Bioinformatics Tools & Tricks: Hands-On Tutorial for Biologists
Do you want to learn how to analyze your data using free tools and web resources? Do you want to try machine learning, artificial intelligence and predictive modelling? We will show you how to accomplish these and many other common analysis tasks within minutes, using popular bioinformatics and statistical software.
Each hands-on tutorial will present a sequence of analysis steps: from choosing the right tools, to analyzing the data, to making publication-quality figures. We will pay particular attention to common pitfalls in using bioinformatics software and web resources.
No prior knowledge of computer programming, statistics or machine learning is required – all necessary concepts will be introduced during the tutorial.
Schedule – Fall 2025
| Date | Time | Topic |
| Tue Sep 9 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm | Introduction to R Programming |
| Tue Sep 16 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm | Data exploration and visualization in R |
| Tue Sep 23 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm | Statistical tests and models in R |
| Mon Sep 29 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm | Introduction to Python Programming |
| Tue Oct 7 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm | Biomedical data and objects in Python |
| Tue Oct 14 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm | Accelerating research with GPU on High Performance Computing Cluster (HPC) |
| Tue Oct 21 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm | Jupyter Notebooks – using Python on the HPC |
| Tue Oct 28 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm | Reproducible data analysis & bioinformatics |
| Tue Nov 4 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm | Introduction to machine learning in R |
| Tue Nov 11 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm | Introduction to deep learning and AI |
| Tue Nov 18 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm | AI applications in proteomics and drug design |
| Tue Nov 25 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm | Deep learning for medical image analysis using PyTorch |
| Tue Dec 2 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm | Genomic data analysis and visualization using Seqr |
| Tue Dec 9 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm | Introduction to bulk and single cell RNA-Seq |
Schedule – Spring 2025
| Date | Time | Topic |
| Tue May 20 | 1 – 4 pm | Python Programming and Data Analysis |
| Tue May 27 | 9 am – 12 pm | R Programming and Data Analysis |
| Tue Jun 3 | 9 am – 12 pm | Introduction to Machine Learning and AI |
| Wed Jun 4 | 9 am – 12 pm | Analysis of RNA-sequencing Data |
| Fri Jun 6 | 9 am – 12 pm | Long-read Sequencing Applications |
| Tue Jun 17 | 9 am – 12 pm | Introduction to Statistics in R: Part 1 |
| Tue Jun 24 | 9 am – 12 pm | Introduction to Statistics in R: Part 2 |
Schedule – Fall 2024
| Date | Time | Topic |
| Tue Sep 10 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM | Introduction to R programming |
| Tue Sep 17 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM | Data exploration and visualization in R |
| Tue Sep 24 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM | Statistical tests and models in R |
| Thu Oct 3 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM | Introduction to Python Programming |
| Tue Oct 8 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM | Biomedical data and objects in Python |
| Tue Oct 15 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM | Using GPU and High Performance Computing (HPC) |
| Tue Oct 22 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM | Jupyter Notebooks – using Python on the HPC |
| Tue Oct 29 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM | Reproducible data analysis & bioinformatics |
| Tue Nov 5 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM | Introduction to machine learning in R |
| Tue Nov 12 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM | Introduction to deep learning and AI |
| Tue Nov 19 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM | AI applications in proteomics and drug design |
| Tue Nov 26 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM | AI imaging applications using PyTorch |
| Tue Dec 3 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM | Genomic data analysis and visualization using Seqr |
| Tue Dec 10 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM | Introduction to bulk and single cell RNA-Seq |
For registration and more information, please contact Andrei Turinsky (turinsky@sickkids.ca).