession of bioinformatics and computational biology
3. for good career opportunities in bioinformatics and computational biology.
ABACBS has emerged from broad consultation with the Australian bioinformatics and computational biology community, initiated by the Australian Bioinformatics Network in 2013. It was felt that there was a high level of support for a professional society representing Australian bioinformaticians and computational biologists. The Society was incorporated in November 2014, and the first executive committee was formed. The first national annual ABACBS conference was held in Sydney in 2015. ABACBS is a young society with an exciting future. We are keen to pursue opportunities for an annual conference as well as support special interest groups.
Activities
2025 marks ABACBS' 10th anniversary as a society and has been a milestone year characterised by strong growth in membership, programming, and national reach. The following summarises the key activities undertaken by ABACBS to advance bioinformatics and computational biology across Australia.
Annual Conference — Adelaide, November 24 – 28th, 2025
The 2025 ABACBS Annual Conference was held in Adelaide and represents both a scientific milestone and a community celebration of the society's first decade. Building on the success of the 2024 Sydney conference — which attracted 506 total registered attendees, 8 keynote speakers, 60 oral presenters, 160 poster presenters, and 15 sponsor organisations — the 2025 conference was a landmark event for the Australian bioinformatics and computational biology community.
Key features of the 2025 conference include:
• A total number of 442 delegates!
• An EMCR 'Shark Tank' satellite event (November 24th) supported by the South Australian immunoGENomics Cancer Institute (SAiGENCI) which focused on networking, grant writing, and career pitching skills
• Symposium events led by COMBINE (student symposium), Symposium on Bioinformatics and Engineering Intelligence (SBEI) (industry symposium), and BioCAsia
• An expanded conference survey with significantly improved early engagement (36 pre-conference responses vs. 45 total for the prior full cycle)
National Executive Committee
The National Executive Committee meets monthly to govern the society's activities. In 2025, the committee welcomed several new members alongside continuing members, ensuring a blend of continuity and fresh perspectives. Key functions include:
• Supporting conference conveners in annual conference planning
• Overseeing subcommittee activities to ensure they are inclusive and responsive to community needs
• Allocating strategic funding to support new and existing initiatives
• Encouraging state-based activities to strengthen the national network
• Representing Australia in international bioinformatics forums like ABPJC
Inclusion, Diversity, and Accessibility (IDA) Subcommittee
Led by Nikeisha Caruana, the IDA subcommittee has had a particularly impactful year:
• Established regular monthly in-person networking catchups in Melbourne and Brisbane, consistently attracting 15–20 attendees per event
• Integrated a dedicated IDA team into the 2025 conference for the first time, setting a new standard for future conferences
• Developed plans to expand local networking events to additional Australian cities in 2026
Postdoctoral Subcommittee
Led by Hani Kim, now in its fourth year, the Postdoctoral Subcommittee delivered:
• A quarterly National Seminar Series (April, June, August, and November) showcasing cutting-edge research
• Two career panel events featuring speakers from academia, industry, and research organisations
• A growing mentoring program with 39 participants (15 mentors and 24 mentees)
• A full-day EMCR 'Shark Tank' satellite workshop at the 2025 Annual Conference
COMBINE — Student Subcommittee
Led by Liyang Fei, COMBINE continued its mission to support student bioinformaticians through:
• Training workshops: R Shiny (Adelaide), Imaging AI Analysis (Melbourne), Intermediate R (Perth), and live coding streams (online)
• Networking events: coffee catchups, Bris Brew (Brisbane Bioinformatics and Brews), and APBConnect
• Career development: ABACBS & COMBINE Career Planning Q&A event and a Fireside Chat with Aaron Darling
• Annual Hackathon (Sydney)
Professional Bioinformatician Subcommittee (APBC)
Led by Amit Kumar, the ABACBS Professional Bioinformatics Community (APBC) continued to grow its national presence:
• Delivered the SBEI 2025 Symposium in Adelaide, bringing together industry, research, and clinical bioinformatics professionals
• Launched APBConnect 2025 in Melbourne as a new flagship networking forum bridging academia and industry
• Collaborated with COMBINE to support student pathways into professional bioinformatics roles
• Completed a comprehensive strategic review, with the APBC Strategy 2026–2028 due for release in December 2025
Annual Awards
ABACBS continued its tradition of recognising excellence through annual awards presented at the Annual Conference. 2025 award recipients included:
• Honorary Senior Fellow – Prof Nicola Armstrong
• Outstanding Mid-Career Researcher Award – Hannah Couglan & Matt Field
• Outstanding Contribution by an Early Career Researcher Award — Dharmesh Bhuva
• Outstanding PhD Thesis Award — Natalie Charitakis
• Outstanding Professional Bioinformatician Award – David Wood
• Outstanding Bioinformatics Software Developer Award — Hiruna Samarakoon
• Outstanding Bioinformatics Software Maintainer Award — Yunshun Chen
This year we added a new award that recognised one of the most significant values of our community and named in honour of one of our special members.
• The “Nicholas Wong” Outstanding Contribution to the Bioinformatics Community Award – Andrew Lonsdale
Activities and Programs That Demonstrate the Advancement of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
Activities
• Monthly local networking catchups (Melbourne and Brisbane; expansion to additional cities planned for 2026)
• Quarterly National Seminar Series for postdoctoral researchers and EMCRs
• EMCR mentoring program pairing postdoctoral researchers with mentees (39 participants in 2025)
• ABACBS Professional Bioinformatics Community (APBC), supporting bioinformatics professionals in industry, government, hospitals, core facilities, and non-academic settings
• IDA integration into all major ABACBS events and conference planning, with a dedicated IDA team now a permanent fixture
• COMBINE student symposium co-located annually with the ABACBS conference, providing training workshops, networking events, and career development opportunities for student bioinformaticians
• Hands-on technical workshops covering topics including R Shiny, Imaging AI Analysis, and live coding in Python and R
• Career panels and fireside chats with researchers from academia, industry, and research organisations
• EMCR 'Shark Tank' satellite workshop focused on grant writing, pitching, and career development
Activities and programs that demonstrate the advancement of bioinformatics and computational biology:
The ABACBS Annual Conference is held each year and co-located with the COMBINE student symposium, the SBEI industry symposium, and BioCAsia. The 2025 conference was hosted in Adelaide and marks the society's 10th anniversary.
3. Contributions to ISCB
ABACBS values its ongoing partnership with ISCB and has continued to actively support ISCB membership, activities, and shared mission throughout 2025.
Encouraging ISCB Membership
The 2025 ABACBS Annual Conference has again been run with the direct support of ISCB. Through this partnership, delegates were provided with the opportunity to sign up for ISCB membership as part of purchasing their conference registration. This integrated approach ensures that ISCB membership is visible and accessible to the full ABACBS conference audience — including researchers, students, and professionals — at the point of maximum engagement. We regard this as one of the most effective mechanisms for converting ABACBS members into ISCB members and are grateful for ISCB's partnership in maaking it possible.
Promoting ISCB Activities
ABACBS actively promotes ISCB activities and resources to its membership through:
• Communications via the ABACBS mailing list and other communications channels highlighting ISCB conferences and events.
• Encouraging members to engage with ISCB's global conferences, including ISMB/ECCB of which many of our members attend.
• Highlighting ISCB resources and career development programs through the COMBINE student subcommittee and the Postdoctoral Subcommittee
Last Updated 2026-03-16 10:41:47
Contact
Debnath Pal
Department of Computational and Data Sciences
Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560012
Email: dpal@iisc.ac.in
Phone: +918022932901
Mobile: +919880856023
Geographical Area Included
India
Leadership Structure
Convener: Debnath Pal
Co-conveners: Chirag Jain, Sanchit Mishra
Members: Mukund Thattai, Priti Roy, Rahul Siddhartan, Zhumur Ghosh, Partha Majumdar, Ramesh Hariharan, Laxmi Parida
Election Process
Nomination/Invitation
The conveners of the BDBIO Conference are invited to participate in the Steering Committee. Additionally, the ISCB Affiliates Committee members can serve as Ex-Officio members.
Election Frequency
Annually
Member Benefits
Annual Conference – Registration waived, Conference participation support for local hospitality, if selected. Members may network, and partake in the collaborative opportunities at the conference, and may lead, and/or participate in, BDBIO committees and activities.
Goals
Rapid advances in high throughput technologies when coupled with scalable algorithms and analytics enable study of biological systems at an unprecedented resolution. Keeping pace with these developments is challenging for young researchers and graduate students. It was felt that a forum for interaction between students, young researchers and practicing scientists would be useful for all. In this light thought an annual conference was designed to bring together research presentations in bioinformatics, computational biology, and systems biology. The students attending the Annual Conference is supported through cost-free local hospitality and waiver of registration fees. The presentations comprise of invited talks from practicing scientists from both academia and industry, and contributed talks from selected Ph.D. students and Postdocs, and (c) an interactive poster session. The topics typically covered include novel computational, statistical, machine and deep learning methods in applications related to Molecular sequence analysis, RNA sequencing analysis, including single-cell Comparative and population genomics, Cancer and infectious diseases, Computational systems biology, biological networks, Metagenomics, Computational proteomics, metabolomics and pharmacogenomics. The forum has successfully organized the annual conference for the past three years benefiting about 450 participants. The strong feedback from the participants has allowed us to increase the conference attendance, and we hope to grow it further in the coming years.
Activities
Symposium on Big Data Algorithms for Biology 2025, third in its series, was held on May 29 - 31, in the Faculty Hall, Indian Institute of Science Bangalore. It was organized by Dr. Chirag Jain, IISc, Dr. Debnath Pal, IISc, Dr. Shweta Ramdas (Centre for Brain Research) and Dr. Sanchit Misra, Intel Labs. This event featured cutting edge research in the areas of bioinformatics, computational biology, and systems biology. The symposium program, spanning two days, included 12 invited talks and 4 early career speakers from scientists in academia and industry. The event also served as a platform for 57 selected students from all over India to showcase their ongoing research during the poster and networking session. The event was attended by more than 200 participants that included students, speakers, scientists, and working professionals.
A pre-symposium workshop was conducted on May 29th, which was an hands-on training on the topic Genomic large language models. This workshop was intended to give participants an introduction to the theory of large language models and a flavour of how LLMs are used in Biology generally, and in Genomics specifically. The workshop was intended for participants with some basic experience with coding in Python and machine learning/statistics.
The main symposium topics included novel computational, statistical and machine learning methods in applications related to: - Molecular sequence analysis - RNA sequencing analysis, including single-cell - Comparative and population genomics - Cancer and infectious disease - Computational systems biology - Biological networks - Metagenomics - Computational proteomics, metabolomics and pharmacogenomics - Multi-omics data integration.
Overall the event was very well received. The online feedback we collected using a google form from the attendees to identify the strengths of the event, and understand the scope for further improvement also confirmed the same. We will use several feedbacks received in the response to improve our conference next year.
The presentations were recorded for later viewing and uploaded to the YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAU4YrLp-kU9qWL8OkrhvmwvchJ544bWA
Photographs: https://photos.app.goo.gl/qV6sXAP89wS79zDg6
Program summary: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1miBR0bPgBRp58A9Xzf6qoDEyCMa_-2Ds/view?usp=drive_link
Poster session: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BwYlRVOEL8RwsZMb9UcToIxOosHwjeao/view?usp=drive_link
The conference was supported by funds from the Axis Bank Centre for Mathematics and Computing, IISc. The total funding was 10, 00, 000 INR or about 11, 500 USD. The funds were used to provide local hospitality support to outstation students, travel support to speaker and their local hospitality, and food arrangements during the conference.
Activities and Programs That Demonstrate the Advancement of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
4th Annual Big Data Biology conference (June 4-6, 2026)
Last Updated 2025-12-24 10:46:52
Contact
Nagarajan Raju (nagarajan@bioclues.org) Outreach Chair and Prashanth Suravajhala, PhD, Founder
Mailing Address: Bioclues.org, Kukatpally, Hyderabad 500072
US Phone: +1-541-666-9547
Geographical Area Included
India
Leadership Structure
Bioclues Executive Team (BET):
Founders: Prashanth Suravajhala, PhD. and Pritish Varadwaj, PhD.
Advisors: GPS Raghava, PhD., Dr. Jayaraman Valadi, N Srinivasan, PhD., HA Nagarajaram, PhD., Krishna Mohan Medicheria, PhD., R Keshavachandran, PhD., Pratap VV Reddy, PhD and more.
President: GPS Raghava, PhD.
Vice President: Dr. Jayaraman Valadi
Outreach Chair: Nagarajan Raju, PhD
Chief Scientific Officer: N Srinivasan, PhD.
Entrepreneurship Chair: Mohankumar Megha
Mentoring Chair: Vishal Acharya, PhD
Research Chair: Sriparna Saha, PhD.
Women in Biology Chair: Manika Sehgal, PhD
Women in Biology Co-chair: Sujata Dhar and Dhatri Madduru
Treasurer: Saumyadip Sarkar
Election Process
Mode of election or selection of leaders: Self-nomination and nominations with visions and challenges for Bioclues, followed by casting votes: Winner takes all.
Election Frequency
Frequency of election: Once in two years
Member Benefits
As a registered member you can avail all the facilities including online e-mentoring by Experts from Bioclues. You will also get discounted conference fee, free mentoring and @bioclues.org e mail addressed and discount for Bioclues Merchandise (Mugs and Tee shirts).
Goals
History: Was first founded by Prash Suravajhala and Pritish Varadwaj in 2005, virtual deployment began in mid 2006. BIOCLUES is acronymed for Bioinformatics Club for Experimenting Scientists. The organization was founded in 2005. It is a non-profit virtual organization for, by, and of the Indian Bioinformaticians. It is one of the fastest growing bioinformatics societies in India, currently serving over 3400 members from nearly 30 countries. We aim to bring together the Indian bioinformaticians, foster a strong working mentor–mentee relationship, provide access to bioinformatics resources, organize conferences and workshops besides imparting information about research, training, education, employment and current events and news from bioinformatics, genomics, and related fields. Bioclues adheres to Creative Commons License with the prime focus to help the Bioinformaticians in India to promote open access. In the year 2010, we have setup vision 2020 to ensure our thoughts are converted to actions by the said year.
Goal:
The purpose of this Organization is to promote the interaction among students, scientific professionals and industrialists through budding fields like Systems biology and Computational Biology
Vision:
• To create and disseminate consciousness of research in the field of Bioinformatics and systems biology through webinars
• Identify practicable knowledge drivers through a comprehensive look for computational biologists
• Impart a complete understanding of the principal bioinformatics algorithms and tools through interactive summaries, polls, discussions
• To provide an online project platform for mentoring graduate students, while bridging the interaction of students in the field of computational biology
• To cater the need of assimilating existing open source code and developing novel tools and webservers for research community
• To encourage women scientists take up bioinformatics
• To bridge the gap between academic and industry in terms of Bioinformatics and Bio IT
• (Immediate) Making 2020 Bioinformatics by the year 2020
• Reaching the unreached young scientists and researchers, encouraging them to lessen the scale of experimentation
• Making active Academicians and Entrepreneurs
Objectives:
The organization works on four avenues, viz. Mentoring, Outreach, Research and Entrepreneurship (MORE). We organize conferences, tutorials, trade and industrial shows, educative seminars, colloquiums, workshops so that the student-researchers are ignited in the upcoming facets of computational biology More at www.bioclues.org
Research focus area:
• Annotate and curate next generation sequencing (NGS) Datasets
• Genome Diversity and Coverage Distribution
• Pathway Analysis and Protein Interactions
• Functional Mapping with Gene Ontology
• Pipeline Development/Cloud interfaces
Last Updated 2024-09-20 10:33:26
Contact
Maria José Rementería
bioinfo4women@bsc.es
Geographical Area Included
Spain
Leadership Structure
The leadership structure of the B4W Programme consists of an Advisory Board and an Executive Committee.
Advisory Board
Guides the programme towards successful accomplishment of its objectives, based on inputs from the Executive Committee. Decisions are taken by consensus and meetings are called by the Executive Committee. It consists of a chair (the director of the BSC Life Sciences Department), a PI from the BSC, a postdoctoral representative from the BSC and two people external to the BSC. Members of the Executive Committee and (optionally) Members of the programme attend Advisory Board meetings. The Advisory Board will meet twice a year. Responsibilities:
Design and provide advice on the organisational structure of the Programme, its functioning and the election of its members;
Design and provide advice on the general strategy and activities of the B4W Programme;
Review reports produced by the Executive Committee;
Approve membership applications;
Provide advice on funding options for programme activities.
