Edit
AI in one health – Course and Conference Office

5th EMBL Partnership Conference

AI in one health

Overview

Overview

The 5th EMBL Partnership Conference will be held in Heidelberg from 31 March – 02 April 2025. The conference brings together EMBL and its partner institutes to enable the exchange of expertise and build new collaborations and research networks. 

The programme will focus on the impact of the recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) on topics related to Health and related life science areas across 3 different sessions.

Session topics

  • Molecular medicine and precision health
  • Genetics and genomics
  • Technology and imaging



“The Partnership Conference takes place at EMBL every 3 years and allows us to incite interactions with and across the EMBL Partnership network. It is organized by EMBL’s International Relations in close collaboration with scientific experts from EMBL and the partner institutes. Every edition has its distinct focus, however, the key objective is to pool the complementary expertise of all partners around a topic of common interest, and interrogate it in a way that ultimately leads to new ideas and joint scientific projects.”

Plamena Markova, EMBL Chief of International Relations

Scientific Organisers

Oliver Billker

The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS)

Sweden

Lionel Christiaen

Michael Sars Centre

Norway

Anna Kreshuk

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Giancarlo Russo

EMBL Partnership Institute for Genome Editing

– Life Sciences Center

Lithuania

Sameer Velankar

EMBL-EBI

United Kingdom

Qi Zhang

SAiGENCI and EMBL Australia

Australia

Conference Organisers

Inna Bösselmann

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Agata Pernus Voigt

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Speakers

Laura Carroll

The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden

Sweden

Anna Ferraioli

Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology

Norway

Andrea Ganna

Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland

Finland

Szilvia Juhász

Hungarian Centre of Excellence for Molecular Medicine

Hungary

Magdalena Szponar

Center of Excellence for Neural Plasticity and Brain Disorders (BRAINCITY)

Poland

Young Investigators Meeting

The Young Investigators Meeting (YIM) is a 1 day event that takes place on 31 March 2025 at EMBL Heidelberg.

The meeting will bring together PhD students and postdoctoral fellows from EMBL and its partner institutes. It provides an excellent opportunity to meet peers from different institutes, discuss scientific discoveries, exchange ideas and experiences, get inspired and, most importantly, to have fun.

Organisers:

EMBL, Germany

Julia Costea

Purna Sham Gadre

MIMS, Sweden

Rachel Feeney

Supapit Wongkuna

Hubrecht Institute, The Netherlands

Xuan Zheng

Carlota Davo Martinez

HCEMM, Hungary

Zsuzsanna Rethi-Nagy

VU LSC, Lithuania

Rūta Matulevičiūtė

Preliminary programme

Are you on social media? Post using #EMBLAIOneHealth and don’t forget to tag @EMBLEvents.

Please note that the programme is subject to change.

