The Center for Computational Systems Biology at Vanderbilt University is excited to announce the Vanderbilt Symposium on AI, Spatial & Systems Biology 2025 — a two-day event bringing together leading researchers, students, and industry professionals at the intersection of artificial intelligence and systems biology.
Dates: Saturday–Sunday, October 11–12, 2025
Venue: Alumni Hall – Student Centers, Vanderbilt University
Sponsor: Center for Computational Systems Biology (CCSB), Vanderbilt University
Co-organized by: CCSB and the Molecular AI Initiative, Section of Surgical Sciences, VUMC
This year’s symposium will feature cutting-edge discussions, presentations, and networking opportunities focused on how AI and computational approaches are transforming our understanding of spatial and systems biology. Attendees will gain insights into the latest research, explore new collaborations, and contribute to shaping the future of this dynamic field.
Registration
We invite you to join us in person or virtually:
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RSVP by October 3rd, 2025 at the link below:
Symposium Registration
Please note: In-person registration is limited. Once capacity is reached, the registration survey will redirect you to sign up for the virtual option via Zoom.
Agenda
Day 1 — Saturday, Oct 11
8:00–8:30 AM — Registration & Coffee & Poster Setup
8:30–8:40 AM — Opening Remarks
8:40–9:40 AM — Keynote– Jonathan Liu, Ph.D., Stanford University – “Non-destructive 3D pathology and analysis for optimizing treatment decisions”
9:40–10:00 AM — Coffee Break
Morning Session
10:00–10:30 AM — Maizie Zhou, Ph.D., Vanderbilt University – “Domain identification, integration, and 3D reconstruction with spatial transcriptomics data”
10:30–11:00 AM — Andrew Song, Ph.D., Harvard Medical – “3D multimodal computational pathology”
11:00–11:30 PM — Sung Hak Lee, M.D., Ph.D., – – “Digital pathology and AI for gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary cancers”
11:30 – 12:00 PM — Yang Liu, Ph.D., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign –“Illuminating Biology Across Scales and Time with Next-Generation Imaging”
12:00–1:00 PM — Lunch
Afternoon Session
1:00–1:30 PM — Stuart McDonald, Ph.D., Queen Mary University of London – “Spatial organization of the Barrett’s immune microenvironment: Towards predicting disease progression to cancer”
1:30–2:00 PM — Saad Nadeem, Ph.D., Memorial Sloan Kettering – “Spatial Multiomics Profiling Initiative”
2:00–3:00 PM — Poster Session and Coffee Break
3:00–3:50 PM — Industry Spotlights (approx. 10 minutes each)
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- Bruker – Martian Shelton
- Element Biosciences – Tom Kelly
- Singular Genomics – Darius Fugere
- 10 x Genomics – Nigel Delaney
- Meteor Biotech – Sumin Lee
- VPIX – Kyungmin Hwang
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3:50–4:40 PM — Junior Investigator/Trainee Talks (approx. 10 minutes each)
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- James Evans
- Seung Woo (Sam) Kang
- Yunhe Liu
- Jean Clemenceau
- Sunho Park
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4:40 – 4:55 PM – Closing Remarks (15 min)
Day 2 — Sunday, Oct 12
8:00–8:30 AM — Registration & Coffee
8:30–8:40 AM — Opening Remarks
8:40–9:40 AM — Keynote – Paul Park, Ph.D., Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology – “Holotomography and AI for 3D Cancer Research.”
9:40–10:00 AM — Coffee Break
Morning Session
10:00–10:30 AM — Yongmin Park, Team Leader for LG AI Research – “How LG AI Accelerates Translational Research in Oncology”
10:30 –11:00 AM — Young Hwan Chang, Ph.D., Oregon Health and Science University – “Toward Single-Cell Image-Based Multimodal Integration.”
11:00–11:30 PM — Hirak Sarkar, Ph.D., Vanderbilt University – “Integrative Approaches for Spatial Transcriptomics: Imputation and Deconvolution Across Platforms”
11:30 – 12:00 PM — Sandro Santagata, M.D., Ph.D., Harvard Medical – “Precision Pathology: Multiplexed Tissue Imaging for Discovery and Diagnostics”
12:00–1:00 PM — Lunch
Afternoon Session
1:00–1:30 PM — Mingyao Li, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania – “AI-powered tissue maps: uniting spatial omics & pathology imaging”
1:30–2:00 PM — Ashley Kiemen, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University – “Integration of histology and multiplex imaging for targeted understanding of pancreatic cancer progression”
2:00-2:30 PM – Coffee Break
2:30–3:00 PM — Fedaa Najdawi, MBBS, MD, FCAP. Vanderbilt Univerisity Medical Center – “From Pixels to Predictors: Digital Pathology and AI-Driven Biomarker Discovery in IBD”
3:00 – 3:30 PM – Linghua Wang, Ph.D., MD Anderson – “Mapping the Invisible: Functional Niches and Spatial Patterns in Tumor Ecosystems”
3:30– 3:45 PM — Closing Remarks