The chair is the appointed Director of the Life Sciences Department at the BSC. The PI and the postdoc representatives from the BSC community are approved by the Advisory Board every two years. The Advisory Board includes two external members, maintaining a simple majority of BSC employees. Membership is not restricted to gender.
Executive Committee
Manages the day-to-day of the programme, implements actions approved by the Advisory Board and provides them with inputs for strategic decisions
Responsibilities:
Provide strategic advice and ideas to the Advisory Board;
Implement the actions approved by the Advisory Board;
Carry out the activities necessary to achieve the objectives of the B4W Programme;
Propose the annual activity programme to the Advisory Board;
Manage the day-to-day financial aspects of the B4W programme;
Carry out periodic evaluation of the B4W programme;
Call and attend the Advisory Board meetings, with one representative having voting rights.
Executive Committee members:
María José Rementeria, Coordinator
Claudia Rosas, Co-coordinator
Davide Cirillo, Research line co-lead
Átia Cortés, Research line co-lead
Eva Alloza, Communications officer
Alba Jené, Secretary, Mentoring programme lead
Simona Giardina, Sustainability
María Morales, Researcher
María Flores, Researcher
María Chavero, Researcher
Election Process
The leadership positions are fixed and linked to specific positions at the BSC, as described above (Leadership structure section)
Election Frequency
The chair of the Advisory Board is the Director of the Life Sciences Department at the BSC
Member Benefits
Members. Researchers in bioinformatics and computational biology who are committed to the objectives of the B4W Programme. Members participate in B4W seminars, conferences, and other activities, and help the programme to design strategies to improve the position of women in science.
Benefits:
Enjoy a 15% registration discount to activities organised by the programme.
Be featured in the B4W website directory.
Engage with other members and grow their professional network.
Disseminate activities and open positions within the network of the programme.
Receive information about online seminars organised by the B4W at the BSC, international and national conference and symposia relevant to the bioinformatics field, relevant publications on gender issues and science, open positions at the members’ labs/institutions, and fellowships and activities organised by the programme and other Members of the programme.
Participate in the definition of the programme activities (as members of conference Scientific Committee, etc.).
Duties:
Provide inputs when requested to develop the programme activities via member-only consultations and co-organised activities.
Represent the programme by disseminating its activities, seminars, etc. among colleagues and through available communication channels.
Fellows. A special category of Members are B4W Fellows, researchers in their transition from senior postdoctoral to independent research leadership positions who receive direct financial support from the programme.
Benefits:
Enjoy all benefits of programme Members.
Receive financial support to maintain ongoing collaborations with the BSC and cover travel costs associated with them.
Duties:
Deliver scientific open B4W seminars at the BSC at least on a yearly basis.
Provide inputs when requested to develop the programme activities via member-only consultations and co-organised activities.
Represent the programme by disseminating its activities, seminars, etc. among colleagues and through available communication channels.
Goals
The B4W Programme’s vision is to promote gender equality for better science in the area of computational biology by boosting women representation in scientific and technological leadership, and ultimately building a more collaborative, supportive, and equal scientific community that benefits society as a whole. Its mission is to highlight the work from women computational biologists by providing role models, training and support to women researchers in all career stages to develop their scientific career, with a special focus on their transition from postdoctoral to junior independent positions.
The B4W aims to promote the exchange of knowledge and experience of outstanding women researchers in science and technology through training and mentoring. Through the programme, the BSC seeks to give greater visibility to the contribution of women in different fields of science, with a particular focus on the areas of personalised medicine, bioinformatics and HPC.
In addition, the B4W Programme funds outstanding women researchers in the field of bioinformatics with the B4W Fellowship for month-long visits at BSC. During their stay, these researchers give seminars within the framework of the Severo Ochoa programme and carry out training activities, which are as widely disseminated as possible within and outside the BSC. The Programme aims to establish an international network of women bioinformaticians/computational biologists and of institutions in this field and involve them in its activities, sharing knowledge and thereby multiplying its impact.
This Programme contributes to fulfilling the BSC objective of promoting employee development through the exchange of knowledge, while also relating to the centre’s gender equality plan.
B4W has funded already three B4W/W4B Fellows (Vera Pancaldi, Anaïs Baudot and Milana Frenkel-Morgenstern) to support them in their transition from senior postdocs to independent PIs, facilitating collaborations with established research groups.
Since 2018, B4W has organized 22 open seminars, visits to the centre and discussions with researchers in the BSC Life Sciences Department. During their visits, invited women researchers have networked with BSC researchers at different career stages and have discussed the difficulties women face during their scientific careers.
In 2019, the B4W Programme organised its first international conference: Advances in Computational Biology - Fostering Collaboration among Women Scientists (AdvCompBio 2019) in La Pedrera, Barcelona (Spain). The Conference was organised by a women-only committee and featured only women as speakers and poster presenters, with the aim to make the work of women researchers in the fields of bioinformatics and HPC more visible. The event was however open to everyone and also attracted a considerable share of men in the audience. All participants had the opportunity to interact personally with women leaders in the fields of IT, academic research and politics that supported the conference (Carmen Vela Olmo, Ángeles Delgado, Gemma Fargas Ribas, Guayente Sanmartin, Sonia Ruiz, Cristina Espinosa, Janet Kelso).
In 2020 the B4W will sponsor one of the keynote speakers at the ECCB2020 and also organise a tutorial aimed at early career scientists.
The Programme is organising as well a Life Sciences Department open-doors day every year on February 11th to celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science (Bioinfo Women’s Day). Master and undergraduate students (both men and women) are invited to attend a general presentation of the BSC and the Programme and to get to know the work done by some of the women researchers (from master students to PIs) at the Life Sciences Department in small groups with short informal meetings. Visits end with a guided tour to the supercomputer MareNostrum4.Some of the participants in this activity have later joined the Department as master students or technicians (8 women researchers).
<a href="/images/stories/affiliates/B4W2022AnnualReportFinal.pdf">Click Here</a> to see the B4W 2022 Annual Report.
Activities
AdvCompBio 2019 – Advances in Computational Biology. Fostering collaboration among women scientists. 200 participants
Bioinfo Women’s Day. February 11th 2021. 20 participants
ECCB2020. 1 Keynote Talk, Powerful Presentations Tutorial, guided brainstorming session to define the B4W programme long-term vision and activities.
Meeting with Women Leaders at the BSC. 6 Women leaders and 30 researchers from BSC.
(2023) Training Project titled “How to Integrate the Sex and Gender Dimension in Life Sciences Research” (10/1/2023 - 30/07/2023, involving BSC, BBMRI, INB/ELIXIR-ES and EATRIS), supported by the EU HORIZON project EOSC-Life, this project involved conducting a comprehensive course to train future trainers to broaden their technical knowledge and skills concerning sex and gender dimensions in life sciences research, and the slides were made available openly. As part of the course, a handbook has been created as a deliverable. A success story was published on the EOSC-Life website. The Train-the-Trainer session, held on June 28-29th with a participation of 10 individuals from different biomedical research institutions.
(2023) International Mentoring Programme for Young Scientists: Pilot program designed to nurture the next generation of women scientists, fostering growth and innovation. (8 mentees and 8 mentors).
(2023) Sip & Science Initiative: This networking initiative provides an excellent opportunity for junior researchers to share their work, practice public speaking, establish new connections and identify possible collaborations. Frequency 1 per month attendees 30-34 people.
(2024) Project proposal BAIHA (MSCA SE): The goal of this project is to address the detection of sex and gender bias in AI tools and healthcare applications.
(2024) ELIXIR leadership and diversity programme (collaboration with ELIXIR-DE): An ELIXIR-wide effort led by ELIXIR-ES and ELIXIR-DE which stems from the B4W experience and seeks to promote a cultural change in the leadership of computational biology in Europe.
[See full report sent separately with the list of activities and achievements in 2024]
Activities and Programs That Demonstrate the Advancement of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
In 2025 and following years we plan on organising the Bionfo Women’s Day on February 11th under the framework of the activities organised to celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
In 2025 and following years we organise "The Women’s Health Awareness Week (WHAW)" in honour of the International Day of Action for Women's Health 28th May. Activities: Informative pills, Round table and Seminars
Last Updated 2025-01-31 08:55:30
https://www.bioinformatics.it/
Contact
Matteo Pallocca (matteo.pallocca@cnr.it)
Bioinformatics Italian Society secretary
c/o Segreteria
Fondazione Adriano Buzzati-Traverso
Viale del Policlinico 131
00161 ROMA
E-mail: segretario@bioinformatics.it
Geographical Area Included
Italy, but open to Italian researchers abroad
Leadership Structure
• President - Raffaele A CALOGERO
• Treasurer - Alessandro Cestaro
• Secretary - Matteo Pallocca
Board Members
• Marco Cannataro
• Pasqualina D'Ursi
Election Process
Direct election in General Assembly of all empty positions.
Votes are secret. Only Ordinary Members are allowed to cast their votes. Only one vote per member is allowed for the Election of the President, while members may cast two votes for the election of Councillors.
Second ballot for ex aequo results.
Full rules here, in Italian: https://bioinformatics.it/about-bits/rules
Election Frequency
All mandates are for two years. In case of resignment within the first year, the position is reassigned for two years at the first General Assembly by election.
Member Benefits
All benefits are only available after memberships renew.
Discount on the registration fee for the Annual Meeting.
Discount on the registration fee for meetings and courses sponsored by the Society.
Voting rights in elections and in all pools.
Eligibility as President and Councillor.
Eligibility to awards and grants assigned by the Society, e.g. travel grants.
Proposal of and participation in Society's activities, including special interest groups and sponsorships of events organized by members.
From 2026, we will include an additional discount for ISCB members to join the conference / society.
Goals
About:
The Italian Society of Bioinformatics BITS was formed in 2003 as an evolution of BioComp, a group coordinating research and education activities in bioinformatics in Italy since 1999. In 2015, BITS has ca. 300 members. The society organizes an Annual Meeting, supports young researchers presenting at International conferences by awarding Travel Grants, offers its patronage for scientific events of the international level organized by its members, and provides news on various matters, including education and job, through its website.
Goals. The main objective of the BITS association regards the study and diffusion of Bioinformatics in the academic environment in the research approach and also in the application and technological environments. Among the aims of BITS, there is the promotion and support of Bioinformatics teaching in the University and in any other appropriate location, that is the main activity conducted by Training and Teaching BITS Group. The aims of the Association are mainly disclosed through the web page www.bioinformatics.it, and during the Conferences organized annually by the Association.
Vision:
The BITS is a non-profit scientific association, it was founded on June, 19th 2003 to bring together researchers interested in Bioinformatics. Bioinformatics is a multidisciplinary science that addresses the study of biological problems at the molecular and cellular levels using computational algorithms and models.
Activities
Since 2003, the BITS Society organized the Annual Meeting of the Bioinformatics Italian Society. During the meeting, four/five of the international keynote speakers turn the conference into a memorable experience for all of its participants. Moreover, several satellite events are proposed usually they will be held before or after the main event. The annual meeting is a well-balanced mix of different oral communications and posters from different areas of bioinformatics, with plenty of opportunities to learn about discussion scientific progress.
The yearly bioinformatics conference was held in June 2024 in Trento, featuring a special session on High Resolution RNA Computational Biology session, a workshop titled Cosmic codes: Bridging Space Explorations and Bioinformatics, and a Young BITS-RSG-InfoLife Symposium. There were more than 200 in-person participants and a lively scientific program: https://bioinformatics.it/bits2024
Furthermore, in winter 2024 a special event was held in collaboration with the Italian Biochemist society, entitled https://www.blendingbb.it/ymw2024.
The event was a sucess with more than 300 participants, 80 contributions and 3 keynote lectures.
Activities and Programs That Demonstrate the Advancement of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
The 2026 annual meeting of BITS will take place from 27 to 29th of June in Padua, in the University of Padua, the website is already online and the submissions are open: https://bioinformatics.it/bits2026.
Furthermore this year another large event of the "Young Minds at work series" is planned in association with the Italian Society of Human Genetics. All last editions were a huge success in terms of feedback and participation. Further details: https://www.blendingbb.it/ymw2026/
Finally, this year BITS in fellowship with EMBO will organize a Pangenomics analysis course, and another course on Metagenomics in association with Fondazione Edmund Mach (Trento) and University of Bari.
The BITS from 2024 features fixed tracks on research infrastructures, inviting participants and contributors from BBMRI-ERIC and ELIXIR.
Travel fellowships are granted each year to at least 10 young applicants from the whole country.
Last Updated 2026-03-11 09:36:39
Contact
Michelle Brazas - director@bioinformatics.ca
Geographical Area Included
Canada
Leadership Structure
Scientific Director – Dr. Michelle Brazas (OICR)
Canadian Bioinformatics Hub (CBH) Committees consisting of:
Platform Manager - Larisa Morales Soto (OICR)
Platform Training Manager – Nia Hughes (OICR)
Platform Community Manager - Sydney Morgan (SFU)
Education Committee, chaired by Guillaume Bourque (McGill)
Community Outreach Committee, chaired by William Hsiao (SFU)
Partnerships Committee, chaired by Shraddha Pai (OICR)
IDEA Committee, chaired by Julie Hussin (U. de Montreal)
Canadian Bioinformatics Workshops (CBW) Education Advisory Board consisting of:
● Stephanie Butland, Biologist-Bioinformatician, rOpenSci
● Michelle Brazas, Director, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research
● Patricia Palagi, Biologist and Computer Scientist, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics
● Veronique Voisin, Scientific Affiliate, Princess Margaret Cancer Center
● Benjamin Haibe-Kains, Senior Scientist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre; Professor, Medical Biophysics Department, University of Toronto
● Eric Merzetti, Manager, Genome Alberta
● Robert Beiko, Associate Professor in Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University
Election Process
Bioinformatics.ca is a volunteer organization led by a volunteer Scientific Director and a series of volunteer committee members. These members are selected by the Scientific Director under the advice of existing members to ensure there is a balanced skillset to run the Hub.
Managers and Regional Coordinators of CBH are hired by local institutions. Membership in CBH informally consists of the trainees who have participated in the training programs offered by Bioinformatics.ca under the Canadian Bioinformatics Workshops (CBW), as well as the participants of the community networks (Bioinformatics User Groups, BUGs) operated by Bioinformatics.ca across the country (VanBUG, TorBUG, MonBUG).
Election Frequency
Being a volunteer role, the Scientific Director role has very little turnover. Francis Ouellette held the position for over 20 years, retiring at the end of 2021; Michelle Brazas took over at this juncture. Committee members turn over approximately every 3-5 years.
Member Benefits
The main benefits of participating in the Bioinformatics.ca and its programs include belonging to a local and national community, networking opportunities through the BUGs and CBW workshops, participation in our national conference, training opportunities through CBW and resources, and access to a jobs board for career opportunities (all of the jobs posted on the Jobs Board must be eligible for Canadian applicants).
The Hub additionally offers financial support for attendance at training events through the Training Awards program. Graduate students, postdocs, and clinical fellows associated with Canadian institutions are eligible. The Hub also offers financial support for community partners to run events and activities that promote engagement and participation in bioinformatics activities across the country.
Goals
Vision – Accelerate the growth of a dynamic health and life sciences sector in Canada by building Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, and Data Science capacity.
Mission – A global leader in transformative skill development ecosystems in bioinformatics, championing inclusive training, nurturing supportive professional networks, and advocating for essential resources to uplift communities across Canada.
Objectives:
- Provide bioinformatics and computational biology short-format training and resources
- Support community networking through local meetups and conferences in bioinformatics and computational biology
- Promote career growth in trainees through mentorship and training awards
- Establish a strong network of bioinformatics and computational biology experts
- Support bioinformatics and computational biology career opportunities for Canadians
- Represent the interests of bioinformatics and computational biology research in Canada
History –
Bioinformatics.ca and the Canadian Bioinformatics Workshops (CBW) were established in 1999 by Francis Ouellette, Christopher Hogue, François Major, Christoph Sensen and David Wishart to address the need for a skilled computational science workforce in Canada. Since then, Bioinformatics.ca has become an integral component of the national bioinformatics and computational biology community, with CBW being recognized as an international leader in bioinformatics skills dissemination. Under a mission to accelerate the use of bioinformatics as a tool in health and life sciences through education, networking and outreach, CBW has trained 6000+ scientists (1999-2025) in basic and advanced bioinformatics topics over 200+ workshops.
