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ASM BIG '26

ASM BIG Scientific Program

The ASM Bioinformatics, Genomics and Big Data Conference (ASM BIG) brings together researchers, bioinformaticians and data experts to explore the latest advances in genomics, bioinformatics and data-driven discovery in the microbial sciences. Join leading experts as they share innovative research, emerging technologies and practical applications that are shaping the future of microbiology.

Conference attendees

Program Schedule

All Sessions Are in Eastern time

Note: The following schedule is a long-form comprehensive look at the meeting, including session times, speakers and topics. Continental breakfast will be provided on Oct. 12-14, and luncheon will be provided on Oct. 12 and 13. 

For a quick overview of conference sessions and other events, please visit our Schedule-at-a-Glance.

Jump to Day:

Sunday, Oct. 11
Monday, Oct. 12
Tuesday, Oct. 13
Wednesday, Oct. 14

Sunday, Oct. 11

4–6 p.m.

Opening Keynote Session

  • 4–4:10 p.m. | Opening Remarks
    Todd Treangen, Ph.D., Rice University, Program Committee Chair

  • 4:10–5 p.m. | Keynote Presentation
    Keynote Speaker: Susan Bullman, Ph.D., University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

  • 5–5:50 p.m. | Genome Language Modeling for Biological Discovery and Design
    Keynote Speaker: Brian Hie, Ph.D., Standford University
5:50–6 p.m.

Tribute Presentation
6–7:30 p.m.

Welcome Reception
 

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Monday, Oct. 12

8–8:30 a.m.

Continental Breakfast
8:30–10 a.m.

Scientific Session I: Epidemiology, From Global to Local Surveillance

Moderator: Jasna Kovac, Ph.D., Penn State University; Anne Piantadosi, M.D., Ph.D., Emory University School of Medicine

  • 8:30–9 a.m. | The Evolutionary Footprints of Microbial Transmission
    Speaker: Samuel Sheppard, Ph.D., University of Oxford

  • 9–9:15 a.m. | Q&A and Discussion

  • 9:15–10 a.m. | Oral Abstract Presentations
10–11:30 a.m.

Poster Session #1 With Refreshments
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Scientific Programming
12:30–1 p.m.

Lunch Buffet
1–2 p.m.

Lunch & Learn Presentation
2–3:30 p.m.

Special Interest Session I

Session Moderator: Todd Treangen, Ph.D., Rice University; Lee Katz, Ph.D., Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)
3:30–5 p.m.

Poster Session #2 With Refreshments
5–6:30 p.m.

Scientific Session II: Multiomics in the Clinic

Session Moderator: Elodie Ghedin, Ph.D., National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Ahmed Moustafa, BPharm, Ph.D., Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Emily Snavely, Ph.D., University of Virginia

  • 5–5:30 p.m. | Resolving Host Response at Cellular Resolution With Multi-Modal Foundation Models
    Invited Speaker: Robert Sebra, Ph.D., Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

  • 5:30–5:45 p.m. | Q&A and Discussion

  • 5:45–6:30 p.m. | Oral Abstract Presentations
 

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Tuesday, Oct. 13

8–8:30 a.m.

Continental Breakfast
8:30–10 a.m.

Scientific Session III: Data Sharing, Visualization & AI

Session Moderator: Arjun Prasad, Ph.D., National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI); Julie Dunning Hotopp, Ph.D., Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland

  • 8:30–9 a.m. | From Data to Discovery: AI-Powered Analysis in BRC Analytics
    Invited Speaker: Michael Shatz, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins

  • 9–9:15 a.m. | Q&A and Discussion

  • 9:15–10 a.m. | Oral Abstract Presentations
10–11:30 a.m.

Poster Session #3 With Refreshments
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Scientific Programming
12:30–1 p.m.

Lunch Buffet
1–2 p.m.

Lunch & Learn Presentation
2–3:30 p.m.

Special Interest Session II

Session Moderator: Julie Dunning Hotopp, Ph.D., Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland; Lee Katz, Ph.D., Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)
3:30–5 p.m.

Poster Session #4 With Refreshments
5–6:30 p.m.

Scientific Session IV: Microbial Ecology, Systems Biology & the Microbiome

Session Moderator: Daria Van Tyne, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh; Timothy Read, Ph.D., Emory University School of Medicine

  • 5–5:30 p.m. | The Genomics of Bacterial Adaptation During Human Infections
    Invited Speaker: Vaughn Cooper, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh

  • 5:30–5:45 p.m. | Q&A and Discussion

  • 5:45–6:30 p.m. | Oral Abstract Presentations
 

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Wednesday, Oct. 14

8–8:30 a.m.

Continental Breakfast
8:30–10 a.m.

Scientific Session V: Methods, Tools & Algorithms

Moderator: Laura Carroll, Ph.D., Umeå University; Todd Treangen, Ph.D., Rice University

  • 8:30–9 a.m. | Computational Challenges in Population-Scale Microbial Genomics
    Invited Speaker: Christina Boucher, Ph.D., University of Florida

  • 9–9:15 a.m. | Q&A and Discussion

  • 9:15–10 a.m. | Oral Abstract Presentations
10–10:15 a.m.

Morning Break
10:15–11:15 a.m.

Scientific Programming
11:15–11:45 a.m.

Meeting Wrap-Up

Julie Dunning Hotopp, Ph.D., Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland
Program Committee Co-Chair

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