From June 12–15, the Center for Biomedical Data Science (CBDS) hosted its inaugural workshop, designed to equip experimental scientists with the data science skills needed to advance their research. The workshop focused on single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), a powerful technique where the RNA of individual cells is sequenced, providing a readout of gene expression across cells.
The workshop aimed to give graduate students and postdoctoral scholars the computational skills to incorporate these approaches into their own research. Participants began with an introduction to computational tools and best practices, designed to be accessible for beginners. The rest of the workshop covered experimental design principles, and had participants work through a shared dataset, gaining hands-on experience with the full analytical pipeline.
More than 15 participants completed the training, representing bioengineering and other departments across campus.
"It was incredibly rewarding to see some participants go from computational beginners to working through real scRNA-seq analyses by the end of the week," said Shannon Snyder, a PhD candidate in the Cresko Lab who helped organize and facilitate the workshop. "That kind of progress, and gain in confidence, in just a few days is exactly what we were hoping for."
CBDS is a joint research initiative between the University of Oregon and Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), dedicated to applying advanced data science methods to understand biological systems at every scale. The workshop reflects CBDS's commitment to training the next generation of biomedical data scientists.
Looking ahead, CBDS plans to expand the workshop series to cover related technologies and continue broadening data science training opportunities for students across UO and OHSU.
-
June 16, 2026