The q-bio Summer School

描述（由申请人提供）：年度q-bio暑期学校于2007年在NM的Los Alamos成立，目的是通过提供在系统和合成生物学中重要的数学，统计和计算技术方面的培训来推进细胞调节系统的预测建模。第二个目标是促进新接触定量生物学的研究人员的职业发展。该学院包括六个学科：1)随机基因调控，2)细胞信号传导，3)生物分子模拟，4)病毒动力学，5)合成生物学，6)计算神经科学。对定量生物学培训的需求正在迅速增长——有资格申请暑期学校的人数从2010年的不到40人增加到2012年的170多人。为了满足这一需求，我们在2012年扩建了学校，以容纳更多的学生。该学院目前有两个校区，分别位于新墨西哥州圣达菲（课程1-4）和加利福尼亚州圣地亚哥（课程5-6）。每个校区大约有30名学生，在教育背景（数学、工程、物理科学和生物学）、职业水平（约75%是研究生，约20%是博士后，约5%是更高的）和人口统计（性别、种族、民族和全球地理来源）方面各不相同。学生参加学校提供的所有核心课程，以及专业课程讲座，学生认识讲座和其他讲座（例如，专注于职业技能的讲座），并参加动手计算机实验室和指导项目。在密集的两周后，所有学生聚集在圣达菲参加为期两天的q-生物学生研讨会，其中包括学生项目报告，学生海报展示和外部邀请演讲者。然后，所有学生都参加了为期4天的q-bio会议，这是一个有200多名研究人员参加的国际会议。所有q-bio暑期学校的参与者都可以期待以下内容：a)广泛接触定量生物学中使用的数学/统计/计算工具；b)通过特定课程的讲座、计算机实验室和指导项目，对特别感兴趣的技术（即六门课程科目中的一门）进行深入培训；C)通过讲座和海报展示，有多种机会练习科学交流；D)接触前沿研究，e)与同行和思想领袖建立广泛联系的机会。讲师和演讲者包括50多名活跃在定量生物学领域的不同研究人员，其中包括非常杰出的科学家。例如，2013年确认的讲师有6位院士。当学生们参加q-bio会议时，他们已经拥有了一个强大的社会网络，可以促进互动、思想交流和发起合作研究。该学院的长期目标是改变生物研究的进行方式，使生物学成为一个更定量的领域，就像物理和化学一样。在这项工作中，组织者得到了国际定量生物学社区和一些当地机构的大力支持，其中包括两个国家系统生物学中心。然而，为了维持和改善学校，需要额外的财政支持。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The purpose of the Annual q-bio Summer School, founded in 2007 in Los Alamos, NM, is to advance predictive modeling of cellular regulatory systems by providing trtaining in mathematical, statistical, and computational techniques that are important in systems and synthetic biology. A secondary goal is to advance the careers of researchers new to quantitative biology. The school consists of courses in six subjects: 1) stochastic gene regulation, 2) cell signaling, 3) biomolecular simulations, 4) viral dynamics, 5) synthetic biology, and 6) computational neuroscience. Demand for training in quantitative biology is increasing rapidly-the number of qualified summer school applicants increased from fewer than 40 in 2010 to over 170 in 2012. In response to this demand, we expanded the school in 2012 to accommodate more students. The school now takes place at two campuses, in Santa Fe, NM (courses 1-4) and in San Diego, CA (courses 5-6). Approximately 30 students attend at each campus and are diverse in terms of educational background (mathematics, engineering, physical sciences, and biology), career level (~75% are graduate students, ~20% are postdocs, and ~5% are more advanced), and demographics (gender, race, ethnicity, and worldwide geographical origin). Students attend all core lectures in the courses offered at their campus, as well as specialized course-specific lectures, student get-to-know-me talks, and other talks (e.g., talks focused on career skills), and participate in hands-on computer labs and mentored projects. After two intensive weeks, all students gather in Santa Fe for a 2-day q- bio Student Symposium, which features student projects reports, student poster presentations, and external invited speakers. All students then attend the 4-day q-bio Conference, an international conference attended by >200 researchers. All q-bio Summer School participants can expect the following: a) broad exposure to mathematical/statistical/computational tools used in quantitative biology, b) in-depth training in techniques of special interest (i.e., in one of the six course subjects) through course-specific lectures, computer labs, and mentored projects; c) multiple opportunities to practice scientific communication through talks and poster presentations; d) exposure to cutting-edge research, and e) extensive networking opportunities with peers and thought leaders. Lecturers and speakers include more than 50 different researchers active in quantitative biology, including very distinguished scientists. For example, in 2013, confirmed lecturers include six academicians. By the time the students attend the q-bio Conference, they are equipped with a powerful social network that facilitates interactions, idea exchange, and initiation of collaborative research. The long-term goal of the school is to change the way biological research is conducted, making biology a more quantitative field, like physics and chemistry. In this effort, the organizers are supported by significant goodwill from the international quantitative biology community and a number of local institutions, including two national centers for systems biology. However, to maintain and improve the school, additional financial support is required.