Workshop 2024 Announcement
THE 2024 IN-PERSON INTERNATIONAL STATISTICAL GENETIC (ISG) WORKSHOP FOR HUMAN COMPLEX TRAITS: THE LATENT GENETICS COURSE
ADVANCE NOTICE
MARCH 4th – MARCH 8th, 2024
The next ISG workshop will be held in Boulder, Colorado, March 4th-8th 2024. The course is planned to include sessions on the biometrical model, structural equation modeling, path analysis, maximum likelihood, univariate twin models, sex limitation, G×E interaction, LD score regression, polygenic scores, model assumption evaluation, genetic nurture and G×E covariance, multivariate genetic analyses, genomicSEM, causal modeling, Mendelian randomization, longitudinal models, and discussion of responsible conduct of research, among others. Software will include R, OpenMx, PLINK, and GCTA. For more information, see https://www.colorado.edu/ibg/workshop.
Hands-on analysis will be emphasized, using students’ own laptops or ones we provide. Participants are strongly advised to have familiarity with R programming before attending the workshop. For those not familiar with R or wishing to brush up on topics to be presented at the workshop, see our persistent online content from previous workshops available at https://www.colorado.edu/ibg/isgw-online.
Planning Committee for the 2024 ISG workshop:
- Hermine Maes (Academic Director, 2024 latent genetics workshop)
- Michel Nivard (Associate Director, 2024 latent genetics workshop)
- Ben Neale (Academic Director, 2025 molecular genetics workshop)
- Dave Evans (Associate Director, 2025 molecular genetics workshop)
- Sarah Medland (Director of Online Content and Academic Director, 2026 virtual workshop)
- Abdel Abdellaoui (Associate Director of Online Content and Associate Director, 2026 virtual workshop)
- Matthew Keller (Principal Investigator)
- Jeffrey Lessem (IT director)
The outstanding international faculty roster is planned to include Hermine Maes, Ben Neale, David Evans, Sarah Medland, Michel Nivard, Andrew Grotzinger, Abdel Abdellaoui, Meike Bartels, Liz Prom, Michael Hunter, Brad Verhulst, Jose Morosoli Garcia, Katrina Grasby, Tim Bates, Matthew Keller and others.
Financial support for this workshop is provided by the National Institute of Mental Health grant MH19918 and our corporate sponsor, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.
Registration
Registration will open at noon GMT on October 23rd, 2023. The registration fee is $600 for individuals with an academic appointment and $1000 for individuals with non-academic positions. This fee is payable at the time of registration using a credit card at the Eventbrite workshop page (https://2024-ISGWorkshop.eventbrite.com). CU Boulder affiliates will be directly charging your registration cost to a speedtype, so please contact the workshop coordinator (IBGworkshop@colorado.edu) for a promo code prior to registering.
Registration will open at noon GMT on October 23rd, 2023. The registration fee is $600 for individuals with an academic appointment and $1000 for individuals with non-academic positions. This fee is payable at the time of registration using a credit card at the Eventbrite workshop page (https://2024-ISGWorkshop.eventbrite.com). CU Boulder affiliates will be directly charging your registration cost to a speedtype, so please contact the workshop coordinator (IBGworkshop@colorado.edu) for a promo code prior to registering.
Cancellations after February 14th, 2024 will be non-refundable. Additional information about the schedule, registration, and course materials is available at https://www.colorado.edu/ibg/workshop-2024 or from the workshop coordinator (IBGworkshop@colorado.edu).
Travel
You should make your own travel plans; please see our website for further information on the hotel, air and ground transportation: https://www.colorado.edu/ibg/isg-workshop/2024-international-statistical-genetics-workshop/workshop-2024-venue-travel-and-lodging.
You should make your own travel plans; please see our website for further information on the hotel, air and ground transportation: https://www.colorado.edu/ibg/isg-workshop/2024-international-statistical-genetics-workshop/workshop-2024-venue-travel-and-lodging.
Venue & Lodging
The workshop will be held at the St. Julien Hotel, located in downtown Boulder a block from the shops and dining on the historic Pearl Street pedestrian mall. Most students choose to stay at the St. Julien. The workshop will have a limited number of student rooms available at a special rate of $210 per night for a single or double which is a fantastic price for a hotel in Boulder. Attendees unable to get a room at the St. Julien, or who choose not to, may stay at other nearby locations, including the Hotel Boulderado, the Boulder University Inn, the Foot of the Mountain Inn, and numerous short-term rentals (Airbnb, Vrbo, etc.).
