Academia Sinica Logo

The Genomic Epidemiology Workshop 2026, jointly organized by Academia Sinica’s Genomics Research Center (GRC) and Biomedical Translation Research Center (BioTReC), in collaboration with the Taiwan Epidemiology Association and Taiwan Biobank, opened on August 10 at the National Biotechnology Research Park (NBRP). In his opening remarks, Academia Sinica President Chien-Jen Chen noted that the workshop was launched in 2015, during his tenure as Vice President of Academia Sinica, with the goal of cultivating interdisciplinary talent in Taiwan equipped with expertise in epidemiology, genomic analysis, and large-scale data analytics. More than a decade later, he returned to open the workshop as President and reflected on the continuity of the program. He encouraged participants to keep pace with the latest developments in genomic technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), and integrated multi-omics analysis, and to advance precision medicine and health promotion through interdisciplinary exchange and collaboration.

Drawing on his own work with the long-term REVEAL-HBV cohort study, President Chen explained that disease often arises from complex interactions between genetic and environmental factors over time. Capturing the dynamic trajectory from health to disease therefore requires repeated measurements and long-term follow-up of the same population, combined with advanced analytical methods. He also noted that Taiwan Biobank, building on its existing genotype data from 200,000 participants, will launch the next phase of large-scale plasma proteomic profiling. By integrating these resources through cross-omics analysis and connecting them with major international studies, Taiwan is well positioned to give East Asian populations a stronger presence in the global proteogenomics landscape. Together with the second phase of the Taiwan Precision Medicine Initiative (TPMI), these efforts will provide an important foundation for advancing precision medicine and precision health in Taiwan.

Forward-Looking Curriculum Connects with Global Trends in Precision Health

The five-day workshop has been held annually since its establishment, with the exception of the pandemic years. Under the direction of faculty convener Assistant Professor Yi-Hsiang Hsu of Harvard Medical School, the program brings together experts from Taiwan and abroad in genomics, epidemiology, bioinformatics, and precision medicine, and has become an important educational platform for genomic epidemiology in Taiwan.

GRC Director Chih-Hao Lee noted that this year’s theme, “From Genomics to Precision Medicine: AI-Driven Multi-Omics Integration,” reflects how AI and multi-omics are accelerating innovation in genomic research and shaping global trends in precision health. The curriculum covers a broad range of emerging topics, including genome-wide association studies, next-generation sequencing, single-cell and spatial omics, proteomics, metabolomics, AI, and biobank applications.

The workshop also featured keynote lectures by two internationally recognized scholars. Lu Qi, Director of the Obesity Research Center at Tulane University, delivered a lecture entitled “Precision Nutrition and Obesity: From Genomics to Multi-Omics,” exploring how multi-omics can be integrated with precision nutrition to develop personalized approaches to obesity and metabolic diseases.

Mingyang Song, Associate Professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, presented “Bridging Population Science and Clinical Research Through Integrative Multi-Omics: Insights from Colorectal Cancer.” His lecture highlighted recent advances in applying integrative multi-omics to colorectal cancer risk prediction and precision medicine.

Problem-Oriented Discussions Connect Research with Real-World Needs

This year’s workshop attracted nearly 200 participants, including undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and research professionals. In addition to continuing its popular Panel Discussion sessions, where speakers from Taiwan and abroad share practical experiences in overseas study, career development, and interdisciplinary collaboration, the workshop introduced a new interactive format: “Bring Your Own Research Questions.” Participants were invited to submit practical research questions and challenges during registration and discuss them in depth with instructors in small-group sessions.

Hwai-I Yang, Associate Research Fellow at the GRC and lead organizer of the workshop, explained that the new format fosters dialogue among participants from academia, healthcare, industry, and biobank management, helping them better understand each other’s needs and constraints and explore feasible solutions. Through these exchanges, the organizers hope to strengthen and accelerate the application of research and emerging technologies to real-world problems.

Genomic Epidemiology Workshop 2026 Website:
https://gesw.genomics.sinica.edu.tw/