Brown CS News

Now in its twelfth year, the Festival of Genomics, Biodata and AI is widely considered one of the world’s most prominent life sciences conferences. Its goal is to create a dynamic and truly inclusive gathering of scientists and clinicians, all with a focus on leveraging innovative technologies and rapidly translating research into better outcomes for patients with serious illnesses. At this year’s Boston event, Brown University’s James A. and Julie N. Brown Professor of Computational and Mathematical Sciences and Professor of Computer Science Sorin Istrail will be joining two other thought leaders in the field for a keynote panel in memory of genomics pioneer Craig Venter, Sorin’s colleague and friend.

"In my interview at Celera Genomics with Craig Venter," Sorin remembers, "I asked Craig what is the role of algorithms at Celera. Without a second of hesitation, he answered, 'Algorithms are the make-or-break of Celera.'"

In October of 2023, Craig gave an opening keynote for SorinFest: Phase Transitions in Computer Science and Computational Biology, a John von Neumann Distinguished Lecture: "The past, the present and the future of genomics"

The Festival of Genomics, Biodata and AI panel (“Reading & rewriting life: A reflection on the impact of the human genome project and the future of genomics”), to be held on June 4, will reflect on one of the most transformative scientific achievements in modern history, the race to sequence the human genome, and ask where genomics is going next. Topics will include the following:

• The impact and legacy of the Human Genome Project
• How genomics has accelerated since, from sequencing technologies to AI-powered analysis
• What is now possible, from diploid genomics to genome design
• What excites these pioneers most about the future of the field

Sorin’s fellow panelists will be George Church, Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School, and Mark Adams, Professor and Interim Scientific Director at The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine.

A member of the Brown CS faculty since 2005, Sorin was a key architect of the computational efforts behind the Human Genome Project, helping solve some of the era’s biggest data challenges. His work now applies advanced computational science to practical medical problems, including diploid genomics, haplotype reconstruction and GWAS, the regulatory genome and gene regulatory networks, and protein folding theory and algorithms.

For more information, click the link that follows to contact Brown CS Communications Manager Jesse C. Polhemus.