The workshop will be held at the St. Julien Hotel, located in downtown Boulder a block from the shops and dining on the historic Pearl Street pedestrian mall. Most students choose to stay at the St. Julien. The workshop will have a limited number of student rooms available at a special rate of $210 per night for a single or double which is a fantastic price for a hotel in Boulder. Attendees unable to get a room at the St. Julien, or who choose not to, may stay at other nearby locations, including the Hotel Boulderado, the Boulder University Inn, the Foot of the Mountain Inn, and numerous short-term rentals (Airbnb, Vrbo, etc.).
There will be an informal welcome reception on Sunday evening, March 3rd, from 4:00-8:00 p.m. There will be another reception on Monday evening from 5:30-8:00 p.m. at the hotel. You are invited to join us for drinks and hors d'oeuvres before you go off for dinner. These are excellent opportunities for colleagues to informally discuss ideas. In addition, there will be a poster session on Wednesday evening (please bring a poster to display if you wish), and a farewell party on Friday evening, March 8th so plan accordingly if you want to attend.
The workshop begins at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, March 4th, in the Xanadu Ballroom of the hotel, and ends at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 8th. The registration desk will open at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 3rd and again at 7:30 a.m. on Monday, March 4th for participants to check-in. Note that there are also optional sessions at 8:00 a.m. most days, including the first Monday morning. Breakfast, lunch and mid-morning and mid-afternoon coffee breaks will be provided. Breakfast will be held at 8:00 a.m. outside of the Xanadu Ballroom; this is also where the mid-morning and mid-afternoon breaks will be held. This year we will also provide buffet lunches every day for your convenience. You will be on your own for dinner, which can be obtained in the hotel or nearby shops and restaurants conveniently located in Downtown Boulder.
For those of you staying over before or after the workshop, we make no special social or other arrangements for you. However, as you will very quickly discover if you do not already know, Boulder offers a wide variety of recreational opportunities both in the town and further in the plains, foothills, and Rocky Mountains. Most people associate the area with outdoor activities, but Boulder is also well served by its restaurants, bookshops, coffee shops, breweries, and pubs. At this time of year, skiing is a favorite activity. The nearest ski area, Eldora, is only 30 minutes away by car or bus, and the world-class resorts of Vail, Breckenridge, Keystone, Copper Mountain, and others are about 2 hours by car. Rocky Mountain National Park is just an hour away.
ISG Workshop Financial Aid
To increase diversity at the workshop, financial support is available for those (a) from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, and individuals from socially, culturally, economically, or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds and/or (b) who can demonstrate financial hardship that would affect their ability to attend the workshop. This financial aid is in the form of a reduced registration rate (from $600 to $200). In addition, for U.S. citizens and permanent residents who meet these criteria, the financial aid will also cover up to $1,000 of your workshop attendance costs (in the form of a $1,000 reimbursement check; receipts must be turned in to IBGworkshop@colorado.edu after the workshop).
To increase diversity at the workshop, financial support is available for those (a) from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, and individuals from socially, culturally, economically, or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds and/or (b) who can demonstrate financial hardship that would affect their ability to attend the workshop. This financial aid is in the form of a reduced registration rate (from $600 to $200). In addition, for U.S. citizens and permanent residents who meet these criteria, the financial aid will also cover up to $1,000 of your workshop attendance costs (in the form of a $1,000 reimbursement check; receipts must be turned in to IBGworkshop@colorado.edu after the workshop).
To apply, applicants should register for the workshop first (https://2024-ISGWorkshop.eventbrite.com) and then fill out the scholarship application form here: https://forms.gle/hRtkKFLZoampjokF9. Applicants will need to upload a current CV and a letter from their supervisor attesting that they meet the financial aid qualifications. The deadline for applying for financial aid is November 30, 2023. We will notify applicants of our decision in early December, at which time recipients will receive a $400 credit (reducing the registration fee to $200). We are restricted to providing 10 scholarships in 2024. Note that all registrants have the option to cancel their registration before February 14, 2024 for a full refund (minus a $30 Eventbrite charge).
Please note that the ISG workshop financial aid is different than the International Scholarship and Cultural Exchange Program (ISCEP), an all-expense paid scholarship that funds three international students from developing countries to attend the workshop, made possible by a generous donation from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. Individuals who were not awarded the ISCEP scholarship may still apply for financial aid (recipients of the ISCEP scholarship should not apply).