Call for Applications: RevBayes NIMBioS Tutorial: Bayesian Inference of Phylogeny

[Catherine Crawley]

The National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS) is now accepting applications for its Tutorial, "RevBayes: Bayesian Inference of Phylogeny," to be held August 7-11, 2017, at NIMBioS.

Objectives:  This course features RevBayes, an exciting new program for Bayesian inference of phylogeny. RevBayes is the successor to the popular program MrBayes, but represents both a complete rewrite of the computer code and a fundamental re-conception of phylogenetic models. Specifically, RevBayes adopts a 'graphical-model' framework that views all statistical models as comprised of components that can be assembled in myriad configurations to explore a corresponding array of questions. This graphical-model approach to phylogenetic inference provides effectively infinite flexibility. Moreover, the graphical models are specified using an R-like language, Rev, that empowers users to construct arbitrarily complex phylogenetic models from simple component parts (i.e. random variables, parameter transformations and constants of different sorts).

This course is focused on phylogenetic trees and comparative-phylogenetic methods, including divergence-time estimation, morphological evolution, lineage diversification, and historical biogeography. Instruction is based on a combination of carefully tailored lectures introducing the theoretical and conceptual basis of each inference problem and hands-on computer tutorials demonstrating how to explore these questions using RevBayes (see http://revbayes.github.io/tutorials.html).

Participants are not assumed to have expertise in phylogenetic theory; rather, we provide an accessible introduction to Bayesian statistical inference and stochastic models. We assume only that the students are familiar with phylogenetic trees and their applications to evolutionary biology. We therefore anticipate that this course will be most suitable for senior PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty who want to learn these techniques.

Location: NIMBioS at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Instructors: Bastien Boussau, CNRS Researcher, Univ. of Lyon; Emma Goldberg, Assistant Professor, Univ. of Minnesota; Tracy A. Heath, Assistant Professor, Iowa State Univ.; Sebastian Höhna, Postdoc, Univ. of California, Berkeley; John Huelsenbeck, Professor, Univ. of California, Berkeley; Brian Moore, Professor, Univ. of California, Davis; April M. Wright, Postdoc, Iowa State Univ.

For more information about the tutorial and a link to the online application form, go to http://www.nimbios.org/tutorials/TT_revbayes

Registration Fee: $500 for faculty and postdocs and $350 for students, payable upon acceptance of application.

Participation in NIMBioS tutorials is by application only. Individuals with a strong interest in the topic are encouraged to apply, and successful applicants will be notified within three weeks after the application deadline.

Application deadline: May 14, 2017 (applications received after the deadline will be considered if space is available)

The National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS) (http://www.nimbios.org) brings together researchers from around the world to collaborate across disciplinary boundaries to investigate solutions to basic and applied problems in the life sciences. NIMBioS is sponsored by the National Science Foundation, with additional support from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

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Catherine Crawley, Ph.D.
Communications Manager
National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS) 
University of Tennessee 
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