Day 1 – Monday 31 March 2025
Time
(Europe/Berlin)
Session
13:00 – 14:00Registration and light refreshments
14:00 – 17:00TBD
17:00 – 17:30Flash talks (part 1)
17:30 – 19:00Poster session 1 with beer and snacks
Day 2 – Tuesday 1 April 2025
Time
(Europe/Berlin)
Session
09:00 – 09:30Arrival and coffee
09:30 – 10:00Opening remarks by Edith Heard – EMBL Director General, Heidelberg
10:00 – 11:00Keynote talk (TBD)
11:00 – 12:00Roundtable discussion (TBD)
12:00 – 13:30Lunch and networking
Session 1: Molecular medicine and precision health
Chair: Giancarlo Russo – VU LSC, Lithuania
13:30 – 14:00The role of microbiome in cancer development
Szilvia Juhász – HCEMM, Hungary
14:00 – 14:15Mechanisms of treatment resistance in pediatric T-lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL)
Andreas Kulozik – MMPU, Germany
14:15 – 14:30Machine learning approaches for novel microbial secondary metabolite discovery
Laura Carroll – MIMS, Sweden
14:30 – 15:00Coffee break
15:00 – 15:30Disease prediction using nation-wide health data and genetics
Andrea Ganna – FIMM, Finland
15:30 – 15:45Delphi: Population scale healthcare modelling in the UK and Denmark using generative transformers
Tom Fitzgerald – EMBL-EBI, United Kingdom
15:45 – 16:00Exploring Cancer Heterogeneity Through Gene Regulatory Networks
Tatiana Belova – NCMM, Norway
16:00 – 17:00Flash talks 2
17:00 – 18:30Poster session 2 with beer and snacks
18:30 – 21:00Conference dinner
21:00 – 24:00Conference party
Day 3 – Wednesday 2 April 2025
Time
(Europe/Berlin)
Session
Session 2: Genetics and genomics
Chair: Lionel Christiaen – Michael Sars Centre, Norway
08:45 – 09:00Arrival and coffee
09:00 – 09:30Taller or smaller: how feeding controls body plasticity in a sea anemone
Patrick Steinmetz – Sars, Norway
09:30 – 09:45Defining bacterial virulence within single cells via machine learning
Victoria Lazar – HCEMM, Hungary
09:45 – 10:00Exploring gRNA scaffold variations to increase Cas12a activity
Jonas Kubilius – VU LSC, Lithuania
10:00 – 10:30Coffee break
10:30 – 11:00Discovering gene functions in bacteria with multi-omics approaches
Maria Zimermann-Kogadeeva – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany
11:00 – 11:15Identifying the function of protein isoforms
Robert Weatheritt – EMBL Australia PLN, Australia
11:15 – 11:30Connectome and cell type diversity of the aboral organ of the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi
Anna Ferraioli – Sars, Norway
11:30 – 13:00Lunch and networking
Session 3: Technology and imaging
Chair: Anna Kreshuk – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany
13:00 – 13:30Generative AI to model cellular behavior in time and space Mo Lotfallahi – Wellcome Sanger Institute, United Kingdom
13:30 – 13:45Machine Learning-Based Diagnostic Tool for Psychiatric Disorders Using Resting-State EEG
Magdalena Szponar – Braincity, Poland
13:45 – 14:00Addressing protein disorder using computational protein design
Danny Sahtoe – Hubrecht Institute, The Netherlands
14:00 – 14:30Coffee break
14:30 – 15:00Expanding the molecular toolkit with AI
Eduardo Eyras – EMBL Australia PLN, Australia
15:00 – 15:15Title tbc
Frosina Stojanovska – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany
15:15 – 15:30Exploration and discovery with structural cell biology
Miguel Leung – Hubrecht Institute, The Netherlands
15:30 – 16:00Closing remarks and poster prize

Practical Information

Registration fees and abstract submission

On-site registration fees include admission, conference materials, meals and coffee breaks. Participants are expected to book and pay their own accommodation and travel expenses.

On-site Academia€735
On-site PhD Student€635
On-site Industry€935

Confirmation and payment

Registration will be on a first come, first served basis. Your place can only be confirmed after payment of the registration fee.

On-site participants: Types of payments accepted are international bank transfers and credit card payments. 

Abstract submission

Only registered participants are eligible to submit an abstract.

After you have logged in and successfully registered, you will receive an email asking you to submit your abstract.  Click on the link provided and enter your abstract in the text box provided. Alternatively you can submit your abstract by clicking on the link on the confirmation page directly after registering. The same login credentials are used for both processes.

Please note:

Title: The title should not exceed 20 words. Only the first word of the title should start with a capital letter and the rest of the title should be in lowercase.

Authors and Affiliations: Please fill in the author’s details as requested in the online form. The compulsory details are: First Name, Last Name, Organisation Name (Affiliation or Company), Country and Email. Mark only one author as the role of First author and please don’t forget to indicate who will be presenting. The order of the authors will be listed as follows: First Author, Co-First Author (alphabetically if multiple), co-author(s) (in the order added by the submitter).

Presentation Types: When submitting your abstract, you can apply for a flash talk or poster presentation. A selection process will take place with the results announced 2-3 weeks after the abstract submission deadline.

Please check our FAQs pages for further information on how to submit an abstract.

Accommodation and Shuttles

The hotels below have rooms on hold for participants until 27 February 2025, in some cases at special rates. Please quote the booking code TME25-01 and confirm the exact price of the room with the hotel directly.