In 2024 we were awarded a Health Research Training Platform (HRTP) Grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and Genome Canada, to scale our operations across the country. Bioinformatics.ca and its programs are an active member in the Global Organization of Bioinformatics Learning, Education and Training (GOBLET, mygoblet.org), a network of organizations dedicated to bioinformatics training, as well as the Computational Biology Education (CoBE) COSI at ISCB.
Activities
2025 saw the growth of the Bioinformatics.ca brand into the Canadian Bioinformatics Hub. CBH hired and trained seven Regional Coordinators, allowing a pan-Canadian scaling of existing activities and development of new initiatives.
In addition, Hub members led by David Wishart created the Indigenous Trainee Circle for Bioinformatics Training (ITCBT, https://itcbt.ca/), a program providing training opportunities, networking, and research support to Indigenous bioinformatics trainees.
2025 initiatives include:
Training Activities – CBW provides virtual and in-person short format training in a variety of advanced bioinformatics, computational biology, and data science topics. In 2025, we offered fifteen workshops held across Canada and virtually, including a new offering on “Spatial ‘omics using Visium HD. Over the season, we taught 266 participants and received overwhelmingly positive feedback in the post-workshop surveys.
The 2025 CBW workshop curriculum is posted on our main website. Past content, including slide decks, lecture recordings, datasets, and exercises are available open-access on GitHub (bioinformaticsdotca.github.io) and YouTube (@bioinformaticsdotca).
Community Networking Activities – Several Bioinformatics User Groups (BUGs) operate across Canada to bring together trainees, researchers, and other professionals with a shared interest in the field of bioinformatics, computational biology, and data science. BUGs operate in Toronto (TorBUG), Montreal (MonBUG) and Vancouver (VanBUG). BioNet is another user community which operates in Alberta and the Prairies, and more BUGs are under development.
Global Education Activities - Bioinformatics.ca and its program leadership is heavily involved in international bioinformatics education initiatives, including the ISCB Education Committee and COSI as well as GOBLET. Members of the Hub designed and ran a session on accessibility in training at the 2025 Global Bioinformatics Education Summit hybrid in Mexico City, Mexico and virtually. This led to the formation of an ongoing working group developing resources for trainers interested in integrating the principles of inclusivity, diversity, equity, and accessibility in their activities. Members also ran a Workshop on Education in Bioinformatics (WEB) session at ISMB/ECCB 2025 on Bioinformatics Training in Industry.
Expertise Activities – Bioinformatics.ca maintains an active directory of bioinformatics, computational biology and data science experts across the country to facilitate research collaborations, trainee mentorship and community building.
Career Support Activities – We continue to manage an active bioinformatics Jobs Board, featuring a wide variety of bioinformatics, computational biology and data science positions across Canada and globally. All postings must be eligible for Canadian applicants. The Jobs Board at Bioinformatics.ca posted 58 jobs in 2025, reaching 2000+ subscribers via email and many more through its social media feeds. CBH additionally launched a new Training Awards program in early 2025, providing 40 awards twice a year to financially support trainees’ attendance at bioinformatics education events.
Sector Advocacy Activities – CBH continues to champion bioinformatics and computational biology resources and needs in support of research in Canada. Recent efforts included conducting a national survey on the experiences of women in the Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, and Data Science (BCBDS) fields. The goal of the survey was to understand how to better support women currently in the field and create opportunities for the next generation.
Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Activities - CBH is committed to actively promoting IDEA principles throughout our work. We are developing an IDEA Framework to guide all activities of the Hub. This framework is gaining interest from global community members. Through a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and in collaboration with IDEA-STEM, we are also developing a Train-the-Trainer series to instruct educators on best practices for incorporating IDEA into their bioinformatics training; this material will be made open-access on completion of the initial program offering. The 1st training module was delivered in 2025.
Activities and Programs That Demonstrate the Advancement of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
In 2026 and beyond, CBH aims to offer many new opportunities and activities. We are planning to launch a redeveloped bioinformatics.ca website that gives a landing zone for the Hub and integrates CBW. The site will also have significantly expanded functionality by mid-year, which will include:
A new mentorship program designed to match participants to a mentor and mentee group based on interests and IDEA factors
A cross-provider calendar of training events in bioinformatics, computational biology, and health data sciences in Canada
Learning paths of workshops from various providers to help learners develop the skills they need
We will continue our Training Awards program to financially support Canadian students and early-career researchers. New BUGs will continue to be developed in regions across Canada such as Edmonton and Ottawa.
2026 will also see the inaugural Canadian Bioinformatics Hub Conference, held at the MaRS Discovery District in Toronto, Ontario from May 27-29. Three pre-conference workshops will promote skills and career development, and we will give out our first round of Recognition Awards to celebrate Canadian excellence in bioinformatics research and community-building.
For training activities, we will be significantly scaling up the Canadian Bioinformatics Workshops, with new formats, offerings and locations. CBW is additionally implementing new inclusivity measures, including awards for equity-deserving applicants. We completed mapping existing workshops to competencies, and users on the new Hub site will be able to select and track learning paths based on these competencies in order to meet their training needs.
Last Updated 2026-01-28 12:14:34
Contact
Erik Bongcam-Rudloff,
1) Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences,
750 24 Uppsala, Sweden
2) MolecularGeneticsandBioinformaticsatHGEN-SLU
POST:
P O Box 7023 75007 Uppsala Sweden
Visiting address:
Gerda Nilssons väg 2 756 51 Uppsala, Sweden
E-mail: Erik.Bongcam(at)hgen(dot)slu(dot)se Telephone: +46- (0)18-67 21 21
Fax: +46- (0) 18-67 28 48
Mobile: +46-(0)72-5355587
Geographical Area Included
Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and the Americas
Leadership Structure
EMBnet is legal foundation (a Stichting), registered in The Netherlands and sustained through membership (open both to organisations and to individuals). It is managed by a 4-member Executive Board, assisted by the outgoing Chair and Treasurer. One voting representative from each member organisation sits on the full EMBnet Board.
Interim Executive Board members
• Prof. Erik Bongcam-Rudloff (SE) - Chairman, since 2015
• Dr. Domenica D'Elia (IT) - Secretary, since 2015
• Dr. Emiliano Barreto (CO) - Treasurer, since 2015
• Dr. Lubos Klucar (SK) - Member, since 2015
• Prof. Teresa K Attwood (UK) - Outgoing Chair (Chair, 2009-2015)
• Dr. Etienne de Villiers (KE) - Outgoing Treasurer (Treasurer, 2009-2015)
Election Process
The main decision-making body of EMBnet is the Annual General Meeting (AGM), where each member has an equal vote. Candidates for the leadership roles are nominated in advance of each AGM, and votes are cast by the full Board of EMBnet. The voting process is overseen by a temporary voting committee, established at the start of each AGM and comprising non-voting members of the Board.
Election Frequency
Executive Officers are elected for a period of 3 years; they may be re-elected for a further period of 3 years, but must afterwards step down for 1 year.
Member Benefits
Organisational member (Node) benefits
1. Extensive networking opportunities through email lists and meetings
2. Right to vote in EMBnet elections
3. Right to run for an executive position, with rights to vote on matters of EMBnet business and policy
4. Subsidised attendance at EMBnet AGM if elected to an executive position
5. Waived annual fee for members who organise AGMs
6. Three free peer‐reviewed publication(s) in EMBnet.journal per annum
7. Opportunities to attend co-sponsored workshops, training schools and tutorials at discounted rates
8. Opportunities to galvanise new research activities and to seek joint funding
9. Possibility to become an EMBnet-sponsored teacher/trainer
10. Free publicity for Node activities via the EMBnet website, EMBnet.digest and EMBnet.journal
11. Opportunities to seek sponsorship for the organisation of events such as conferences, workshops, courses, tutorials
Individual member benefits
1. Extensive networking opportunities through email lists and meetings
2. Right to vote in EMBnet elections
3. Discounted peer-reviewed publication in EMBnet.journal
4. Opportunities to attend co-sponsored workshops, training schools and tutorials at discounted rates
5. Student bursaries to attend co-sponsored events and conferences
6. Opportunities to galvanise new research activities & seek joint funding 7. Free publicity via the EMBnet website and EMBnet.journal
Goals
Activities focus around three main themes:
• Education and Training
• Technical Management
• Publicity and Public Relations
Goals:
The main goal of EMBnet is to support the life science community through its global network of bioinformaticians, offering knowledge and expertise ranging from computational biology research, through bioinformatics services to education and training.
Brief history:
EMBnet was founded in 1988 to address the problem of distributing the EMBL Data Library and its associated computational tools. The solution was to create an infrastructure consisting of distributed European Nodes, each serving its own local research community.
Many countries from Asia, Africa and America have since joined EMBnet, effectively expanding its boundaries beyond European frontiers. Over the years, the membership model has also evolved, such that today, any organisation with interests in bioinformatics research, services and education may join (i.e., a national mandate is no longer required), and individuals may join too.
EMBnet maintains fruitful cooperations with the Iberoamerican Society for Bioinformatics (SoIBio), the Asia Pacific Bioinformatics Network (APBioNet), the African Society for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (ASBCB) and the International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB).
Activities
EMBnet organises yearly workshops and/or conferences in conjunction with its Annual General Meeting (AGM). In addition, regular Virtual General Meetings (VGM) are held, to encourage wider participation in EMBnet’s work.
In September 2008, to celebrate its 20th anniversary, EMBnet organised an international conference on bioinformatics and computational biology (www.embnet.org/EMBnet20thAnniversary) alongside its AGM. This meeting attracted 128 participants from Africa, America, Asia, Australia and Europe, and the proceedings were published in a BMC Bioinformatics Conference supplement (www.biomedcentral.com/bmcbioinformatics/10?issue=S6).
In 2009, EMBnet organised an International Conference on Bioinformatics for High Throughput Technologies at the Interface of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, in cooperation with SoIBio (formerly RIBio) in Cancun. This was the first time EMBnet's AGM took place outside Europe, bringing together bioinformaticians from all over the world and representatives of other major bioinformatics societies.
In 2012, EMBnet called together representatives of nine international and national bioinformatics, biocuration, biocomputing and computational biology societies and networks to discuss how to harmonise bioinformatics education and training worldwide. The outcome of this pivotal meeting in Uppsala, was an agreement to establish a Global Organisation for Bioinformatics Learning, Education and Training – GOBLET (www.mygoblet.org). GOBLET has grown from strength to strength, and had its first joint meeting with ISCB during ISMB 2013 in Berlin (www.mygoblet.org/about-us/goblet-events/iscbgoblet-meeting), its first exhibitor booth at ISMB 2015 in Dublin.
ISCB is a key member of GOBLET, and together these organisations cooperate through the Community of Special Interest (CoSI) in Computational Biology Education (CoBE) (http://cosi.iscb.org/wiki/CoBE:Home).
During its 2015 AGM in Oeiras, Portugal, EMBnet agreed to strengthen its relationship with GOBLET by making a substantial ‘life-time’ donation.
Last Updated 2024-12-13 10:21:14
https://www.bioinformatik.de/de/fachgruppe-3
Contact
Prof. Dr. Caroline Friedel
Lehr- und Forschungseinheit für Bioinformatik
Institut für Informatik
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Amalienstrasse 17, 4. Stock, Büro 402
80333 Munich/Germany
Caroline.Friedel@bio.ifi.lmu.de
Geographical Area Included
Europe, Germany
Leadership Structure
Prof. Dr. Caroline Friedel (LMU Munich), Speaker of the board
Prof. Dr. Sven Rahmann (U Saarbruecken ) and
Prof. Dr. Prof. Dr. Dominik Heider (Philipps Universität Marburg, both Vice speakers of the board
+ 6 board members, see www.bioinformatik.de
Election Process
Election by members during annual general assembly at German Conference on Bioinformatics
Election Frequency
board members are elected for 3 years
Member Benefits
receive current information on activities streamed to bioinformaticians in 6 scientific associations which support FaBI, eligible for reduced GCB admission fees (-15EUR), can submit input for drafts of position papers
Goals
Vision:
Bioinformatics and computational biology will evolve towards a key technology in life science research. FaBI will actively accompany this process fostering bioinformatics research in all areas of life science and medical research.
Mission:
• Establishing a strong network among bioinformaticians, computer and life science researchers interested in computational biology
• Representing the interests of bioinformatics research in Germany
Objectives:
• Support scientific networking by conferences and meetings related to bioinformatics
• Providing current information on bioinformatics in Germany for bioinformaticians as well as the society in general (www.bioinformatik.de)
• Establishing a strong network among bioinformaticians, computer and life science researchers interested in computational biology
• Representing the interests of bioinformatics research in Germany
Research focus:
Research, development and application of computer-based methods used to answer biomolecular and biomedical research questions with a focus on models and algorithms for data on the molecular and cell-biological level, for example on:
• genomes and genes
• gene and protein expression and -regulation,
• metabolic and regulatory pathways and networks,
• structures of biomacromolecules, esp. DNA, RNA and proteins,
• molecular interactions between biomacromolecules and between biomacromolecules and other substances like substrates, transmitters, neurotransmitters and inhibitors as well as
• molecular characterization of ecological systems.
History
In September 2014 German academic societies from computer and life sciences founded the Fachgruppe Bioinformatik (FaBI) as their common bioinformatics section. The founding societies are GI - German Informatics Society, DECHEMA - Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, GBM - Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and GDCh - German Chemical Society. The GMDS - German Society for Medical Informatics, Biometry, and Epidemiology joined in 2015. VAAM Vereinigung für Allgemeine und Angewandte Mikrobiologie joined in 2019.
FaBI as a non-profit organisation is open to all members of the founding societies without any fees.
Activities
The board (plus local organizer) serves as organizing committee of the annual German Conference on Bioinformatics GCB, a conference series which started in 1986.
GCB 2023 (12-14 Sep 2024) attracted a large audience of 267 bioinfomaticians to Hamburg, GCB 2024 (www.gcb2024.de) will take place in Bielefeld from 30 Sep-2 Oct 2024.
The FaBI dissertation prize (EUR 1000) is awarded annually on occasion of GCB. Awardee in 2023 was Rudolf Schill (Universität Regensburg/ ETH Zürich) for 'Mutual Hazard Networks: Markov Chain Models of Cancer Progression'
The FaBI homepage www.bioinformatik.de is the gateway to bioinformatics in Germany. It provides an overview of bioinformatics research, bioinformatics education, current events, and job offers for bioinformaticians.
Activities and Programs That Demonstrate the Advancement of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
Annual German Conference on Bioinformatics GCB
Annual FaBI dissertation prize
Tutorial workshops prior to GCB
Last Updated 2024-12-13 10:11:29
Contact
Daisuke Kihara; dkihara@purdue.edu
Lonnie Welch; welch@ohio.edu
Russell Schwartz; russells@andrew.cmu.edu
Geographical Area Included
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Quebec, and Wisconsin
Leadership Structure
Conference Steering Committee:
Bruce Aronow, Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati
Gary Bader, University of Toronto
Robert Blumenthal, University of Toledo
Sarath Chandra Janga, Indiana University Purdue University
Sorin Draghici, Wayne State University
Bruno Gaeta, University of New South Wales (Ex Officio)
Anthony Gitter, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Daisuke Kihara, Purdue University
Dan Knights, University of Minnesota
Jundong Liu, Ohio University
Tijana Milenkovic, University of Notre Dame
Chad Myers, University of Minnesota
John Parkinson, Hospital for Sick Children
Catherine Putonti, Loyola University
Predrag Radivojac, Northeastern University
Sushmita Roy, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Russell Schwartz, Carnegie Mellon University (Co-chair)
Lonnie Welch, Ohio University (Co-chair)
2024 GLBIO Program Chairs:
Maria Chikina, University of Pittsburgh
Dannie Durand, Carnegie Mellon University
Shaun Mahony, Pennsylvania State University
Publication Chairs:
Shaun Mahony, Pennsylvania State University
Poster Chairs:
Guenter Tusch, Grand Valley State University
Helen Piontkivska, Kent State University
Travel Fellowship Chairs:
Dan DeBlasio, Carnegie Mellon University
Getiria Onsongo, Macalester College
Election Process
Chairs of the GLBIO Conference are subsequently invited to participate in the Steering Committee. Additionally, the Chairs of the ISCB Conferences Committee and the ISCB Affiliates Committee serve as Ex-Officio members.
