Ascona Workshop: Statistical and AI methods for multi-modal multi-scale modeling of biological systems
28 June - 3 July 2026 at Congressi Stefano Franscini on Monte Verità in Ascona, CH
Organizers
Niko Beerenwinkel (ETH), Valentina Boeva (ETH), Peter Bühlmann (ETH), Wolfgang Huber (EMBL)
Scope
The conference will address critical challenges in integrating and interpreting multi-modal datasets across biological scales. It builds on a successful series of previous meetings at this beautiful venue. It will bring together an interdisciplinary and international group of leading speakers and participants from fields such as statistics, machine learning, systems biology, biotechnology development and biomedicine. The conference aims to explore the potential of AI for advancing biological research and will facilitate collaborations that bridge traditional statistical modelling with novel AI approaches. Key topics include multi-modal data integration, the use of deep learning for representation and interpretation of high-dimensional data, visualisation and multi-scale modeling of biological processes. The conference will also cover AI’s role in collecting and retrieving biological knowledge, and AI’s potential to transform experimental and study design.
We aim to foster collaboration between methods-oriented and scientific discovery-oriented researchers, providing a platform for interdisciplinary exchanges. Early-career scientists are encouraged to participate, with dedicated opportunities for poster presentations and contributed talks. The conference will not only showcase latest research advances, but also foster offer ample networking opportunities for new research collaborations and innovations.
Keynote Speakers
- Maria Brbic (EPFL)
- Charlotte Bunne (EPFL)
- Barbara Engelhardt (Stanford)
- Fabian Fröhlich (Francis Crick Institute)
- Julien Gagneur (TU Munich)
- Julie Josse (INRIA)
- Faisal Mahmood (Harvard)
- Dana Pe’er (HHMI / Sloan Kettering Institute)
- Caroline Uhler (MIT)
- Basile Wicky (ETH)
- Marinka Zitnik (Harvard)
Location
Congressi Stefano Franscini, Monte Verità, Ascona, Switzerland
For more information on how to get there, visit https://csf.ethz.ch/monte-verita/by-train0.html.
Programme
| Day | Time | Activity | Speaker | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday 28 June | 15:00-19:00 | Arrival and Check-in | ||
| 18:00-19:00 | Welcome Drinks | |||
| 19:00 | Dinner | |||
| Monday 29 June | 8:45–9:00 | Welcome | ||
| 9:00–9:50 | Keynote talk | |||
| 9:50-10:15 | Contributed talk | |||
| 10:15-10:45 | Coffee break | |||
| 10:45-11:35 | Keynote talk | |||
| 11:35-12:00 | Contributed talk | |||
| 12:15 | Lunch | |||
| Unstructured time | ||||
| 15:30-16:00 | Coffee and cake | |||
| 16:00-16:50 | Keynote talk | |||
| 17:00-19:00 | Poster session 1 | |||
| 19:00 | Dinner | |||
| Tuesday 30 June | 9:00-9:50 | Keynote talk | ||
| 9:50-10:15 | Contributed talk | |||
| 10:15-10:45 | Coffee break | |||
| 10:45-11:35 | Keynote talk | |||
| 11:35-12:00 | Contributed talk | |||
| 12:15 | Lunch | |||
| Unstructured time | ||||
| 15:30-16:00 | Coffee and cake | |||
| 16:00-16:50 | Keynote talk | |||
| 17:00-18:30 | Poster session 2 | |||
| 19:00 | Dinner | |||
| Wednesday 1 July | 9:00-9:50 | Keynote talk | ||
| 9:50-10:15 | Contributed talk | |||
| 10:15-10:45 | Coffee break | |||
| 10:45-11:10 | Contributed talk | |||
| 11:10-11:35 | Contributed talk | |||
| 11:35-12:00 | Contributed talk | |||
| 12:15 | Lunch | |||
| 14:00 | Excursion | Hike in the Verzasca Valley | ||
| 19:00 | Conference Dinner | Grotto Broggini restaurant | ||
| Thursday 2 July | 9:00-9:50 | Keynote talk | ||
| 9:50-10:15 | Contributed talk | |||
| 10:15-10:45 | Coffee break | |||
| 10:45-11:35 | Keynote talk | |||
| 11:35-12:00 | Contributed talk | |||
| 12:15 | Lunch | |||
| Unstructured time | ||||
| 15:30-16:00 | Coffee and cake | |||
| 16:00-16:50 | Keynote talk | |||
| 16:50-17:15 | Contributed talk | |||
| 19:00 | Dinner | |||
| Friday 3 July | 9:00-9:50 | Keynote talk | ||
| 9:50-10:15 | Contributed talk | |||
| 10:15-10:45 | Coffee break | |||
| 10:45-11:10 | Contributed talk | |||
| 11:10-11:35 | Contributed talk | |||
| 11:35-12:00 | Contributed talk | |||
| 12:15 | Lunch | |||
| Departure |
Dates
Deadline for pre-registration: 28 Feb 2026, 23:59 CET
Notification and invitation to register: before 27 March 2026
Deadline for registration: 15 May 2026, 23:59 CET
Workshop: 28.6. - 3.7. 2026 (Sunday evening till Friday noon)
How to participate
Due to the limited number of places, a two-step process is used. First, express your interest in participating through a non-binding and no-cost pre-registration. Instructions for pre-registration will be here by mid-January. Following pre-registration, abstracts will be selected by the programme committee. Selected applications will be invited to register by end of March.
Registration fees (not due until final registration)
Academia 340 CHF
Industry 900 CHF
Accommodation and full board will be available at the conference venue, and will be charged directly to you. Usually, most but not all conference attendees use this option. The venue is in Ascona, a lively tourist town, and in walking distance to many additional accommodation options.