#NAT2020 (FY 2019) is in action! please find class updates from this link!

#NAT_3rd season (FY 2018) participants! please find class updates from this link!

#NAT_2nd (FY 2017) participants! please find class updates from this link!

In the spring of 2017, I started an educational program named EIBDG (Education Initiative in Big Data Genomics) (I wish I could think of better name though! ;). Below is some paragraphs explaining what EIBDG is.

There is a growing need for biomedical researchers to obtain skills in Big Data Science. As Director of Penn State College of Medicine Genome Sciences and Bioinformatics Core (http://med.psu.edu/core/genomics, http://med.psu.edu/core/informatics), I strive to support all level of scientists in conducting Big Data analysis in the context of genomics research. The common strategies for basic/clinical researchers in getting help in Big Data Genomics is either ordering services to specialists (including my Core) or hiring your own bioinformatician. Both costs significant expense while it is often not satisfying researchers’ needs since there is a fundamental conceptual gap between biologists and bioinformaticians (they both use ‘different languages’). To fill this gap, I propose to educate any level of biomedical researchers and increase proficiencies in handling and interpreting Big Data Genomics. Various external organizations provide such training courses but they cost money and time, and faculties and staffs are often not eligible. In order to overcome these obstacles, I will provide below 2 components under the EIBDG effort:

1. “encyclopedia” educational tools that are free/open to public and intuitive for any level of learners (a web-based massive collection of Linux/R commands you can use by copying/pasting).
2. tutorial courses to any interested audiences to facilitate the use of these tools and promote proficiencies in Big Data Genomics.

As a start-up for the component 2, I am giving a hands-on training course to my existing users in the spring of 2017, which has been a great success (the course was names as “NAT (Next-generation sequencing Analysis Training)”). The call for fall sessions will be released soon. Please inquire Director for more details on the NAT course or private hands-on training services.

Thank you!!!

PS (new as of Aug 2018); My EIBDG project got two consecutive years of funding support from AFF (Association of Faculty and Friends at Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Penn State College of Medicine)!!! Thank you very much, AFF, for your generous support!!!