Election Frequency
The GLBIO Chairs change each time the conference is held. Upon completion of the GLBIO Chair duties, individuals are invited to serve on the Steering Committee. Steering committee members are periodically asked if they wish to continue their service.
Member Benefits
Members may partake in the collaborative opportunities at the Great Lakes Bioinformatics Conference, and may lead, and/or participate in, GLBC committees and activities.
Goals
The Great Lakes Bioinformatics Consortium strives to enhance educational opportunities and research infrastructure throughout the region, to make the Great Lakes a world leader in bioinformatics and to facilitate new discoveries in data-intensive biological research. The Consortium has chosen to center its activities on the Great Lakes Regional Bioinformatics Conference (GLBio), and to accomplish its goals as an affiliate society through that meeting. This includes providing a venue for regional scientists and other interested attendees to meet and share research results, providing a platform for discussion of topics of shared interest through conference activities and special sessions, and providing opportunities for students to present their work at a local scientific meeting and to interact with other scientists and potential future employers.
Brief history: Over the past decade, there have been 3 independent initiatives that have culminated in this proposal to form the Great Lakes Bioinformatics Consortium. Starting in 2002, there was a Michigan-based "Great Lakes Bioinformatics Retreat" that was sponsored and hosted by the Michigan Center for Biological Information (MCBI) a Michigan Life Science Corridor-funded initiative led by Dr. Brian Athey. This program held yearly retreats, from 2002-2006, with keynote speakers, and student oral presentations; the locations were primarily in Michigan. There was a board of directors for a proposed Great Lakes Bioinformatics Consortium that first convened in August 2004 and consisted of representatives from most of the great lakes bioinformatics programs which are outlined in this proposal. The Consortium did not reach critical mass, and may have been too Michigan-centric; however, there remains a strong interest in regional networking and collaboration, and professional engagement.
A second initiative is the Midwest Symposium on Computational Biology and Bioinformatics. MSCBB is an ongoing conference series, which held 1-day meetings in Illinois in 2007 and 2008, attracting over 300 attendees. The meetings included keynote speakers, invited talks, and student poster presentations. Merit-based student poster awards were given during the meetings. Registration fees were waived, to encourage the participation of students. Future meetings are planned. The MSCBB Chair is Prof. Ping Ma of University of Illinois, and the conference committee consists of faculty from universities in Indiana, Illinois and Michigan.
A third initiative was created in Ohio. Ohio researchers, educators, and industry leaders collaboratively organized the annual Ohio Collaborative Conferences on Bioinformatics (OCCBio), with its inaugural meeting in June 2006. In August 2007, the OCCBio conference leadership formally united to form the Ohio Bioinformatics Consortium; OBC leveraged the existing statewide research community to enhance Ohio’s role in bioinformatics education and research. In May 2008 the consortium was awarded $9M from the University System of Ohio and 12 academic institutions. The funds provide scholarships for five years to hundreds of graduate and undergraduate students who study bioinformatics in universities across the state of Ohio.
Activities
The GLBIO 2025 conference was successfully held with a total of 226 registered participants representing 16 countries, including the United States, Canada, India, Germany, the United Kingdom, and several others. The scientific program featured 5 keynote lectures, 45 oral presentations in general tracks, and 21 oral presentations in special sessions, along with 4 tutorials/workshops. A total of 95 oral abstracts were submitted, of which 42 were accepted, and the poster session included 76 in-person posters selected from 68 submissions plus late-breaking contributions. The conference also contributed to community growth, resulting in 75 new or renewed memberships across student, postdoctoral, and professional categories. Overall, the meeting provided a highly productive forum for presenting new research, fostering collaborations, and strengthening the computational biology community.
Activities and Programs That Demonstrate the Advancement of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
The Consortium's activities are centered on the GLBio conference. Information on the previous GLBio meetings can be found here:
https://www.iscb.org/glbio2019
https://www.iscb.org/glbio2021
https://www.iscb.org/glbio2023
https://www.iscb.org/glbio2024
https://www.iscb.org/glbio2025
Last Updated 2026-03-09 07:38:01
Contact
Christos Ouzounis
BCCB-AIIA
School of Informatics
Aristotle University of Thessalonica
Thessalonica 54124 Greece
voice: +302310998412
email: cao@csd.auth.gr
Geographical Area Included
Greece and Cyprus
Leadership Structure
2023-2026
Chair: Christos Ouzounis
Deputy Chair: Anastasia Chasapi
Secretary: Anastasios Oulas
Treasurer: Ilias Kappas
Member: Vasilis Promponas
Deputy Member: Ioannis Iliopoulos
Deputy Member: Ioannis Vizirianakis
Election Process
Elected by General Assembly (dues paying members)
ISCB: will re-issue group membership for at least 10 Professional ISCB members
Election Frequency
Three calendar years, typically at Annual Society Conferences
for full history: http://hbio.info/members-who/board-of-directors/
Member Benefits
Reduced fees at Annual Conference and other events.
Membership in mailing lists.
Other activities.
http://hbio.info/aims-what/
Goals
Goals
‣Promotes computational biology & related disciplines.
‣Supports the research potential and infrastructure related to computational biology.
‣Represents Greece & Cyprus in international scientific organizations, conferences, committees & training activities related
to computational biology.
‣Undertakes projects in the field of computational biology in collaboration with other partner organizations.
‣Organizes national & international conferences, seminars, lectures & talks subjects related to computational biology.
‣Collaborates with counterparts in other countries, for enhancing research & training in computational biology.
‣Communicates results to decision makers & the public regarding the field, its applications and potential.
‣Explores funding opportunities for research programs in computational biology.
‣Issues annals, scientific journals, conference proceedings or other printed material, where scientific activities of its members can be published.
Series of conferences:
http://hbio.info/conferences-when/
(brief history)
Activities
http://hbio.info/conferences-when/
note the cancellation of the series due to the pandemic (2020)
upcoming: hbio2025.hbio.info
most recent: http://hbio.info/conferences-when/hbioinfo-15-online-meeting/
see also: http://hbio.info/activities-how/
and
importantly:
https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007532
Activities and Programs That Demonstrate the Advancement of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
http://hbio2025.hbio.info/
expecting 500 participants
currently under consideration for 'ISCB conference'
Last Updated 2026-03-18 11:22:13
Contact
Dr. Christoforos Nikolaou,
Researcher B', BSRC "Alexander Fleming"
tel: +30 210 9656319 (ext 133)
email: cnikolaou@fleming.gr
Mailing address:
Computational Genomics Group
BSRC "Alexander Fleming"
16672, Athens
Greece
Geographical Area Included
Greece and Cyprus
Leadership Structure
Board of Directors: Pantelis G. Bagos (Director), Antonis Giannakakis (Deputy Director), Christoforos Nikolaou (Secretary), Artemis Hadjigeorgiou (Treasurer), Giorgos Tsaousis (member)
Election Process
Elected by General Assembly (dues paying members).
Election Frequency
Two calendar years, typically at Annual Society Conferences.
Member Benefits
Reduced fees at Annual Conference and other events, Membership in mailing lists.
Goals
The HSCBB was initially conceived as a trans-national society, representing two countries that share the same language and history, Cyprus and Greece. The first, unofficial meeting was held in Heraklion in 2006, followed by Athens in 2007 and Thessalonica in 2008. After the formal incorporation of the Society in 2008 representing the Greek bioinformatics community and its ‘inaugural’, fourth scientific conference in Athens during 2009, the HSCBB continued to organize the conference series and formulated plans to extend its scope with Cyprus as a society chapter, with the full support of the University of Cyprus and its Bioinformatics Research Laboratory. The HSCBB aspires to provide the necessary exposure of graduate students to new developments, expand its horizons towards the international community, promote the development of the field and formulate a solid agenda for the future, all consistent with its primary goals.
Activities
The HSCBB has successfully organized several conferences on computational biology and bioinformatics for Greece and Cyprus during the recent past, starting in 2006.
The conferences were held at:
2006: Foundation for Research & Technology - Hellas, Heraklion
2007: Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens
2008: Centre for Research & Technology Hellas, Thessalonica
2009: National Hellenic Research Foundation, Athens
2010: Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis
2011: University of Patras / Foundation for Research & Technology - Hellas, Patras
2012: Foundation for Research & Technology - Hellas / Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Heraklion
2013: University of Thessaly, Lamia
2014: Agricultural University of Athens, Athens
2015: Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, Athens
2016: Agricultural University of Athens, Athens
2017: Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens
2018: Stavros Niarchos Cultural Center, Athens (jointly with ECCB 2018)
2019: University of Patras, Greece
2020: No meeting was held due to the Covid-19 pandemic
2021: Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
2022: Ramada Hotel, Alexandroupolis, Greece
2023: Thessaloniki, Holiday Inn, Greece
2024: Lamia, University of Thessaly Campus
The HSCBB has also organized six training workshops attached to the last five conferences, and co-organized and cosponsored the IEEE 12th International Conference on BioInformatics & BioEngineering (BIBE2012) in Cyprus recently.
Typical number of participants: ~100 / year.
Activities and Programs That Demonstrate the Advancement of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
HSCCB held a very successful in-person meeting in Lamia in early November 2024. We had more than 80 participants from all over the world, 5 invited speakers of international acclaim and more than 30 talks in person from the local community.
The annual meeting for October 2025 is scheduled to take place in Athens, hosted by the the Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens.
Last Updated 2026-03-18 11:22:14
Contact
Mark Wass
m.n.wass@kent.ac.uk
Geographical Area Included
UK
Leadership Structure
This is a new group that is forming this year. Initially Janet Thornton and Carole Goble have led on the organisation of the Bioinformatics in the UK track at ISMB2025. Many of the members of the group have also supported organisation of this event.
Mark Wass is leading organisation of the ISCB UK 2026 meeting in Cambridge in April 2026. The organisation committee also includes:
Christine Orengo,
Alex Bateman
Franca Fraternali
Geoff Barton
Farzana Rahman
Meg Hedge
Stela Vilhar
We are organising a short meeting at ISMB2025 to discuss organisation of the affiliate group including Board membership etc.
Election Process
Currently this is a self organised group that has formed over the last few months. At ISMB we will meet to discuss governance structures for the leadership of the group.
Member Benefits
Initially attending local meetings in the UK
Goals
The aim of the ISCB UK affiliate group is to promote and showcase computational biology within the UK. This will primarily relate to the organisation of an annual meeting and other training or workshop events.
Activities
Bioinformatics in the UK track at ISMB2025
ISCB UK Meeting April 21-22 2026. This will be a regional ISCB meeting and it is intended to be an annual meeting.
The track at ISMB2025 has a focus on AI, health and agriTech, which are all areas of strength in the computational biology community in the UK.
The 2026 ISCB UK meeting will start with a half day event for students, which is being led by the reformed ISCB Regional Student Group (RSG). It will be followed by a 1.5 day main meeting. The meeting will have two keynote speakers - Prof Syma Khalid (University of Oxford) and Dr Rob Finn (EBI). The rest of the meeting will consist of oral and poster presentations selected from submitted abstracts across the breadth of computational biology research.
The UK has a diverse and rich computational biology and bioinformatics community but is has been lacking an annual meeting and organised group to promote the research community. ISCB UK will bring the community together and
Activities and Programs That Demonstrate the Advancement of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
Detailed above - First annual meeting in April 2026.
Last Updated 2026-03-18 11:22:14
https://www.iscb-cn.org.cn/index.html
Contact
Xuegong Zhang
zhangxg@tsinghua.edu.cn
Geographical Area Included
China
Leadership Structure
Board of Directors: Hongmin Cai, Ge Gao, Qinghua Jiang, Min Li, Tingting Li, Xiaowo Wang, Xiujie Wang, Xun Xu, Li Yang, Kai Ye, Qiangfeng Zhang, Shihua Zhang, Xuegong Zhang, Yong Zhang, Fangqing Zhao, Xingming Zhao
Chair: Xuegong Zhang
Vice Chairs: Xiujie Wang, Ge Gao, Fangqing Zhao
Acting Director of Office: Xiaowo Wang
Election Process
Founding leadership: selected and voted by a Preparatory Committee composed of professors of the field from major universities and institutions in China.
After the founding, new Chair and Vice Chairs will elected by all members in China, following the ISCB way of election.
Election Frequency
Each term of a leadership position is 3 years. Each individual can take a position for at most 2 continuous terms.
Member Benefits
ISCB-China members are the same as ISCB Members according to the agreement signed for its establishment. ISCB-China will design extra benefits for local members.
Goals
On behalf of the bioinformatics community in China, Xuegong Zhang of Tsinghua University started to discuss with ISCB's leaders in 2023 about the establishment of branches or sub-societies of ISCB in China to expand its influence in China and to make closer connections between computational biologists in China and in the other parts of the world. After months' of discussion and exploration for feasible routes, ISCB and Tsinghua University signed an agreement in May of 2024. The two parties agreed to establish ISCB China Secretariat at Tsinghua University, Department of Automation. In July 2024, Tsinghua University invited a Preparatory Committee led by Xuegong Zhang to design the way of running ISCB China Secretary. The committee decided to build a Council as the organization to run ISCB China Secretariat, named ISCB-China Council or ISCB-China for short. The Board of Directors of ISCB-China was formally found on Sept.7, 2024. And a the Bylaws of ISCB-China was also passed by the Board of Directors on the same day. The opening ceremony of ISCB-China is held on Oct. 26, 2024.
Activities
A summary of activities conducted to support the advancement of bioinformatics and computational biology.
1.The First International Symposium on Computational Biology with AI (iscbAI’25) was held from May 30 to June 2, 2025, at Tsinghua University Southeast Asia Center in Bali, Indonesia. Organized by ISCB-China, the symposium brought together 60 leading experts and industry representatives from mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Australia, Malaysia, the UAE, Indonesia, and beyond. The symposium explored the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence in computational biology, featuring 2 keynotes, 38 technical presentations and 3 panel discussions. Attendees praised the symposium’s high-impact science and vibrant exchanges, marking a pivotal step in reigniting in-person collaboration across the Asia-Pacific. Plans are already underway to expand next year’s event.
2.In the first half of 2025, the working committees of ISCB-China were officially established, including: Academic Conferences and Communication Committee(Chair: Xingming Zhao, FuDan University), Education and Training Committee(Yong Zhang,Tongji University), Organizational Development Committee(Tingting Li, Peking University), Membership Committee(Xiaowo Wang, Tsinghua University), Industry Collaboration Committee(Xun Xu, BGI), Contests and Awards Committee(Kai Ye, Xi'an Jiaotong University)
Ethics, Discipline and Inclusion Committee(Xiujie Wang, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences）
3.ISCB-China Workshop concluded successfully at ISMB/ECCB 2025, drawing over 150 attendees (including researchers, industry leaders, and students) to explore Future Computational Biology in the AI Era. The workshop fostered vibrant cross-border exchanges and strengthened connections between the global computational biology community and Chinese scholars.
4.Four prominent Chinese organizations—Zhejiang Lab, BGI, MGI, and the Future College of South China University of Technology (SCUT)—have participated in exhibition, their exhibition booths featured industry-leading solutions and talent hiring information.
5.The first group of council member candidates (252 in total) was reviewed and approved by the vote of the Board of Directors, ISCB-China Council on September 29, 2025. Being elected as a Member of ISCB-China Council is an important academic honor in the field of computational biology, which fully recognizes the recipients’ professional achievements and academic contributions. This milestone marked the further improvement of the organizational development of ISCB-China, and will inject new vitality into advancing the development of computational biology in China and worldwide.
6.From October 11 to October 27, 2025, ISCB-China successfully completed the election of new Vice-Chairs and BoD Members. Two members have been elected as Vice-Chairs of ISCB-China and Six elected as BoD Members. They will actively contribute their wisdom and efforts to advancing the development of the society and promoting progress in the field of computational biology
7.ISCB-China 2025 Annual Meeting was held successfully in Shekou, Shenzhen on Dec 14, 2025.Over 180 participants attended, including council members, academic experts, and industry representatives from mainland China, Hong Kong (China), and the United States. Attendees engaged in in-depth discussions on cutting-edge advances in computational biology, future trends, and ISCB-China’s development strategy. The meeting featured two keynote speeches, a rapid-presentation session for young council members, meet-the-editors session, and two innovation forums. The innovation forums focused on "The Growth Path of Young Scholars" and "Frontiers Advances and International Collaborations" Attendees engaged in lively and in-depth discussions on topics such as breakthrough directions in basic bioinformatics science, evaluation of multi-omics foundational models, optimization of disciplinary development pathways, and the opportunities and challenges faced in international collaboration.