Hotel AnlageHotel ibis HeidelbergPremier Inn Heidelberg City
Hotel Bayrischer Hof ISG Hotel Staycity Aparthotel Heidelberg
B&B HotelLeonardo Hotel Heidelberg City CentreHilton Heidelberg
Exzellenz Hotel Meininger HeidelbergHotel Vier Jahreszeiten
Hotel Holländer HofHotel Monpti

Conference Shuttle Buses

Conference shuttle buses are free of charge for participants and depart from designated bus stops near the hotels to EMBL and back, mornings and evenings.

The bus stops for this conference are:

  • Star Inn Hotel (close to B&B Hotel and Main Train Station)
  • Kurfürsten-Anlage (close to Main Train Station)
  • Leonardo Hotel City Centre (Bergheimer Strasse)
  • Neckarmünzplatz
  • Peterskirche
  • Crowne Plaza
  • ISG Hotel

View Conference shuttle bus stops and hotels in a larger map. Please note that not every bus stop will be used for every event.

Further details

Address: EMBL, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany. For further information on getting to EMBL Heidelberg visit Public Transportation to the Venue. For information about accommodation and local transportation please refer to the FAQ page.

Onsite information

Catering

Our catering staff will prepare a wide variety of vegetarian meals, meat and fish dishes, soups, pasta, fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as a variety of desserts.

Please wear your badge at all times when serving yourself.

No food or drinks are allowed in the auditorium.

Charging lockers

There are lockers available next to the stairs leading down into the Auditorium. You will find some of those equipped with sockets to charge your smartphone/tablet etc.

Electricity and charging station

In most places the electricity is 220 volts AC (50 cycles). An adaptor and a plug that fits the German socket may be needed for your appliances/laptop (i.e. American, Japanese, etc.). A USB charging station for electronic devices is available at the registration desk.

EMBL merchandise

EMBL Merchandise is available on Mon – Thu (9 am – 12 pm). If you are interested in purchasing an EMBL souvenir (products presented in the glass display in the registration area), please ask at the registration desk for more information.

Health and safety notes

Please read EMBL’s COVID-19 safety policy for on-site events.
Do not smoke in any EMBL building.
Eating and drinking is prohibited in the Auditorium and all laboratories.
Do not enter any restricted areas or the laboratories unless instructed to do so.

If first aid is required …

  • The first aid room is located next to the ATC Registration Desk (room 10- 205).
  • Dial the Emergency number 222 from any EMBL internal phone only.
  • Where is the accident? What happened? How many injured?
  • Emergency number 06221-387 7821 from mobile phones.
  • Please report all accidents to the conference officer at the registration desk.

In case of fire …

  • Press the nearest fire alarm button or the Emergency number 222 from any internal phone.
  • A loud fire alarm will go off if an evacuation is required. On hearing the alarm leave the building immediately following the escape route and fire wardens and head to one of the meeting points
  • Do not use the lifts.

Beyond first aid…

Please remember to bring your own medication, if needed, to the conference. Note that the next pharmacy is a 4-minute drive from the EMBL, but for many medications you will be required to see a doctor to get a prescription.

Ensure in advance that your medical insurance will cover you during your visit in the event that you do need to see a doctor while in Heidelberg. In any case, the EMBL Course and Conference Office will assist you to get to the pharmacy and a doctor of your choice if necessary.

Internet

Wi-Fi is available everywhere on the premises (no password required), just log on to ATC-Guest. The eduroam network (secure, world-wide roaming access service developed for the international research and education community) is also available.

Lost and found

‘’Lost and Found’’ are kept at the registration desk until the end of the conference.

Luggage

There are lockers available on-site to store your luggage, which require a 2 EURO coin to operate. There is another luggage room on level E0, which is free to use but remains unlocked during the conference.

Nursing room

There is a nursing room available in the ATC Rooftop Lounge on level A29.

Photography

During the conference an EMBL Photographer may be taking photographs. If you would not like to appear in these, please inform the photographer or a member of the Course and Conference Office.

Printing

We can help print your boarding passes/train tickets. Please send it to events@embl.de and collect your print-outs at the registration desk.

Room for prayer, yoga and meditation

There is a room for prayer, mediation and yoga located on level E0 behind the Auditorium. Please be respectful of other participants using the room.

