The q-bio Summer School

描述（由申请人提供）：2007年在新墨西哥州洛斯阿拉莫斯成立的年度q-bio暑期学校的目的是通过提供系统和合成生物学中重要的数学，统计和计算技术的培训来推进细胞调控系统的预测建模。第二个目标是促进定量生物学新研究人员的职业发展。该学院包括六个学科的课程：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）合成生物学和6）计算神经科学。对定量生物学培训的需求正在迅速增长，合格的暑期学校申请者人数从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。学校现在有两个校区，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）。每个校区约有30名学生参加，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%是更先进的）和人口统计学（性别，种族，民族和全球地理来源）方面各不相同。学生参加在他们的校园提供的课程的所有核心讲座，以及专业课程的具体讲座，学生了解我的会谈，和其他会谈（例如，会谈侧重于职业技能），并参加动手计算机实验室和辅导项目。经过两个星期的密集，所有的学生聚集在圣达菲为期2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。然后所有学生参加为期4天的q-bio会议，这是一个有超过200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）深入培训特别感兴趣的技术（即，在六个课程科目之一）通过课程特定的讲座，计算机实验室和辅导项目; c）通过讲座和海报展示实践科学交流的多种机会; d）接触前沿研究，以及e）与同行和思想领袖的广泛网络机会。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，确认的讲师包括6名院士。当学生参加q-bio会议时，他们拥有一个强大的社交网络，可以促进互动，思想交流和合作研究的启动。学校的长期目标是改变生物学研究的方式，使生物学成为一个更量化的领域，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界和一些当地机构的大力支持，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.