8.Through 2025, ISCB-China ISCB-China actively collaborated with domestic academic societies, including the Chinese Association of Automation, Shanghai Society for Bioinformatics, and Chinese Association for Artificial Intelligence, supporting the organization of
following conferences: The 4th Chinese Intelligent Health & Bioinformatics Conference (IHB 2025), Bioinformatics and Intelligent Information Processing 2025 (BIIP 2025), The 22nd CJK Bioinformatics Conference.
Updated information for your group’s posting on the ISCB website, including current initiatives, educational activities, conferences, funding or fellowship opportunities, and other relevant updates.
1.The press release of iscbAI’25 is published on ISCB website.
2.ISCB-China Workshop is published at ISMB&ECCB website.
Contributions to ISCB, such as encouraging members to join ISCB, promoting ISCB activities, providing feedback on current initiatives, and suggesting new programs that align with our shared mission.
1.By the end of 2025, we had successfully attracted 241 new registrations, including 230 professional members — many of whom are leading academic experts in China with a strong passion for computational biology research and global exchange and collaboration.
2.Promoting ISMB&ECCB, GIW ASIA, RECOMB, PSB on ISCB-China Website for maximum outreach and attaction.
3.Propose collaborations for iscbAI’26.
Activities and Programs That Demonstrate the Advancement of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
ISCB-China will plan a series of activities that focusing on connecting the bioinformatics community with the global community, and also to connect the academic community with the industry that generate data, provide facilities and apply computational biology for medical, agriculture and other fields. The planning conferences are including (not limited to): ISCB-China workshop in virtual cells, iscbAI'26, ISCB-China Annual Meeting
Last Updated 2026-01-31 17:25:58
Contact
Yoshihiro Yamanishi
Nagoya University
Department of Complex Systems Science, Graduate School of Informatics
Chikusa
Nagoya 464-8601
Japan
Phone: +81527895638
yoshihiro.yamanishi@gmail.com
Alternative Email:
yamanishi@i.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Geographical Area Included
Japan
Leadership Structure
President:
Michiaki Hamada
(Term April 2025- March 2027)
Vice President:
Takeshi Obayashi
(Term April 2025- March 2027)
Board of Directors:
Masahito Ohue (School of Computing, Science Tokyo)
Shinya Oki (Center for Resource Science and Engineering, Kumamoto University)
Kota Kasahara (Shionogi & Co., Ltd.)
Risa K Kawaguchi (Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo / Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University)
Susumu Goto (Research Organization of Information and Systems)
Reiji Teramoto (Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.)
Yukako Tosato (College of Information Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University)
Yuko Makita (Faculty of Engineering, Maebashi Institute of Technology)
Hirotaka Matsumoto (School of Information and Data Sciences, Nagasaki University)
Sayaka Mizutani (School of Life Science and Technology, Science)
(Term 2025/04/01 - 2026/03/31)
Takeshi Obayashi (Graduate School of Information Sciences, Tohoku University)
Soichi Ogishima (The Advanced Research Center for Innovations in Next-Generation Medicine, Tohoku University)
Junna Kawasaki (Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University)
Yutaka Saito (Graduate School of Frontier Engineering, Kitasato University)
Yasubumi Sakakibara (Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Keio University)
Tsuyoshi Shirai (Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology)
Yayoi Natsume (National Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition)
Michiaki Hamada (Faculty of Science and Engineering, , Waseda University)
Tsukasa Fukunaga (Waseda Institute for Advanced Study, Waseda University)
Motomu Matsui (Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University)
(Term 2024/04/01 - 2026/03/31)
Election Process
The members of Board of Directors are elected by the members of JSBi.
The Vice President is elected by the members of Board of Directors.
The Vice President becomes the President in the next term.
Election Frequency
The term of office for President, Vice President, and the Board Members is two years.
Member Benefits
JSBi currently has approximately 1240 individual members and 21 corporate members.
The members are entitled to the following benefits:
Reduced registration fee at the annual conferences.
Free admission to JSBi SIG meetings.
Right to use the JSBi mailing list and website for academic and commercial announcements.
Goals
The Japanese Society for Bioinformatics (JSBi) was founded in 1999 for promoting researches and educational activities on bioinformatics as well as for promoting the relevant technologies and industries in Japan. JSBi also enhances international collaborations as an affiliated regional group of ISCB (International Society for Computational Biology) and a member of AASBi (Association of Asian Societies for Bioinformatics). In addition, JSBi played a key role in holding the longest running international bioinformatics conference, International Conference on Genome Informatics (GIW, former Genome Informatics Workshop), which originated in Japan.
Activities
• JSBi annual meeting
• JSBi newsletter (2 issues per year)
• JSBi Bioinformatics Review
• Encyclopedia of bioinformatics (published in 2006)
• Bioinformatics introduction textbook
• Bioinformatics engineer examination
• Bioinformatics education curriculum
• Workshops and regional meetings
• Establishment of ISCB SC RSG-Japan
• As a founding member of the Association of Asian Societies for Bioinformatics (AASBi), JSBi supports international bioinformatics meetings in the years they are held in Japan.
Activities and Programs That Demonstrate the Advancement of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
The most important event of JSBi is the General Meeting, which is held once a year and to which all the members are requested to participate. Until 2006, the General Meeting had been held as a part of an international meeting, GIW (International Conference on Genome Informatics, former Genome Informatics Workshop). Since GIW becomes an official meeting of AASBi from 2007, the General Meetings are held independently in Japan.
Holding Workshops and Regional Working Groups, presenting Oxford Journals-JSBi Prize, and publishing News Letters and Bioinformatics Reviews are also main activities of JSBi. Other activities include managing Bioinformatics Engineer Examination, developing a standard curriculum for bioinformatics education in universities and graduate schools, and editing the encyclopedia of bioinformatics and bioinformatics introduction textbook (in Japanese). The encyclopedia, written by hundreds of JSBi members and researchers in related areas, was published by Kyoritsu Shuppan. Co. Ltd
Holding meetings of ISCB SC RSG-Japan to promote the interactions of young researchers on bioinformatics in Japan and encouraging young researchers to participate in ISCB-affiliated international conferences (such as ISMB)
Last Updated 2026-01-31 01:29:05
Contact
President : Doheon LEE, Ph.D., Professor
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
E-mail: dhlee@kaist.ac.kr
General Secretary : Tae-Min Kim, Ph,D., Professor
Catholic University of Korea
E-mail: tmkim@catholic.ac.kr
KSBi Office : ksbi.office@gmail.com
Tel +82-2-2135-2578
Geographical Area Included
Korea
Leadership Structure
President
Vice President
Auditor
Advisor
Special Advisory
Steering committee : General affairs, Planning affairs, Program affairs, Publication affairs, Industrial Collaboration affairs, Publicity affairs
Election Process
Applying candidates for all members
-> Selection of candidates through deliberation of the Presidential selection committee
-> Election of the President on the board
-> Approval at the General meeting
Election Frequency
2 year
Member Benefits
Offering discount registration fee for the BIOINFO & BIML
Goals
Goal/mission:
• Promotion of bioinformatics research and development in Korea
• Sponsoring bioinformatics-related academic events such as symposia, workshops, discussion forums, etc in Korea
• Participation in basic and advanced bioinformatics education in Korea
• Supporting technological and industrial development in the area of bioinformatics in Korea
Brief history:
In Oct., 1998, a group of experts in the areas of life science and bioinformatics recognizing the importance of bioinformatics in the coming decades founded KSBi. Since then, experts from non-biology areas such as computer science, mathematics and so on joined it.
Activities
• The 6th BIML(Bioinformatics and Machine Learning) :
Training workshop for researchers, academics, and industrial practitioners.
Jan. 30th~Feb. 1st, 2020.
number of participant : 350
Activities and Programs That Demonstrate the Advancement of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
• APBC-BIOINFO 2020
The joint conference, APBC(Asia Pacific Bioinformatics Conference)-BIOINFO 2020 is going to be held in Aug. 18th~20th.
• The 7th BIML workshop
The BIML workshop is planning on all the core and new topics in bioinformatics and computational genomics.
Last Updated 2024-12-13 09:44:33
Contact
Inimary Toby-Ogundeji
Board Member, MCBIOS
Associate Professor, Biology
University of Dallas | Constantin College of Liberal Arts
1845 E Northgate Dr | Patrick E. Haggerty Science Bldg #141
Irving, TX 75062 | Ph. 972-721-5109
Geographical Area Included
Mid-South (United States)
Leadership Structure
Link to current leadership is available on our website at the following link: https://www.mcbios.com/board-of-directors/
Leadership comprise of the following:
Presidential office (president, president-elect, and past president)
Board of Directors
Secretary
Treasurer
Student Representative
Election Process
A Board Member shall be elected for a three-year term. Each year, at least one seat for a new Board of Directors position and one seat for re-election of a current Board of Director position will be made available for a total of a minimum of two but a maximum of three Director positions, in addition to the President-Elect, to be elected at the Annual Meeting. If an existing Board Member is elected to be a Presidential Officer (e.g., President-Elect), a replacement will then be elected. Newly-elected Directors are required to be Members of the Society and in good standing. Board Members who are completing their term on the Board may not be immediately re-elected except as President-Elect but may be re-elected to another term as a Board Member after one year. Newly-elected Directors shall assume office at the conclusion of the Annual Meeting.
Election Frequency
Board members every 3 years (or earlier if resignation occurs). Presidential term is 1 year and president-elect is chosen every year. Elections for all open positions occur during our annual conference.
Member Benefits
Attendance at annual conference sessions and workshops
Complimentary Awards luncheon (annual conference)
Complimentary reception and drink tickets (annual conference)
Publication in the proceedings journal (Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence)
Complimentary registration for workshops on career development throughout the year
Support for working group activities (as part of MCBIOS subgroups in various states)
Sponsorship for local events (such as hackathon, etc.) involving MCBIOS members
Sponsorship for the Drug Discovery Colloquium (travel award support for trainee members)
Goals
20 years ago, MCBIOS was formed. The mission of MCBIOS is to foster networking and collaboration and to promote the professional development of members and supporting our student members.
In its early years, the MCBIOS organization began as a grassroots effort spearheaded by a group of researchers. The first set of annual conferences were organized within the Mid-South regions which had large representation of members in the society. The support by INBRE and FDA in providing funds for the annual conferences has been unwavering over the years. In addition, board members worked together on securing venues and speakers to highlight the growing areas of expertise within the field. The organization is 100% volunteer based and there are no paid staff members. In the recent years, the addition of a part time webmaster was critical to enable website management and a graduate shift to provide the society with a new face lift online. Social media handles were organized for the society and are managed by the student representation along with support from the communications committee.
The purposes of the Society are scientific, educational, literary, charitable, and no other. In furtherance of these purposes, the business and objectives of the Society shall be
(a) to advance the understanding of bioinformatics and computational biology;
(b) to bring together scientists of various backgrounds and disciplines;
(c) to facilitate the collaboration of researchers with similar or complementary backgrounds to solve biological, health, and/or medical problems;
(d) to promote education in bioinformatics and computational biology;
(e) to inform the general public on the results and implications of current research in bioinformatics and computational biology; and
(f) to promote other activities that will contribute to the development of bioinformatics and computational biology.
The Society will especially support, encourage, and mentor our Trainee Members.
Activities
The 20th Annual Meeting of MCBIOS was held in Atlanta, GA on the campus of Emory University with the theme of "From codes to cells to care, transforming healthcare with AI" from March 22-24, 2024.
Call for technical sessions and workshops was issued and a variety of scientific sessions on broad topics were provided.
Keynote speakers were: Anant Madabhushi (Emory University & Georgia Tech), Greg Gibson (Georgia Tech), Nancy J. Cox (Vanderbilt University Medical Center), and Heng Li (Dana Faber Cancer Institute & Harvard Medical School).
As part of the conference program, we also had a Hackathon, which was an economized version of the Moody Challenge in terms of duration in recognition that participants will also wish to attend conference events and experience networking opportunities. The conference provided a breakout room for use by hackathon participants and teams which was in close proximity to the main meeting room.
Attendees developed code using personally available computational resources which included use of GPUs although their submission was not contigent upon this. Specific instructions were given to participants and awards were presented at the end of the conference for the winning team.
We provided monetary awards for trainees competing in the poster and oral young scientist competition at the 2024 conference. We will had trainees at the undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral level compete in these competitions.
In addition, we also provided travel stipends for trainees with financial need in order to travel to present their work. Honorariums were given to keynote speakers and plenary speakers. We offered a continued discounted publishing rate for presenting authors who submitted their full-length manuscript for publication to the proceedings journal following the conference.
The Young Scientists in Excellence sessions provided monetary awards for trainees competing in the poster and oral young scientist competition at the 2024 conference. The competition was open to all trainees at the undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral level.
In addition, we also provided travel stipends for trainees with financial need in order to travel to present their work. Honorariums were given to keynote speakers and plenary speakers. We also negotiated successfully for a discounted publishing rate for presenting authors who submit their full-length manuscript for publication to the proceedings journal.
We are currently in process of completing all proceedings publications from the 2024 conference.
Our publication committee overseas the review process and provides the editorial paper to accompany the proceedings at the end of the review process for all papers. We also continually conduct monthly board meetings and conference planning meetings.
Our communications committee ensures all updated events information is also provided on each of our social media channels. Our efforts within communication over the past year have centered on building up our presence on social medical platforms (Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram).
Activities and Programs That Demonstrate the Advancement of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
We are currently in process of planning towards the 2025 conference. The 21st Annual Meeting of the MidSouth Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Society will be held at the University of Utah, March 27-29, 2025. The theme is, "Data-Driven Discovery: Harnessing the power of AI to transform health". During the conference, several scientific sessions will be available over broad topics in Genomics from use of Artificial Intelligence in the field to statistical analyses. There will be keynote speakers, tutorial session, young scientist in excellence awards and more.
The conference website is linked below for more information:
https://2025.mcbios.com/
Last Updated 2026-02-13 08:32:13
Contact
Inimary Toby-Ogundeji
Board Member, MCBIOS
Associate Professor, Biology
University of Dallas | Constantin College of Liberal Arts
1845 E Northgate Dr | Patrick E. Haggerty Science Bldg #141
Irving, TX 75062 | Ph. 972-721-5109
Geographical Area Included
Mid-South (United States)
Leadership Structure
Link to current leadership is available on our website at the following link: https://www.mcbios.com/board-of-directors/
Leadership comprise of the following:
Presidential office (president, president-elect, and past president)
Board of Directors
Secretary
Treasurer
Student Representative
Election Process
A Board Member shall be elected for a three-year term. Each year, at least one seat for a new Board of Directors position and one seat for re-election of a current Board of Director position will be made available for a total of a minimum of two but a maximum of three Director positions, in addition to the President-Elect, to be elected at the Annual Meeting. If an existing Board Member is elected to be a Presidential Officer (e.g., President-Elect), a replacement will then be elected. Newly-elected Directors are required to be Members of the Society and in good standing. Board Members who are completing their term on the Board may not be immediately re-elected except as President-Elect but may be re-elected to another term as a Board Member after one year. Newly-elected Directors shall assume office at the conclusion of the Annual Meeting.
Election Frequency
Board members every 3 years (or earlier if resignation occurs). Presidential term is 1 year and president-elect is chosen every year. Elections for all open positions occur during our annual conference.
Member Benefits
Attendance at annual conference sessions and workshops
Complimentary Awards luncheon (annual conference)
Complimentary reception and drink tickets (annual conference)
Publication in the proceedings journal (Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence)
Complimentary registration for workshops on career development throughout the year
Support for working group activities (as part of MCBIOS subgroups in various states)
Sponsorship for local events (such as hackathon, etc.) involving MCBIOS members
Sponsorship for the Drug Discovery Colloquium (travel award support for trainee members)
Goals
20 years ago, MCBIOS was formed. The mission of MCBIOS is to foster networking and collaboration and to promote the professional development of members and supporting our student members.
