Description

The era of big data for biomedical research is here. Massive data sets and cloud-based platforms will enable breakthrough discoveries by overcoming challenges of cost, accessibility, and security. But the idea of wrangling huge data sets and configuring complex tools in an unfamiliar computational environment can seem daunting for all but the most experienced data scientists or computational biologists.Fear not! The effort needed to take your research to the next level is much smaller than you might think.

In this workshop, we will guide you through a research journey with the NHGRI Genomic Data Science Analysis, Visualization and Informatics Lab-space (AnVIL) resource to practice using several interoperable platforms being built for researchers with little or no computational experience.

Through live demonstrations and interactive small-group exercises, you will learn how to:

• Find and access data in the Gen3 platform
• Locate analysis tools in the Dockstore repository
• Bring these data and tools together into a computational workspace in Terra
• Run automated, reproducible analysis pipelines in a powerful cloud computing environment.

While we will work in the context of AnVIL, you will be able to apply your new skills to myriad other genomic-related data sets and tools. And the best part is you will learn how to do all of this without needing to know anything about programming.

Intended Audience

Researchers and clinicians interested in practical ways to access and analyze data in the cloud - without needing advanced computing training.

No prior experience with any of the platforms or tools is required. The ideal audience member will have a basic familiarity with genomics terminology and standard high-throughput sequencing data formats.