Participant Testimonials
The workshop had a great balance of biology and statistical components. The mix of people from different fields contributed to interesting and fruitful discussions during and between sessions. I made new contacts and deepened existing ones. The week also made it possible to move one of my long-term projects forward thanks to one of the other participants. The BIRS workshop with approx 40 people is by far the best setup for network, discussions and scientific creativity that I've ever experienced.
Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco
The workshop assembled some of the most excellent researchers in my field - statistical aspects of genomics, gene regulatory networks, personalized medicine. Talks and the informal interactions during breaks, meals and outdoor activities were extremely stimulating. A number of ideas were exchanged that are likely to affect the future path of our research.
I was very happy with the scientific content of the workshop. The program was particularly well designed, featuring several talented researchers in my field and in connected fields, some of whom I didn't know and will now have a chance to get more familiar with their work.
The BIRS meeting was my first, and I totally enjoyed the experience. The workshop attracted some of the most prestigious and productive scientists in the field as speakers. I got to catch up with many colleagues, and got to make many new friends. The talks are great, the facilities and services are very nice, the environment helps participants socialize. I might be collaborating with Benjamin Haibe-Kains, and during another talk I thought of a good project to try out at my home institution. I would recommend the BIRS conference to anyone in my field, and would love to come back again.
Biostatistics and Computational Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard School of Public Health
This is my first BIRs and it was stellar. Not only did I learn a lot that has helped my research program but two specific collaborations have emerged. One is the application of a Bayesian effect size shrinkage approach to a family genetics studies we currently have been writing up. The other is a statistical model for analysis of differentially expressed genes from high-throughput RNA-sequencing data. Both have advance our ability to analyze complex and high-throughput RNA sequencing data.
I am writing to express my great appreciation to BIRS for hosting the recent workshop on regulatory networks and personalized medicine. The workshop was exceptionally well organized and featured numerous engaging presentations. My own research has already benefitted significantly: following my talk a participant informed me of his previous development of (an obscure) constrained optimization algorithm that is ideally suited to the problem (genome reconstruction) I was exploring. Moreover, another talk detailed methodology (network deconvolution) that dovetails nicely with, and potentially greatly expands, a student's doctoral thesis. I had several informal interactions -- readily facilitated by the fabulous setting -- that I believe will also enrich my research. So, thanks to you and BIRS for enabling a wonderful and fruitful experience.
The BIRS workshop has been very informative. I got to know many cutting edge works, which definitely will have good impact in my own research. I also got to know in person other participants in the workshop, and could potentially form valuable collaboration with them in the future. I talked with quite some students and postdocs in the workshop. I will be happy to hire some of them if they are interested in joining my group later.
