Ascona Workshop 2022: Pre-​registration is now open

The data revolution in biology of the last two decades, driven by progress in genomics, imaging and other high-​throughput technologies, and by progress in computing, has led to breathtaking advances in our ability to understand biological systems through inductive means, viz. pattern recognition, machine learning, and statistical modelling. On the other hand, theoretical biology is an established field following a deductive approach, where inspired by the success of physics, the dynamics of biological systems are described by mathematical models. Arguably, theory has been outpaced by the rapid developments in big-​data biology. This workshop aims to bring together scientists from both sides, and in particular those working on the interface between them, to fuel a renewed effort in closing the loop between induction and deduction which is so essential for scientific progress. Specifically, we will (i) explore recent advances and open problems in mathematical modeling of biological systems comprising both approaches based on first principles and on large high-​dimensional data sets; (ii) identify opportunities and challenges for these two approaches to benefit from each other or even to converge; and (iii) facilitate meaningful interactions between engineering, biomedical, and quantitative researchers of both camps.

For more information visit https://bsse.ethz.ch/cbg/cbg-news/ascona-2022.html.