In its early years, the MCBIOS organization began as a grassroots effort spearheaded by a group of researchers. The first set of annual conferences were organized within the Mid-South regions which had large representation of members in the society. The support by INBRE and FDA in providing funds for the annual conferences has been unwavering over the years. In addition, board members worked together on securing venues and speakers to highlight the growing areas of expertise within the field. The organization is 100% volunteer based and there are no paid staff members. In the recent years, the addition of a part time webmaster was critical to enable website management and a graduate shift to provide the society with a new face lift online. Social media handles were organized for the society and are managed by the student representation along with support from the communications committee.
The purposes of the Society are scientific, educational, literary, charitable, and no other. In furtherance of these purposes, the business and objectives of the Society shall be
(a) to advance the understanding of bioinformatics and computational biology;
(b) to bring together scientists of various backgrounds and disciplines;
(c) to facilitate the collaboration of researchers with similar or complementary backgrounds to solve biological, health, and/or medical problems;
(d) to promote education in bioinformatics and computational biology;
(e) to inform the general public on the results and implications of current research in bioinformatics and computational biology; and
(f) to promote other activities that will contribute to the development of bioinformatics and computational biology.
The Society will especially support, encourage, and mentor our Trainee Members.
Activities
The 21st Annual Meeting of MCBIOS was held in Salt Lake City, UT on the campus of The University of Utah with the theme of "Data-Driven Discovery: Harnessing the power of AI to transform health" from March 27-29, 2025.
https://2025.mcbios.com/
Call for technical sessions and workshops was issued and a variety of scientific sessions on broad topics were provided.
There were 5 Keynote speakers, more than 18 technical sessions, 70 speakers, 80 posters. Featured session included tutorials and the Young Scientists in Excellence competition.
We provided monetary awards for trainees competing in the poster and oral young scientist competition at the 2024 conference. We will had trainees at the undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral level compete in these competitions.
In addition, we also provided travel stipends for trainees with financial need in order to travel to present their work. Honorariums were given to keynote speakers and plenary speakers. We offered a continued discounted publishing rate for presenting authors who submitted their full-length manuscript for publication to the proceedings journal following the conference.
The Young Scientists in Excellence sessions provided monetary awards for trainees competing in the poster and oral young scientist competition at the 2024 conference. The competition was open to all trainees at the undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral level.
In addition, we also provided travel stipends for trainees with financial need in order to travel to present their work. Honorariums were given to keynote speakers and plenary speakers received complimentary registration. We also negotiated successfully for a discounted publishing rate for presenting authors who submit their full-length manuscript for publication to the proceedings journal.
We are currently in process of completing all proceedings publications from the 2025 conference.
Our publication committee overseas the review process and provides the editorial paper to accompany the proceedings at the end of the review process for all papers. We continually conduct monthly board meetings and conference planning meetings. We also began planning for the 2026 conference taking place in Tampa, Florida at the Moffitt Cancer Center.
Our communications committee ensured all updated events information were provided on each of our social media channels. Our efforts within communication over the past year are aimed at ramping up our presence on social medical platforms (Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram). Board members are also being proactive in supporting the social media efforts with LinkedIn engagement.
Activities and Programs That Demonstrate the Advancement of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
We are currently in process of planning towards the 2026 conference. The 22nd Annual Meeting of the MidSouth Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Society will be held at the Moffitt Cancer Center, March 27-29, 2026. The theme is, "Bridging Data, AI, and Innovation to Transform Health". During the conference, several scientific sessions will be available over broad topics in Genomics from use of Artificial Intelligence in the field to statistical analyses. There will be keynote speakers, tutorial session, young scientist in excellence awards and more.
The conference website is linked below for more information:
https://2026.mcbios.com/
Last Updated 2026-02-13 08:49:05
Contact
Dr. Paweł Łabaj,
PTBI Treasurer
MCB Deputy Director for General Affairs
Małopolska Centre of Biotechnology (MCB)
Jagiellonian University
Gronostajowa 7A,
30-387 Kraków, Poland
Email: pawel.labaj@uj.edu.pl
Geographical Area Included
Poland
Leadership Structure
Board of Directors (President, two vice-Presidents, Treasurer, Secretary)
Election Process
Separate election of the President plus election of the rest of the Board of Directors. The elections are done at the annual PBIS convention. All members present at the meeting are eligible for voting. The agenda of the meeting must be published to all PBIS members at least 30 days before the date of the meeting. The elections of the Board of Directors of PBIS are held every three years.
Election Frequency
The elections of the Board of Directors of PBIS are held every three years.
Member Benefits
The membership benefits include registration discounts for annual meetings run by PBIS: “Bioinformatics in Toruń (BIT)” (June) and the Annual Convention of PBIS with an associated conference (September).
Goals
Goals: Support and popularization of bioinformatics
in Poland.
To achieve its objectives the Society:
1. organizes conventions, symposia, scientific meetings, readings, lectures, courses competitions and
awards and prizes,
2. publishes and supports scientific journals, books and other publications in the field of bioinformatics,
3. gives opinions on the state and needs of bioinformatics in Poland and addresses its concerns to the authorities,
4. proposes standards for teaching bioinformatics,
5. cooperates with related associations in the country and abroad.
Brief history: PBIS was established by 25 founding members on February 19th, 2008, and registered in the Polish court of law on February 27th. During the founding meeting of PBIS the first Board of Directors was elected, comprising 5 members, with prof. Jerzy Tiuryn as the President. The term of the present BoD runs until the end of 2025. Thus far, PBIS had fifteen Conventions organized annually. PBIS has been awarding annual prizes for the best BSs (since 2021), MSc (since 2009) and PhD (since 2010) theses in bioinformatics defended in Poland.
Activities
Current Year Activity Summary:
The Polish Bioinformatic Society (PTBI) Symposium convenes annually at leading Polish Universities, and in 2023, the Silesian University of Technology hosted participants from all over the world. The 15th PTBI Symposium, spanning a three-day duration and divided into four scientific sessions, gathered around 100 participants and centered on research related to machine learning in biomedicine, RNA structure algorithms, next-generation sequencing methods, and microbiome analysis but was not limited to only those topics. The meeting also recognized outstanding research conducted by young scientists by awarding the best poster and best talk. Finally, the awards for the best PhD, MSc, and BSc thesis in bioinformatics defended in Poland were given. The report summarizes the key highlights and outcomes of the meeting has been published in Bioinformatics Advances: https://doi.org/10.1093/bioadv/vbad187. The conference program can be found here: https://www.ptbi.org.pl/website/conferences/ptbi2023/
PTBI Symposium has renowned keynote speakers: Dr. Djork-Arné Clevert, Head of Machine Learning Research, Vice President, Pfizer, Berlin, Germany; Dr. Ana Conesa, Research Professor Institute for Integrative Systems Biology- Spanish National Research Council, Spain; Prof. dr hab. inż. Andrzej Polański, Head of the Scientific Council for Technical Informatics and Telecommunication at the Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland; Dr hab. Joanna Sułkowska prof. UW, Head of the Interdisciplinary laboratory for modeling biological systems at the Centre of New Technologies at the University of Warsaw, Poland; Dr. Kasthuri Venkateswaran, Senior Research Scientist, California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory; Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group, Pasadena, California, USA. Conference was supported by Ministry of Education and Science grant [KONF/SP/0441/2023/01] as well as by BGI.
Another conference was organized by PTBI and Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun. The 23rd annual conference “BioInformatics in Torun – BIT23” was devoted mainly, but not exclusively, to: "Bioinformatics, Artificial Intelligence and Forensic Science - BARIFORCE. The conference took place on 29-30.06 and attracted about 40 participants, mainly students. Among speakers we can distinguish: i) Marcin Woźniak, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz Nicolaus Copernicus University, Bydgoszcz, Poland with a presentation “Introduction to forensic genetics and genomics" ; Jaroslaw Meller, Cincinnati Children`s Hospital Medical Center and University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, US with a presentation: “Towards Multiomics Single Cell Resolution Atlas of ccRCC: Combining scRNA-seq and Spatial Transcriptomics to Identify and Characterize Cell Communities Connected to Cancer Progression” or Scott Tighe, Vermont Integrative Genomics Lab, Burlington Vermont, USA with a presentation: “Technical Considerations For Metagenomic Analysis of Low Biomass Environments”. Full program can be accessible throught the conference web: https://www.ptbi.org.pl/website/conferences/bit23/
Conference was supported by Ministry of Education and Science grant [KONF/SP/0440/2023/01]
Activities and Programs That Demonstrate the Advancement of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
Future plans: In 2024 the PTBI Symposium will be held in Warsaw on 11-13.09 while BIT in Toruń (as usual) on 6-8.06. The competitions for best BSc, MSc, and PhD theses have been already announced. This year we also plan to support meetings of bioinformatics student clubs which aim to integrate students from different university across Poland. We also have declared our readiness to support organization of one of the upcoming ECCB conferences in Kraków.
Last Updated 2024-03-11 10:32:44
Red Mexicana de Bioinformática (Mexican Network of Bioinformatics), RMB (in Spanish), BioNetMX (in English)
https://www.redmexicanadebioinformatica.org
Contact
Yalbi Itzel Balderas Martínez
yalbibalderas@gmail.com
tel: +52 777 2238266.
Geographical Area Included
Mexico
Leadership Structure
Dr. Irma Martínez-Flores, president
Dr. Yalbi I. Balderas Martínez, secretary
Dr. Gerardo Corzo, treasurer
Dr. Nelly Selem, conferences organization node leader
Dr. Julio Collado, honorific member
MSc. Shirley Alquicira, administration
MSc. Dulce Valdivia, membership node leader
BSc. José Ovando, students node leader
Dr. Mirna Vasquez, BSc. Luis Meza, membership assistant
Dr. Michael Jeziorsky, Dr. Raúl Baptista, Dr. Selene Fernández Valverde, MSc. Alfredo Hernández courses organizer
Dr. Joselyn Chavez, CDSB organizer
MSc. Jair García, social network manager
Dr. Alejandra Medina, Dr. Alfredo Varela, MSc. César Bonavides, Founder member
Election Process
Selection by full members
Election Frequency
5 years
Member Benefits
Discounts for conferences and courses
Free courses
Goals
The BioNetMX emerged in 2018 as the interests of a group of scientists to unify the different groups doing bioinformatics in the country. The formalization of the network became real in July of that year with the participation of students and junior and senior researchers.
The BioNetMX has as a mission to foster the development and expansion of the bioinformatics culture in Mexico, under ethical principles of collective and organized interaction, and the vision to become a model for collaboration in bioinformatics that can be imitated by other networks in Mexico and Latin America.
Activities
Week-long workshops collaboration:
TIBS 2023: Ensamble y anotación de metagenomas May 2-4, 2023 - Dr. Luis Lozano
Taller: Introducción a Rsudio. Encuentro Nacional de Bioinformatica. Aug 7-11, 2023. Dr. Leticia Vega, MSc. Veronica Jimenez
CDSB 2023: Creando paquetes de R bioconductor para análisis transcriptomicos de célula única. Aug 7-11, 2023. Dr. Joselyn
Chávez, Dr. Mirna Vazquez, MSc. Erick Cuevas, Dr. Leonardo Collado, Sr. Alejandra Medina, Dr. Yalbi Balderas
Conferences:
“Bioinformática y aplicaciones prácticas para el análisis de datos biológicos”, May 2-4, 2023
Activities and Programs That Demonstrate the Advancement of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
Collaborations (UUSMB, CDSB, NNB-CCG, Rladies México)
Last Updated 2024-09-20 10:34:49
Contact
Marius Mihasan, PhD. Habil., Professor, BioActive Research Group, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Faculty of Biology, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Room B228, Carol I Blvd, no 20A, Iasi, Romania, 700506
Tel: +40(0)232202434
Fax: +40(0)232201472
E-mail: marius.mihasan@uaic.ro
Geographical Area Included
Romania
Leadership Structure
Steering committee:
Madalina Giurgiu, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Consuel Ionica, PhD, Francisc I. Rainer Anthropology Institute, Bucharest
Mihai Miclăuș, PhD, Transylvanian Institute of Neuroscience, Cluj-Napoca
Marius Mihășan, PhD, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iasi
Elena Poenaru, PhD, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Carol Davila, Bucharest
Marius Surleac, PhD, Research Institute of the Bucharest University, “Matei Balș” National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Bucharest
Election Process
The members elect the steering committee members during the general assembly. A call for new steering committee members is launched 2-4 weeks before the general assembly. Only members who have at least 2 years of experience in the association, have been involved in at least one of the society's activities/projects in the last year, and have the support of 3 members can be candidates. The election is based on the number of votes received by each candidate during the general assembly.
Election Frequency
Two years. Steering committee members can be re-elected.
Member Benefits
All members have access to:
- the RSBI discussion group
- the RSBI newsletter
- reduced fees for events organised by the society
Only Affiliate Members can vote.
Goals
The goals and history of RSBI are well documented in https://f1000research.com/articles/13-1002
In brief, RSBI was founded in 2019 to accelerate the development of Romanian bioinformatics. RSBI expanded its role to include: i) developing a community and engaging the public and stakeholders, ii) a national training approach, including through increased interactions with European training resources, and iii) advocating national participation in European bioinformatics infrastructures. In the next step, RSBI led the development of the national bioinformatics infrastructure, the Romanian Bioinformatics Cluster (CRB), with the mission to act as an ELIXIR National Node.
Activities
Scientific Conferences
Bioinformatics Horizon — Bucharest, Romania, April 2–4, 2025
The Bioinformatics Horizon conference provided a platform for national and international researchers, educators, and professionals to present and discuss advances in bioinformatics, genomics, and related computational sciences. The program included plenary sessions, thematic sessions, workshops, and poster presentations covering topics such as AI and machine learning applications, integrative multi-omics analyses, ethics and open science, and education in bioinformatics.
• Date: April 2–4, 2025
• Location: Bucharest, Romania
• Primary focus: Cutting-edge developments in bioinformatics and genomics, collaboration building, and community strengthening
• Number of participants: 160
Seminar Series
RoBioinfo Seminar — Bioinformatics AI Workshop: LLM Agents and Bio MCP — Online, May 22, 2025
This seminar explored the application of large language model (LLM)-based agents in bioinformatics, particularly in molecular and computational problems. It aimed to strengthen understanding of AI-driven tools and their use in contemporary bioinformatics research.
• Date: May 22, 2025
• Format: Online
• Theme: AI in bioinformatics
• Number of participants: aprox. 20
3.3 “Young Meets Senior” (YMS) Seminar Series
RSBI continued the YMS – Young Meets Senior online series, designed to foster scientific exchange between early-career researchers and established scientists. Each session featured a thematic focus relevant to current research directions and methodologies in bioinformatics.
