10th Annual Arkansas Bioinformatics Consortium Approaches

From Feb. 26 – 27, the Arkansas Bioinformatics Consortium (AR-BIC) will meet at the Wyndham Riverfront in North Little Rock. The two-day event, which was first launched to foster collaboration among the state’s bioinformatics community, has grown in both scope and size since its inception in 2014. 

“More than two hundred people attend AR-BIC, and we expect those numbers to grow every year,” said Bryan J. Barnhouse, President and CEO of ARA, a sponsor of AR-BIC. “This is the most important gathering of the bioinformatics community in the region, which is reflected by the quality of speakers that headline the event.”

This year, FDA Chief Scientist and Principal Deputy Director Dr. Namandjé Bumpus serves as the event’s keynote speaker along with National Institute of Environment Health Science (NIEHS) Director Dr. Richard Woychik. These renowned experts in their respective fields are joined by several other leaders in science and discovery, including Dr. Thomas Hartung of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Dr. Shuk-Mei Ho of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Dr. Li Shin of Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Ruth Roberts, Director of Drug Discovery at the University of Birmingham, UK.

“AR-BIC brings together some of the most important voices in bioinformatics worldwide,” Barnhouse said. “It’s an essential meeting not just for academic professionals, but students and members of the business community as well.”

This year’s AR-BIC theme is “Real-World Impact of AI,” with discussions centered on the significant mark artificial intelligence is making in the field of bioinformatics. Dr. Tong believes that AI can help advance research related to an infinite number of research disciplines. 

“Bioinformatics is reliant on an incredible amount of data. AI is a ground-breaking tool that helps us interpret data and create scientific models that have real-world benefits to our quality of life,” Barnhouse said. “Attendees of AR-BIC can expect to learn and understand just where AI is taking science, and how it will impact discoveries moving forward.” 

In addition to speakers and breakout sessions, AR-BIC will once again sponsor its popular Poster Contest, which affords cash prizes to undergrad students, graduate students and postdocs. 

“It’s a rewarding experience to see what the next generation of academics brings to the table,” Barnhouse said, regarding the poster contest. “AR-BIC has become a must-attend event for college students, and the poster contest is a big part of that.”

Registration for AR-BIC is now open.

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