Two talks at IISER next week
Leelavati Narlikar
Date & Time
Wednesday, 15th January 2025
03:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Venue
Seminar Hall 51, 4th floor, Main Building, IISER Pune
Speaker
Tom Michoel
University of Bergen
Norway
Title
Causal inference in genetics and drug discovery
Abstract
At a time when hypothesis-driven and model-based research are increasingly being replaced by exploratory analysis of large datasets, often using opaque machine learning algorithms, knowing when and how causal conclusions can be drawn from correlations alone is a critical problem. I will give a gentle introduction to the field of causal inference and how it is being applied in drug discovery and development. I will then present examples of how we have used causal inference and population genetics data to identify causal genes and pathways in genome-wide association studies and improve gene expression prediction models in transcriptome-wide association studies.
Date & Time
Thursday, 16th January 2025
02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Venue
Seminar Hall 51, 4th floor, Main Building, IISER Pune
Speaker
Anagha Joshi
University of Bergen
Norway
Title
Data Science and Machine Learning for P3 Medicine
Abstract
Health is arguably one of the most crucial aspects of life, and advancements in medicine have significantly extended human lifespans over the centuries. Since the sequencing of the first human genome over two decades ago, genomic technologies have rapidly evolved, enabling earlier disease detection and stratification for treatment. In this presentation, I will present a few cases where genomics and machine learning are applied for advancing precision medicine. I will also discuss the limitations of these approaches and highlight our limited understanding of human biology, particularly female biology. Finally, I will share recent, concerning health demographic data from India, with significant policy implications.