Fall Symposium
Center for Biomedical Data Science
The Center for Biomedical Data Science (CBDS) is joint research initiative through the University of Oregon (UO) and Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), dedicated to using advanced data science to understand biological systems across all scales.
CBDS Fall Symposium
Towards the Integration of Novel Models and Artificial Intelligence in the Biosciences
An in-person, one-day symposium on October 15th, 2026, at the University of Oregon's Knight Campus, featuring keynote talks and workshops to nucleate new research projects, connect researchers with CBDS seed funding, and build a statewide network positioning Oregon teams to compete for future funding together.
Registration closing date October 8th
SPEAKERS
KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
Gary Bader, Ph.D. Professor, The Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research and Departments of Molecular Genetics and Computer Science, University of Toronto; Ontario Research Chair in Biomarkers of Disease Management
Title: Mapping the Multiscale Human
Beth Plale, Ph.D. Executive Director, School of Computer and Data Sciences, and Professor of Computer Science, University of Oregon
Title: Vision for Computer and Data Sciences at the University of Oregon
Ruben Rathnasingham, Ph.D. Executive Director, Jen-Hsun Huang and Lori Mills Huang Collaborative Innovation Complex, Oregon State University
Trevor McGill, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Division of Neuroscience, ONPRC Research Associate Professor, Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University
Title: From Cells to Primates: Integrating NAMs Across the Translational Continuum
Luiz Bertassoni, D.D.S, Ph.D. Professor, Division of Oncological Sciences, School of Medicine, and Founding Director, Knight Cancer Precision Biofabrication Hub, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University
Bob Guldberg, Ph.D. Vice President and Robert and Leona DeArmond Executive Director, Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact, University of Oregon
Title: CBDS and the Future of the Knight Campus
Round 1
Seed Funding Projects
Project 1
Knowledge Graph-Regularized Reinforcement Learning for Tumor Microenvironment Spatial Omics
Laura Heiser, Xubo Song, Guanming Wu, Thanh Nguyen and Thien Nguyen
Project 2
Integrating Machine Learning, Spatial Transcriptomics, and Organs-on-a-Chip to Define Immune Hubs as Key Drivers of Squamous Cell Carcinoma Progression
Cristiane Franca, Paul Dalton and Jake Searcy
Project 3
Joint Embedding for Multi-modal Cancer Data
Xubo Song, Jake Searcy and Kyle Ellrott
About the Event
Bridging Disciplines, Building Networks
The landscape of research funding is rapidly evolving, with growing emphasis on New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) and the integration of data science tools, including machine learning and AI, into biological research. The CBDS Fall Symposium is a one-day event designed to bring together researchers, from life sciences and bioengineering to computer science and data science, who are already working at this intersection, or who are eager to explore it. We welcome broad participation across disciplines and career stages.
The symposium will feature short research talks and facilitated working group sessions to nucleate new research projects, connect researchers with seed funding opportunities through CBDS, and build a statewide network of scientists with complementary skills and expertise. The goal is to build teams across Oregon that are better positioned to bridge gaps and compete for future funding together. Presentations will come from current CBDS seed fund awardees and leaders at the University of Oregon, Oregon Health & Science University, and Oregon State University, as well as a keynote talk focused on the integrations of NAMs and AI.
Agenda
Symposium Schedule
Time | Session |
|---|---|
9:30–10:00 AM | Coffee |
10:00–10:15 AM | Opening remarks Bill Cresko, Xubo Song and Emek Demir – Welcome and Goals for the Day |
10:15–11:00 AM | Morning session talks – Seed Fund Awardees (10-minute talks, 5 minutes for questions) 10:15–10:30 AM – Joint Embedding for Multi-modal Cancer Data 10:30–10:45 AM – Knowledge Graph-Regularized Reinforcement Learning for Tumor Microenvironment Spatial Omics 10:45–11:00 AM – Integrating Machine Learning, Spatial Transcriptomics, and Organs-on-a-Chip to Define Immune Hubs as Key Drivers of Squamous Cell Carcinoma Progression |
11:00–11:30 AM | Coffee break |
11:30 AM–12:15 PM | Keynote Address Mapping the Multiscale Human |
12:15–1:30 PM | Lunch |
1:30–2:30 PM | Afternoon session talks – Opportunities for Collaboration across Oregon (10-minute talks, 5 minutes for questions) 1:30–1:45 PM – The Huang Collaborative Innovation Complex at Oregon State University 1:45–2:00 PM – Vision for Computer and Data Sciences at the University of Oregon 2:00–2:15 PM – The Knight Campus Precision BioFabrication Hub 2:15–2:30 PM – From Cells to Primates: Integrating NAMs Across the Translational Continuum |
2:30–3:15 PM | Coffee break |
3:15–5:00 PM | Planning sessions 3:15–4:15 PM – Breakout session meetings |
5:00–6:30 PM | Social mixer |
Join Us
Save Your Spot
Space is limited for this in-person symposium at the Knight Campus. Register today to connect with researchers across Oregon and explore new opportunities at the intersection of AI and the biosciences.