Sightseeing

A variety of activities in Heidelberg can be found on this website: www.heidelberg-marketing.com

Travel to and from the venue

During the event we provide conference shuttle busses to and from EMBL. In addition, there is the public bus 39A that serves the EMBL campus and taxis can be easily booked at any time. Information on the conference shuttle busses can be found on the individual event website and more detailed information on travelling to EMBL can be found on our Travel Information page.

Useful German expressions

EnglishGerman
HelloHallo
GoodbyeAuf Wiedersehen
Good morningGuten Morgen
Good afternoonGuten Tag
Good eveningGuten Abend
Good nightGute Nacht
I’m sorryTut mir leid
Excuse me…Entschuldigen Sie
How are you?Wie gehts?
I’m fine thanks. And you?Mir geht es gut , danke, und dir/Ihnen?
What is your nameWie heisst du? Wie heissen Sie?
My name isIch heisse
Do you speak EnglishSprechen Sie Englisch?
I don’t understandIch verstehe nicht
Please speak more slowlyKönnen Sie bitte langsamer sprechen
Thank youDankeschön
Where is the toilet?Wo ist die Toilette?
Please call me a taxiBitte rufen Sie mir ein Taxi
How do I get to….?Wie komme ich zum/zur…..?
A beer/two beers pleaseEin Bier/zwei Bier bitte
A glass of red/white wine pleaseEin Glas Rot/Weisswein bitte
The menu, pleaseDie Speisekarte, bitte
Is there a local speciality?Gibt es eine Spezialität aus dieser Gegend?
I’m VegetarianIch bin Vegetarier
It was deliciousEs war hervorragend
The bill, pleaseDie Rechnung, bitte
I have a headacheIch habe Kopfschmerzen
I have a sore throatIch habe Halsschmerzen
My stomach hurtsIch habe Magenschmerzen
I’m allergic toIch bin allergisch gegen
I need a doctor who speaks EnglishGibt es einen Arzt, der Englisch spricht?

Sponsors

Media partners

Cancer Drug Resistance, an OAE Publishing Inc. journal

ChemBioChem, a Wiley journal

Digital Discovery, a Royal Society of Chemistry journal

International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Medinformatics, a Bon View Publishing journal

Molecular Systems Biology, an EMBO Press journal

Open Biology, a Royal Society journal

Sponsorship opportunities

We offer a variety of event sponsoring possibilities, with the flexibility to select a set sponsorship package or combine individual sponsorship options to suit your event budget. Discounts are available for companies sponsoring multiple events at EMBL Heidelberg. View other events, or contact sponsorship@embl.de for further information.

If you are interested in becoming a media partner of this event, please visit our media partnerships webpage.

Warning

EMBL wishes to warn sponsors of EMBL conferences and courses of fraudulent schemes purporting to offer sponsorship opportunities on behalf of EMBL or affiliated with EMBL officials. One current scam campaign of which we are aware is conducted using the name ‘Judy Eastman’ (judy@gopcontact.a2hosted.com) and entails approaches to sponsors offering sponsorship opportunities on EMBL’s behalf. Please be kindly advised that all relevant communication regarding sponsorship of EMBL conferences, symposia and courses is handled by EMBL directly and is sent from an official EMBL account. EMBL does not work with any external providers on sponsorship acquisition.

Please also note that:

  • EMBL never provides attendee lists for purchase. Any offers of such are fraudulent.
  • EMBL will never call or email you to ask for your credit card details or to request a payment.
  • All payments are on invoice.

Suspicious communications purportedly from, for or on behalf of EMBL should be reported to EMBL at the following email address sponsorship@embl.de.

Media kit

Want to let others know you’re attending this event? Take a look at our shareable media and feel free to use them in your social media channels or presentations.

Social 1080×1920
Social 1080×1080
Social 1600×900

Date: 31 Mar - 2 Apr 2025

Location: EMBL Heidelberg

Venue: EMBL Advanced Training Centre


Deadline(s):

Abstract submission: 17 Jan 2025

Registration: 17 Feb 2025


Organisers:

  • Oliver Billker
    The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Sweden
    • Lionel Christiaen
      Michael Sars Centre, Norway
      • Anna Kreshuk
        EMBL Heidelberg, Germany
        • Giancarlo Russo
          Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Lithuania

What's new on our blog

Edit