ComBi Symposium December 18, 2009, Turku Castle

Graduate School in Computational Biology, Bioinformatics and Biometry ComBi has successfully funded and guided dozens of doctoral students in 1998-2009. As of January 1, 2010, ComBi will merge into the new Finnish Graduate School on Computational Sciences FICS.

To celebrate the final moments of ComBi, we arrange a symposium on December 18, 2009, in the medieval Turku Castle.

We will have several keynote speakers:
David Balding, Professor of Statistical Genetics, University College London: Statistical Issues for Genome-Wide Association Studies and Beyond
Peter Jagers, Professor of Mathematical Statistics, Chalmers University of Technology: Persistence and Extinction
Ziheng Yang, Professor of Statistical Genetics, University College London
In addition, local spokesmen and -women from ComBi and FICS will give presentations.
The symposium ends with a delicious renaissance style dinner in the castle.

Tentative time table:

Friday 18 December:
9.00 Bus transport from Helsinki (Mikonkatu charter bus stop at Rautatientori / Railway Station Square)
11.00 Arrival at Turku Castle, Linnankatu 80
11.00 Sandwich lunch at Turku Castle
11.45 - 17.00 Presentations at Turku Castle, Bryggman Hall
11.45 Jukka Corander: Opening words
12.00 David Balding: Statistical Issues for Genome-Wide Association Studies and Beyond
13.00 Peter Jagers: Persistence and Extinction
14.00 Coffee break
14.30 Ziheng Yang: Over-confident Bayesian & molecular phylogenetics
15.30 Jukka Corander: Are you of my lot and how could I tell? Principles of predictive classification revisited
16.20 Ella Bingham and Heikki Lokki: ComBi's merge into FICS
17.00 Bus transport to the hotel Radisson Marina Palace (Linnankatu 32) for those staying overnight, to check-in and dress-up for the dinner
17.45 Bus transport back to Turku Castle
18.00 Renaissance Dinner at Turku Castle, Queen's Hall
22.00 Bus transport to the hotel

Saturday 19 December:
9.00 Bus transport from Turku (Radisson Marina Palace, Linnankatu 32) to Helsinki
11.00 Arrival in Helsinki

The seminar and dinner are open to all ComBi and FICS students, supervisors, and affiliated people. At this point of time, we can only take new registrations for the seminar but not for the dinner or the hotel. The registration form can be found here.

About the expenses: 
ComBi offers the seminar and dinner to all participants.
In addition, those not living near Turku are offered to stay overnight at Radisson Marina Palace. (The students are expected to stay in double rooms).
Those living in Helsinki region can join the bus transport to Turku and back.
Those living far away from Turku or Helsinki can take public transport to Turku and back, and charge the expenses from ComBi.
Those not willing to stay overnight can take public transport back home and charge the expenses from ComBi.   
All expenses of the keynote speakers are of course covered by ComBi.