YMS Series #1 – Ageing Research
• Date: February 5, 2025
• Format: Online
• Theme: Ageing research and bioinformatic analyses
• Number of participants: aprox. 25
•
YMS Series #2 – Microbiome and Ancient Genomes Research
• Date: February 12, 2025
• Format: Online
• Theme: Microbiome and ancient genomes
• Number of participants: aprox. 20
YMS Series #3 – Federated Learning Research
• Date: February 19, 2025
• Format: Online
• Theme: Federated learning in computational research
• Number of participants: aprox. 10
YMS Series #4 – WGS Analysis and Pathogens Research
• Date: February 26, 2025
• Format: Online
• Theme: Whole-genome sequencing for pathogen analysis
• Number of participants: aprox. 20
YMS Series #5 – Viruses Research
• Date: March 12, 2025
• Format: Online
• Theme: Computational research in virology
• Number of participants: aprox. 15
YMS Series #6 – Bioinformatics Trends in Academia vs. Industry
• Date: March 19, 2025
• Format: Online
• Theme: Comparative approaches in academic and industrial bioinformatics
• Number of participants: aprox. 40
YMS Series #7 – Neoantigen Vaccine Research
• Date: April 16, 2025
• Format: Online
• Theme: Neoantigen discovery and vaccine informatics
• Number of participants: aprox. 10
YMS Series #8 – Image Segmentation Research
• Date: April 23, 2025
• Format: Online
• Theme: Bioimage informatics and segmentation
• Number of participants: aprox. 10
YMS Series #9 – Gene Expression Regulation Research
• Date: April 30, 2025
• Format: Online
• Theme: Gene regulatory network analysis
• Number of participants: aprox. 15
YMS Series #10 – Forensic Genetics
• Date: September 11, 2025
• Format: Online
• Theme: Computational methods in forensic genetics
• Number of participants: aprox. 20
YMS Series #11 – Female Hormones and Performance Sport
• Date: September 30, 2025
• Format: Online
• Theme: Bioinformatics in endocrinology and sport science
• Number of participants: aprox. 10
YMS Series #12 – Functional Genomics for Infections
• Date: October 14, 2025
• Format: Online
• Theme: Functional genomics in infectious disease research
• Number of participants: aprox. 20
YMS Series #13 – Nicotine Catabolism and Multi-omics Analysis
• Date: October 21, 2025
• Format: Online
• Theme: Multi-omics approaches to metabolic research
• Number of participants: aprox. 20
YMS Series #14 – BioCoderDojo: Non-formal Education
• Date: November 4, 2025
• Format: Online
• Theme: Informal education and coding in bioinformatics
• Number of participants: aprox. 25
YMS Series #15 – Single-cell Data and CNV Analysis
• Date: November 10, 2025
• Format: Online
• Theme: Single-cell genomics and copy number variation analysis
• Number of participants: aprox. 10
YMS Series #16 – Robotics for High Speed Molecular Simulation
• Date: November 18, 2025
• Format: Online
• Theme: Computational simulation in molecular science
• Number of participants: aprox. 15
Public Engagement and Outreach
Beer & Science – Bucharest — November 12, 2025
As part of RSBI’s ongoing efforts to communicate science to the broader public, the Beer & Science event combined informal discussion with scientific content. The event aimed to engage a general audience, including students and young professionals, in bioinformatics themes and research conversations outside of traditional academic contexts.
• Date: November 12, 2025
• Location: Bucharest
• Engagement focus: Informal science communication and community interaction
• Number of participants: 40
Educational Activities
RSBI actively promotes education and training in bioinformatics, particularly for students and early-career researchers.
With the support of ISCB, RSBI introduced, for the first time at its national conference, a dedicated session on bioinformatics education. This session addressed both conceptual frameworks and innovative pedagogical approaches in the teaching of computational biology.
The session featured two invited presentations:
• Bioinformatics Education: Essential Competencies and Framework, delivered by Inimary Toby-Ogundeji (ISCB), which provided an overview of core competencies and structured approaches to bioinformatics education.
• Bridging Abstract Concepts and Tangible Learning: 3D-Printed Models in Biomolecular Science Education, delivered by Marius Mihășan (RSBI), highlighting the use of physical molecular models to enhance understanding of biomolecular structures and processes.
In addition to the formal presentations, a roundtable discussion was organized, focusing on challenges, best practices, and future directions in bioinformatics education, and encouraging active exchange between educators, researchers, and trainees.
Activities and Programs That Demonstrate the Advancement of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
The 3rd RoBioinfo Conference is scheduled to take place 13-15 May, 2026 in Timișoara, Romania - https://rsbi.ro/evenimente/robioinfo2026/
The YMS series and RoBioinfo Seminars are due to continue with events currently being organised: https://rsbi.ro/evenimentersbi/yms-young-meets-senior/
Last Updated 2026-01-30 11:03:48
Contact
Anna-Sophie Fiston-Lavier, anna-sophie.fiston-lavier@umontpellier.fr
Geographical Area Included
France
Leadership Structure
Board of directors directory :
Anna-Sophie Fiston-Lavier (President); Sandra Derozier (Vice-presidents); Elodie Darbo (Vice-presidents); Cyril Noël (treasurer); Audrey Bihouée; Erwan Corre; Delphine Potier; Pierre Poulain; Marie-France Sagot
Election Process
Election only open to SFBI members
Election Frequency
Yearly election
Member Benefits
Reduced registration fees for the national Bioinformatics conference organized by SFBI (JOBIM), eligibility to apply for grants and financial support for the organization of scientific events.
Goals
SFBI was founded on June 1, 2005. SFBI is an association (under the French law of 1901) independent of supervisory bodies, institutes and companies, representing the entire bioinformatics community, whatever the scientific field and laboratory (private or public). SFBI represents the entire Bioinformatics community: researchers, students, lecturers, engineers, laboratories and platforms, and covers all disciplinary fields (interface with Molecular Biology, Computer Science, Maths and Statistics, Physics). SFBI is administered by a board of members elected for a 3-year term. It comprises an elected president, one or two elected vice-presidents and a treasurer. Board members work in groups: communications (website, mailing lists, networks, etc.), JOBIM management, awards and grants, training and professions (REBIF/METBIF), etc.
To ensure a smooth transition of functions, the board is renewed every year. As a reminder, only members can vote in the elections held every year in June/July. Since 2021, SFBI has been a founding, active and associate member of the Collège des Sociétés Savantes Académiques de France (CoSSAF).
Activities
The Société Française de BioInformatique (SFBI) had a vibrant and impactful year in 2024, demonstrating its commitment to advancing bioinformatics research and fostering a thriving community of scientists, researchers, and students. This report highlights SFBI's key activities in 2024, with a particular focus on international events that have strengthened the society’s global reach and collaborations.
### Participation and support of International events
a. The SFBI, represented by its president, was present at the International Society for Computational Biology 2024 (ISMB2024) held in Montreal, Canada. The SFBI supported French researchers and students to present their work offering travel fellowships, ensuring strong representation of France in one of the largest international bioinformatics conferences. Several SFBI members participated as keynote speakers, workshop organizers, and poster presenters.
b. For the second consecutive year, the SFBI actively participated in and supported the YS2C 2024 International Conference, organized in collaboration with the German Society for Bioinformatics (GCB). This event serves as a key platform to foster international connections and promote excellence in bioinformatics research. In line with its commitment to supporting young researchers in cancer research, the SFBI awarded a €100 prize for the best presentation, reinforcing its dedication to recognizing outstanding scientific contributions. This partnership strengthens ties between national societies and underscores SFBI's role in advancing the global bioinformatics community.
c. Through its collaboration with ELIXIR Europe via the Institut Français de Bioinformatique (IFB), the SFBI contributed to bioinformatics training initiatives and co-developed educational resources. French representatives played a key role in hosting joint webinars and tutorials focused on FAIR data principles and reproducible bioinformatics workflows.
d. The SFBI also actively supported the creation of new bioinformatics societies in Europe and South America.
### JOBIM, the SFBI-Led conference
As co-organizer of JOBIM (Journées Ouvertes en Biologie, Informatique et Mathématiques), the largest annual bioinformatics conference in France, the SFBI continues to provide a key platform for over 500 researchers, students, and professionals to exchange knowledge, foster collaborations, and highlight cutting-edge advances in bioinformatics. SFBI plays a crucial role in coordinating the event, ensuring a high-quality scientific program and a welcoming environment for participants at all career stages. Each year, SFBI offers travel grants and awards for the best presentations and posters.
JOBIM 2024, hosted in Toulouse, featured an exceptional lineup of keynote speakers, thematic sessions, and workshops covering a wide range of bioinformatics topics, from genomics and structural biology to machine learning and data visualization. The event's popularity led to a capped attendance of 583 participants. This year’s edition placed a special emphasis on inclusivity and interdisciplinarity, aligning with SFBI’s mission to integrate bioinformatics into life sciences.
Looking ahead, SFBI has supported the local organizers of JOBIM 2025 in Bordeaux (July 8-11, 2025) and has already initiated planning for JOBIM 2026.
### Impact on the Global Bioinformatics Community
SFBI’s international activities in 2024 have reinforced its position as a key player in the global bioinformatics landscape. By fostering cross-border collaborations, hosting events, and supporting the professional development of its members, SFBI continues to contribute to global computational biology challenges and promote research excellence. SFBI has a long-standing tradition of supporting numerous initiatives within the bioinformatics community. In 2024, SFBI reinforced its commitment by backing various scientific events that foster collaboration, teaching innovation, and knowledge exchange:
a. REBICA – A meeting dedicated to bioinformatics and computational biology, fostering discussions on recent advances and challenges in the field in the south-east of France.
b. BIOTIC – A scientific meeting bringing together researchers and professionals to explore innovations in bioinformatics and its applications in life sciences in the south-west of France.
c. Montpellier Omics Days – A meeting organized by Bioinformatic master students from Montpellier, focused on multi-omics approaches, providing a platform for students and biologists to discuss integrative strategies in genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics with experts in those fields.
d. JeBiF Hackathon (before JOBIM) – An satellite event organized by JeBiF, the young bioinfomatician group, offering the opportunity to collaborate, develop new tools, and tackle bioinformatics challenges in a hands-on setting.
e. Workshop on Metabolism Modeling – A specialized workshop dedicated to computational modeling of metabolism, aimed at improving our understanding of metabolic networks and their applications in research.
In 2024, SFBI awarded 24 travel fellowships and five scientific prizes for the best presentations and posters:
a. Best presentation:
* Romane Junker – Integration of metataxonomic datasets into microbial association networks highlights shared bacterial community dynamics in fermented vegetables.
*Yanis Asloudj – scEVE: a scRNA-seq ensemble clustering algorithm that leverages the extrinsic variability to prevent over-clustering.
b. Best communication/poster :
*Benjamin Vacus - Benchmark study of Adaptive Sampling algorithms – simulation of various viral mixtures.
*Dorine Merlat - Annotation of Myriapoda genomes with a new tool: EXOGAP.
*Pierre Giroux - Mapping cellular networks by mass spectrometry-based single-cell proteomics.
### New Community Resources in 2024
The same year, the SFBI also introduced new valuable resources to support the bioinformatics community:
f. Database of the laboratories/team: The SFBI created a comprehensive list of laboratories and research teams to facilitate the identification of key players in the field. This resource helps connect researchers, making it easier for individuals to find teams with similar interests and establish collaborations within the bioinformatics community.
g. Database of the Bioinformatics Networks: To combat the isolation often faced by new bioinformaticians, the SFBI support local networks aimed at newcomers to the field. These networks are designed to help individuals who are starting new positions but have not yet familiarized themselves with the community in their region. By connecting bioinformaticians across locations, the SFBI ensures that they feel supported and integrated into the wider scientific community.
h. Database Private Companies: The SFBI has also teamed up with private companies to offer support for the professional integration of young bioinformaticians by planning the organization of job fairs during the JOBIM conference. These collaborations offer scientists at the start of their careers valuable opportunities to make contact with potential employers, thereby facilitating their entry into the world of work.
Through these initiatives, the SFBI continues to demonstrate its commitment to fostering collaboration, inclusivity, and career development within the bioinformatics field.
Future Directions
Building on the success of 2024, SFBI is committed to further expanding its international presence in the coming years. Future initiatives include strengthening partnerships with African and Asian bioinformatics societies and launching a global initiative on sustainable bioinformatics infrastructure to promote eco-friendly computational practices.
Additionally, SFBI is exploring the implementation of a joint membership system on its website to encourage members to also join ISCB. This dual membership would provide significant discounts on registration fees for both JOBIM and ISMB conferences, fostering greater engagement and collaboration within the global bioinformatics community.
### Conclusion
Through its dedication to fostering collaboration and innovation, SFBI continues to play a pivotal role in advancing bioinformatics in France and internationally. With a strong commitment to supporting the next generation of bioinformaticians and facilitating knowledge exchange across borders, SFBI remains at the forefront of the bioinformatics community.
Activities and Programs That Demonstrate the Advancement of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
SFBI is co-piloting the organization of JOBIM conference and continues to support community initiatives through travel grants and prizes.
Last Updated 2026-03-09 02:21:13
Contact
Angela del Pozo
President of SEBIBC
ingemm.adelpozo@gmail.com
Geographical Area Included
Spain
Leadership Structure
The leadership is composed of a Board of Directors, including the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and 8–12 additional board members (vocals), as outlined in the society's bylaws. Current board is composed by:
President: Ángela del Pozo – IdiPaz
Vice President: Fátima Sánchez-Cabo – CNIC
Secretary: Eduardo Andrés León – IPBLN-CSIC
Treasurer: Isabel Cuesta – Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)
Additional board members (Vocals):
Álex Sánchez-Pla – Vall d’Hebron Research Institute
Sheila Zúñiga – INCLIVA
Sara Monzón – ISCIII
Pedro Carmona – University of Granada (UGR)
Francisco García – Centro de Investigación Príncipe Felipe (CIPF)
José Luis Villanueva – Hospital Clínic de Barcelona
Claudio Díaz García – IRYCIS
Enrique Carrillo – IMDEA Alimentación
Hafid Laayouni – ESCI-UPF
Election Process
Board members are elected by universal suffrage in a general assembly, with free and secret voting. Candidacies are collected and shared in advance.
Election Frequency
The Board is renewed by halves every two years, alternating President and Treasurer with Vice-President and Secretary. Members may serve a maximum of eight consecutive years.
Member Benefits
Access to national and regional bioinformatics activities, eligibility to vote and run for the Board, participation in working groups and collaborative initiatives, access to communications and society updates, and representation at national and international scientific forums.
Goals
SEBiBC was officially established in 2020 by a collective of leading bioinformatics research groups in Spain. The society aims to define and promote the professional identity of bioinformaticians and computational biologists, facilitate national and international collaborations, support educational programs, contribute to the implementation of genomic medicine, and provide a forum for professionals working in this field. SEBiBC is actively involved in quality standards, policy advocacy, and the organization of national events.
Activities
In 2024, SEBiBC experienced significant growth and activity, culminating in its first National Congress and the expansion of its scientific and outreach initiatives. The society now has 377 members, a milestone that reflects the growing interest and recognition of SEBiBC within the Spanish bioinformatics community.
I National Bioinformatics Congress – SEBiBC 2024
Held from October 16 to 18, 2024, in Valencia, the I SEBiBC National Congress brought together over 300 professionals, students, and researchers from academia and industry across Spain. The three-day event featured:
Keynote lectures by national and international experts
Scientific sessions included approximately 60 oral presentations and over 100 posters, covering topics such as omics data, biophysics, computational biology, artificial intelligence, and evolution.
Roundtables on current challenges and future opportunities in bioinformatics
The first Oswaldo Trelles Memorial PhD Award, celebrating excellence in doctoral research
Award Highlights:
Best Oral Communication in Biomedicine: Ramón Yarza (IIS Aragón)
Best Oral Presentation (CSIC-HubBCB Award): Rafael Barrero (CNIC)
Best Poster: Carolina Monzó (I2SysBio)
Oswaldo Trelles Award for Best PhD Thesis: Álvaro Rodríguez del Río (UPM)
Full details available at https://congresosebibc.com
Scientific Seminar Series
SEBiBC continued its monthly seminar series, which remains a key platform for scientific exchange and community engagement. Notable 2024 speakers included:
Miguel A. Fortuna (CSIC) – on host-parasite networks
Francisco García (CIPF) – on sex differences in neurodegenerative diseases
Pol Castellano (Duke University) – on interpretable multi-omics clustering
Sergio Serrano and Claudio Díaz (IRYCIS) – on diagnostics and proteomics in HIV
Álvaro Rodríguez – presenting his award-winning thesis
Alicia Gómez (RSG-Spain) & Ali Sharifi Zarchi (RSG-Iran) – joint international webinar
All talks are available on our YouTube channel: SEBiBC YouTube
Clinical Bioinformatics Working Group
SEBiBC’s Clinical Bioinformatics Working Group actively worked in 2024 to define a professional role for clinical bioinformaticians in Spain. Major milestones include:
Drafting a formal proposal for clinical specialization
Holding discussions with the Spanish Ministry of Health and national regulatory agencies
Artificial Intelligence Working Group
With regular meetings and an active educational agenda, this group organized training sessions on convolutional neural networks, radiomics, and plans workshops for 2025 on machine learning and advanced Python tools.
Education and Outreach
The Training Committee developed a bioinformatics course for high school teachers (ESO and Bachillerato) and contributed to university master's programs. These efforts aim to introduce bioinformatics at earlier educational stages.
Professional Recognition and Partnerships
SEBiBC approved its first Supporting Members in 2024:
SCAYLE (Supercomputing Center of Castilla y León)
Genomcore
The society participated in regional forums such as the II Bioinformatics Meeting in Aragón, advocating for the role of clinical bioinformaticians.
