15–17 Sept 2025
CERN
Europe/Zurich timezone
You're staying longer in Geneva? We might have something for you: The CERN library, together with the Association of International Librarians and Information Specialists (AILIS), is organising a library science talk on the role of a research library supporting research data management: https://indico.cern.ch/event/1575822/

Building and sustaining a Community of computational biologists at EMBL through Consulting, Training, and Infrastructure

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17 Sept 2025, 10:15
45m
80/R-001 Globe of Science and Innovation Ground Floor (CERN)

80/R-001 Globe of Science and Innovation Ground Floor

CERN

Demo Open Science for All: Skills & Community Demo Sessions

Speaker

Lisanna Paladin (European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL))

Description

Collaboration is essential in computational biology, where interdisciplinary approaches drive innovation and address complex challenges. At the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), the Data Science Internal Support (DaSIS) strengthens this collaboration through four key pillars: consulting, training, infrastructure, and community building.
Consulting is central to our work, providing expert guidance on challenges ranging from statistical analysis and mathematical modeling to coding and project management. By connecting researchers with domain-specific experts across EMBL, we help facilitate impactful, collaborative projects.
Training empowers researchers to thrive in a fast-evolving landscape. We offer hybrid workshops, self-paced resources, and focused sessions on topics like programming, visualization, and machine learning. Our approach balances accessibility with depth, helping scientists stay at the forefront of their fields.
Robust infrastructure supports our mission. We maintain tools such as coding platforms, version control systems, and cloud-based environments tailored to bioinformatics. Combined with collaborative and communication platforms, these ensure seamless research workflows.
Community unites these efforts. We foster engagement through meetups, clubs, and knowledge-sharing forums that encourage connection, collaboration, and lasting professional networks.
While our work is rooted in life sciences, the challenges and strategies are relevant across disciplines. We share our approach at the Open Science Fair to promote broader dialogue on effective research support and to learn from others. Crucially, we advocate for research support as a vital, rewarding career in academia. By highlighting this work, we hope to inspire conversations about career development, institutional priorities, and how to better recognize and integrate support roles into the scientific ecosystem.

Tagline

Empowering research through consulting, training, infrastructure, and community at EMBL.

Keywords Computational Biology, Research Support, Education and Infrastructure, Open Science Community

Authors

Eva-Maria Geissen (European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)) Isabela Paredes Cisneros (European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)) Jacobo Miranda (European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)) Lisanna Paladin (European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)) Renato Alves (European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)) Sarah Kaspar (European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL))

Presentation materials