Student Initiatives – RSG-Spain
Creation of a new local student node in Galicia
Leadership of the IX National Student Symposium in Bioinformatics
Joint organization of the II Andalusian Bioinformatics Meeting (JABI)
Increased engagement through workshops, meetups, and social media
Communication and Visibility
The Communications Committee enhanced SEBiBC's presence via LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube.
Activities and Programs That Demonstrate the Advancement of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
SEBiBC aims to build upon the strong momentum of 2024 by expanding its scientific, professional, and educational initiatives. Our strategic priorities include:
Ongoing Seminar Series and Working Groups
We will continue our monthly scientific seminar series. These open-access webinars will feature emerging topics and research from both national and international speakers.
In parallel, our working groups will maintain and expand their activities:
The Clinical Bioinformatics Working Group will focus on gaining official recognition for the profession, finalizing proposals with national authorities, and leading technical discussions on genomic data standards and clinical certification frameworks.
The Artificial Intelligence Working Group will offer hands-on workshops on deep learning, machine learning, and applied tools for biomedical data analysis.
II SEBiBC National Congress (2026)
We are planning the second edition of our national congress in 2026, building on the success of the inaugural event. This congress will once again serve as a platform for presenting cutting-edge bioinformatics research, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration, and offering networking opportunities for scientists at all career stages. The program will include:
Keynote talks, roundtables, and scientific sessions
Awards for scientific excellence
Special tracks on clinical applications and AI in bioinformatics
Clinical Bioinformatics Days
In 2025, SEBiBC will launch a new event series titled Clinical Bioinformatics Days, focused on fostering dialogue between clinicians, researchers, and regulatory agencies. Topics will include:
Quality control and accreditation standards (e.g., ENAC)
Case studies in genomic diagnostics
Regulatory pathways for clinical bioinformatics in Spain
RSG-Spain & Student Engagement
The student branch of SEBiBC, RSG-Spain, will continue leading training and networking efforts for early-career scientists. In 2025, RSG-Spain will co-organize the XV Student Symposium in Bioinformatics as part of the JBI2025 Congress (Jornadas de Bioinformática), providing a national forum for student-led presentations and career development.
In addition, SEBiBC plans to support the expansion of local student nodes and offer mentorship activities connecting students with professionals from academia and industry.
Education and Public Engagement
SEBiBC will continue to expand its educational outreach initiatives, aiming to increase awareness of bioinformatics at all educational levels. Planned activities include:
Further dissemination and implementation of our bioinformatics curriculum for high school teachers (ESO and Bachillerato), developed to introduce key concepts and career opportunities in the field
Active participation in science communication events and university outreach programs
Continued support for bioinformatics integration in university curricula, including collaboration with specialized master’s programs across Spain
In partnership with the Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Hub of CSIC (HubBCB-CSIC), SEBiBC will encourage universities and training centers in Spain to seek official recognition from the International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB) through its Degree-granting Endorsement Program, a global initiative that promotes excellence in bioinformatics education.
Infrastructure and Visibility
To support these activities, SEBiBC is planning a complete redesign of its website in 2025, making it a central hub for members, events, and working group materials. We will also continue expanding our communication strategy through social media, newsletters, and video dissemination.
Last Updated 2026-03-18 11:22:15
Contact
Dr. Javier De Las Rivas
Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics Group
Cancer Research Center (CiC-IBMCC, CSIC/USAL)
Campus Miguel de Unamuno s/n
E37007 - Salamanca - SPAIN
tel: 34 923 294819
jrivas@usal.es
Geographical Area Included
IberoAmerica (22 countries): Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Spain, Uruguay, Venezuela
Leadership Structure
• Executive Board (4 members: President, VicePresident, Secretary, Treasurer)
• Delegates for each country (at present 12 members)
• Members of different Committees:
- Admissions and Membership Committee
- Education and Training Committee
- Outreach Committee
- Scientific Collaboration Committee
- Infrastructure Committee
- Foreign Relations Committee
- Students Committee
Election Process
Selection of Leaders: Elections are held every four years among members and can be followed by a four-year extension. Due to the recent Covid pandemic, the current Society's leaders have remained in office for longer periods. Furthermore, due to post pandemic effects, our Executive Board has remained unchanged for the past years to maintain the Society's administrative work and the activities in Latin America. Currently, due to the fact that our Society was founded in Mexico, we are in the process of re-associating with the goal of establishing an agreement with the Red Mexicana de Bioinformática (www.redmexicanadebioinformatica.org) to better manage our members and activities.
See our Estatutos at: wp.soibio.org/en/ComiteDirectivo.
Election Frequency
Every 4 years (the current Executive Board has been 4+4 years with the extension explained in the previous section).
Member Benefits
Membership benefits: 7 good REASONS
1.- SoIBio is an International scientific and professional Society that promotes BIOINFORMATICS & COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY in the large region of IberoAmerica, that includes 22 COUNTRIES: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Republica Dominicana, Uruguay, Venezuela, plus Spain and Portugal.
2.- If you are member of SoIBio you will have the opportunity to participate in the ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE of the Society, organized each year in a different country; and you will enjoy the benefit of a special reduction on the registration fees (of about 20-25%) as a member of SoIBio.
3.- If you are member of SoIBio you will have the opportunity to participate in multiple INTERNATIONAL COURSES promoted by SoIBio with a special reduction on the registration to the courses (of about 20-25%) as a member of SoIBio. As an example of this benefit see the courses organized in México in 2017: http://congresos.nnb.unam.mx/TIB2017/
4.- If you are member of SoIBio you will have the opportunity to interact and participate in International SCIENTIFIC EXCHANGE Programms promoted by SoIBio together with different national institutions and international organizations, like for example ISCB or GOBLET.
5.- If you are member of SoIBio you can participate in the development and promotion of BIOINFORMATICS & COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY in your country, with the added the value of interacting at INTERNATIONAL level with other scientists, academics and professionals of IberoAmerica, that are also working in this field. In this way you will be joining an active community in a research area really new and promising that is critical for the current development of Biological and Biomedical Sciences in our countries.
6.- If you are a master or predoctoral STUDENT (or even a Young POSTDOC, < 30 years old) and you want to become a member of SoIBio, you only will have to pay a quite low membership fees (you will enjoy a reduction of about a 60% over the REGULAR Membership).
7.- If you currently are a full MEMBER of another Bioinformatics Society (national within the region or international, like for example: AB3C from Brazil, A2B2C from Argentina, SC2B2 from Colombia or ISCB the international society), you will have a great reduction on your REGULAR Membership fees to SoIBio (50% reduction !!!).
Goals
See: http://soibio.org/
SoIBio (Iberoamerican Society for Bioinformatics) is an international scientific society, founded in 2009 following the previous work and experience of the RIB (Iberoamerican Network for Bioinformatics) which was, from 2002 to 2008, a joint collaborative project of several research groups from Iberoamerica working in the new field of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology.
SoIBio aims to promote research and development on Bioinformatics in the large international region of Iberoamerica. As such it looks to help either individuals or national societies or groups that want to work in this field, both at academic and professional level. To do so, SoIBio facilitates transnational exchange, collaboration, formation and development for issues and topics related to Bioinformatics and Computational Biology. It is also a platform to interact and collaborate with other international societies and networks that work in the same field: European Molecular Biology Network (EMBnet); ELIXIR-EU an intergovernmental organisation that brings together life science resources (databases, software, biocomputation, dataservers, etc) from across Europe; Asian-Pacific Bioinformatics Network (APBioNet); International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB).
SoIBio is open to all, either from the academic or the professional world, interested in promoting research and development of Bioinformatics in Iberoamerica. To become a member, the only requirements are the support of one or two members of SoIBio and to fulfill the registration in this website. A small fee is asked to academic or professional staff. The registration as a member is free for students and postdoctoral people.
At present SolBio is an Affiliated Regional Group of ISCB (International Society of Computational Biology) and has actively participated in the organization of the last ISCB-LA Meetings (in 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024). SolBio is also a member of GOBLET (Global Organisation for Bioinformatics Learning, Education & Training).
Activities
• 2009 Puerto Morelos, MEXICO: ("Fundación de SoIBio", joint with EMBnet) Fundation Conference (October 26-29, 2009).
• 2010 Termas de Chillán, CHILE: 1st SoIBio Bioinformatics International Conference (September 26-28, 2010).
• 2011 Florianopolis, BRAZIL: 2nd SoIBio Bioinformatics International Conference (October 12-15, 2011).
• 2012 Santiago, CHILE: First Joint Conference with ISCB-LA 2012, 3rd SoIBio Conference (March 17-21, 2012).
• 2013 Rosario, ARGENTINA: 4th SoIBio Bioinformatics International Conference (October 29-31, 2013).
• 2014 Belo Horizonte, BRAZIL: Joint Conference with ISCB-LA 2014, 5th SoIBio Conference (October 28-30, 2014).
• 2016 Riviera Maya, MEXICO: (IC fully organized by SoIBio, delayed from 2015) 6th SoIBio Conference (April 22-26, 2016).
• 2016 Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA: Joint Conference with ISCB-LA 2016, 7th SoIBio Conference (November 21-23, 2016).
• 2017 Cali, COLOMBIA: 8th SoIBio Bioinformatics International Conference (September 13-15, 2017).
• 2018 Viña del Mar, CHILE: Joint Conference ISCB-LA SoIBio EBMnet 2018, 9th SoIBio Conference (November 5-9, 2018).
• 2019 Montevideo, URUGUAY: 10th International Conference on Bioinformatics #SoIBio+10 (October 28 - November 1, 2019).
• 2020 Virtual Symposium: ISCB-LA SoIBio BioNetMX 2020, Oct 28-29, (run from MEXICO, only online due to COVID-19).
• 2022 Queretaro, MEXICO: ISCB-Latin America SoIBio BioNetMX Joint Conference on Bioinformatics, 12th SoIBio (November 3-7, 2022).
• 2023 Rosario, ARGENTINA: SoIBio & A2B2C + RIABIO, International Conference on Bioinformatics and Artificial Intelligence applied to Big BioData, 13th SoIBio (30.October-3.November, 2023).
• 2024 Medellin, COLOMBIA: SoIBio + ISCB + CCBCOL, ISCB-Latin America SoIBio CCBCOL International Conference on Bioinformatics 2024, 14th SoIBio (November 12-15, 2024).
• 2025 João Pessoa, Paraíba, BRAZIL: SoIBio joint venture with the Associação Brasileira de Bioinformática e Biologia Computacional (AB3C, https://site.ab3c.org.br/) to participate in the Congresso Brasileiro de Bioinformática 2025 (June 3-6, 2025) (https://www.even3.com.br/xmeeting-2025/).
Activities and Programs That Demonstrate the Advancement of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
• 2026-29: With the support of SoiBio, several research groups from 11 countries in the region have obtained a new Grant from CYTED (www.cyted.org) for a cooperative research Network in Iberoamerica called "RIABIA-pro = Red Iberoamericana de Prospectiva en Inteligencia Artificial para Biociencias y Biotecnología" (526RT0199) (https://www.cyted.org/web_redes.php?id_rede=595). This new Network will contribute to the advancement of bioinformatics and computational biology in Latin America, with a particular focus on using and applying of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) to the field of Biosciences and Biotechnology.
• 2026: ISCB-Latin America, SoiBio and SPBBC International Conference on Bioinformatics 2026, to be held in LIMA (PERU), from the 9th to the 13th of November 2026 (https://www.iscb.org/latam2026/home). This Conference on Bioinformatics organized by ISCB together with the Sociedad Iberoamericana de Bioinformatica (SoIBio) y la Sociedad Peruana de Bioinformática y Biología Computacional (SPBBC) aims to promote scientific and professional exchange in bioinformatics across Latin America. Bioinformatics brings together scientists from different disciplines, such as Biology, Computer Science, Informatics, Genomics, Mathematics, Statistics, Ecology, Medicine, etc, to solve relevant biological questions. This conference will provide a forum for rich interaction and to showcase scientific developments. Importantly, this event will help the Bioinformatics community strengthen interactions within Latin America, a region that has shown great potential in the area. Moreover, scientists with no or very little knowledge on bioinformatics will have the opportunity to learn about the new findings in the development of high-end tools for the analysis of their biological data.
These events will be announced in:
https://www.iscb.org/
https://www.iscb.org/latam2026/home
http://soibio.org/
Last Updated 2026-03-10 11:50:49
Contact
Jenea Adams
jenea@blackwomencompbio.org
3675 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Geographical Area Included
International
Leadership Structure
Board of Directors, Officers, Core team
Election Process
Application and voting by core team/officers
Election Frequency
1-2 year terms
Member Benefits
Internal communication board, bi-monthly updates, merch discounts, access to member database, member socials, member grant programs, networking opportunities, workshops and training opportunities, community.
Goals
BWCB serves Black women in computational biology, which is a discipline that combines mathematics, computer science, and other computational methods to analyze and identify novel findings in large-scale biological data. The field often interfaces with translational research, including genomics, drug development, and clinical trials, through approaches spanning data science, machine learning, and software development, to name a few. Computational biology continues to facilitate rapid development in medicine and human health, including the fast discovery and analysis of the ever-evolving SARS-CoV2 protein family, which catapulted vaccine development at exceptional scales. The computational biology field is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 20% by 2027; however, it is estimated that only 2% of this crucial workforce is Black, and 20% are women. Our community proudly represents trailblazing scientists at the intersection of these identities.
BWCB currently has 380+ members, over 60% are in North America, and the remaining represent a wide array of African, European, and South American countries. Most members are currently at or beyond immediate post-graduate level education, with computer science, molecular biology, and computational biology among the top three degree programs pursued by our members. Most non-student employed members work as research scientists, analysts, and engineers or hold leadership positions such as faculty, directors, or industry/biotech group leaders.
To date, we’ve grown a broad internal and external audience across the field through science communication, such as seminars highlighting Black computational biologists, career-focused podcasts, and editorials. We’ve held internal networking events of various formats and facilitated journal clubs where members regularly discuss and practice analyzing current topics in the field with like-minded and supportive attendees. Since January 2020, we’ve mediated several connections of members to employment opportunities, graduate programs, and long-lasting peer and mentoring contacts. These key initiatives positively impact the success and retention of Black women in the computational biology field. Our mission allows us to fortify our platform to amplify this story and combat the erasure of these scientists.
Activities
Town Hall on Opportunities for Allyship in Computational Biology (60 registrants)
#BlackInCompBio Seminar Series: Leah Guthrie PhD (23 registrants)
#BlackInCompBio Seminar Series: Ava Amini, PhD (28 registrants)
#BlackInCompBio Seminar Series: Ariangela Kozik, PhD (19 registrants)
#BlackInCompBio Workshop: Jasmine Baker, PhD; Get Started with OpenCravat: A Tutorial for Annotating Genomic Variants with Hands-on Demonstrations and Real Data (45 registrants)
Town Hall: Future-Proofing CompBio (32 registrants)
Nextflow workshop series Day 0: Command Line for Bioinformatics (32 registrants)
Nextflow workshop series Day 1: Getting started with workflows for bioinformatics (part 1; 18 registrants)
Nextflow workshop series Day 2: Getting started with workflows for bioinformatics (part 2; 16 registrants)
Various social events for members and affiliated scientists
Connect Circles: Connect Circles brought together Members and Supporters in dynamic "networking pods", going beyond surface-level interaction and using the power of community to grow professional networks. Participants met monthly and built personal connections to other computational biologists across various professional stages.
We also had an internal mentoring program that made at least 10 successful matches this past year.
Finally, our grant program provided travel funds (USD 1000) and workshop registration (USD 600) funds to 3 members this year. The program is open to all active BWCB members and helps to reduce the burden of participation for members of all professional stages. All awards last year happened to go to members outside of the US, which meant for an incredibly impactful start for us.
In our monthly newsletter, we also promoted ISCB membership and offered support for members interested in attending ISCB-affiliated conferences. We were able to send our leadership team to both ISMB and RECOMB and support local meetups and events for local members and women in compbio in 2024 (see here: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7208510738934497281)
Activities and Programs That Demonstrate the Advancement of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
We plan to continue our mentorship program and will open applications for our grant programs in a few weeks. We also have a series of diverse workshops planned during each quarter of this year and will continue partnering with various entities to deliver high-quality up-skilling opportunities to our community. Our Town Halls have historically been "mini-summits" where we rally people in the broader compbio community around important topics at the intersection of our science and society -- we plan to continue those as well (at least twice per year).
Last Updated 2026-03-18 11:22:13