*Please note that the below ICQG6 2021 Program is a provisional program, and is subject to change recognising that this was the Program planned when the conference was to be held in 2020 prior to postponement as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. Scroll right to left to see full program, or download pdf of the Program overview here or excel spreadsheet of provisional program (subject to change) here.
Wednesday 9-Friday 11 June 2021 2.5 Day Early Career Researcher workshop
Workshop 1: Mixed Models Professor Bruce Walsh
Workshop 2: MCMC For Genetics Professor Matthew Stephens
Workshop 3: Genome-wide association and prediction analyses of complex traits using large genomic and other omic data sets Professor Jian Yang and Dr Jian Zeng
Workshop 4: Bayesian regression using Julia Professor Dorian Garrick
Time | Sunday 13 June | Monday 14 June | Tuesday 15 June | Wednesday 16 June | Thursday 17 June | Friday 18 June | |||
| 0900 – 1030 | Invited Presentations x 2 (35 mins each) Contributed Papers x 1 (15 mins) | Invited Presentations x 2 (35 mins each) Contributed Papers x 1 (15 mins) | Invited Presentations x 2 (35 mins each) Contributed Papers x 1 (15 mins) | Invited Presentations x 2 (35 mins each) Contributed Papers x 1 (15 mins) | Invited Presentations x 2 (35 mins each) Contributed Papers x 1 (15 mins) | ||||
| 1030 – 1100 | Morning Tea | Morning Tea | Morning Tea | Morning Tea | Morning Tea | ||||
| 1100 – 1230 | Invited Presentations x 2 (35 mins each) Contributed Papers x 1 (15 mins) | Invited Presentations x 2 (35 mins each) Contributed Papers x 1 (15 mins) | Invited Presentations x 2 (35 mins each) Contributed Papers x 1 (15 mins) | Invited Presentations x 2 (35 mins each) Contributed Papers x 1 (15 mins) | Invited Presentations x 2 (35 mins each) Contributed Papers x 1 (15 mins) | ||||
| 1230 – 1330 | Delegate Registration open | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | |||
| 1330 – 1500 | Invited Presentations x 2 (35 mins each) Contributed Papers x 1 (15 mins) |
| Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary Delegate Trip https://koala.net/ Trip will include entry to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, opportunity to cuddle a koala and see other Australian animals. Travel via City Cat on the Brisbane River, walking through the grounds of the University of Queensland on your way to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary |
| Invited Presentations x 2 (35 mins each) Contributed Papers x 1 (15 mins) | ||||
| 1500 – 1530 | Afternoon Tea | Afternoon Tea | Afternoon Tea | Afternoon Tea | |||||
| 1530 – 1700 | Opening Ceremony Bruce Walsh & Michael Lynch | Invited Presentations x 2 (35 mins each) Contributed Papers x 1 (15 mins) |
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| Invited Presentations x 2 (35 mins each) Awards | ||||
| 1700 – 1900 | Welcome Reception including Celebration of the Second QG “Bible” by Walsh & Lynch | Poster Session | Poster Session | ECR: Meet the Editor | |||||
| 1900 – 2230 | ECR Networking Event | Conference Dinner https://www.qagoma.qld.gov.au/ |
Program Update (December 2019) from the Co-Chair
We were delighted with the response to the call for oral abstracts. We have put together a great program that gets to the heart of some of the core issues in quantitative genetics (QG) of the 21st century.
- We have a session on epistasis – perhaps the most confused and confusing topic in QG. Led by theory from Nick Barton, with contributed talks from plant, livestock and human applications, followed by what we expect to be a lively panel discussion.
- We have several sessions on the thorny topic of genotype by environment interaction, genotype by environment correlation and the genetic control of environmental variance. Looking at the same problem from the perspective of different organisms can help reveal different ways of approaching data collection and analysis. Several of our invited speakers will be addressing this topic in different ways – from wild birds by Anne Charmantier, livestock by Han Mulder, crops by several contributed talks.
- While genetic risk prediction of common disease is a new hot topic in human genetics, the methods are firmly grounded in quantitative genetics of livestock and crops. We have speakers using the big data sets of humans, such as Albert Tenesa using UK Biobank and Yaniv Ehrlich from MyHeritage, and applications of genomic prediction to crops- Susanne Dreisacker, Jessica Rutkowski, trees – Satish Kumar and livestock, Lucia Galvao de Albuquerque, Rachel Hawken
- The application of QG of gene expression of bulk tissue and single cells has exploded since ICQG5, and we have several speakers addressing different angles of these new data, Barbara Stranger, Shamil Sunyaev, Ed Buckler, Daniel Gaffney.
- QG theory is founded in understanding generated from model systems and understanding selection in the wild. New technologies have allowed new approaches and so we will hear the latest results from David Houle, and Jarrod Hadfield.
- Methods contribute to all applications of QG and new ideas will be presented by Jian Yang, Matthew Stephens, Peter Visscher, Theo Meuwissen and Bruce Weir.
- We are proud to be celebrating the publication of the new Quantitative Genetics text book by Bruce Walsh and Michael Lynch
Prior to the conference we have 4 x 2.5 day courses for early (or not so early!) career researchers:
- Introduction to mixed models – Bruce Walsh
- MCMC for Genetics – Matthew Stephens
- Genome-wide association and prediction analyses of complex traits using large genomic and other omic data sets – Jian Yang
- Bayesian regression using Julia – Dorian Garrick
We are planning an exciting social program! As well as the welcome event and conference dinner, there will be an outing to the Lone Pine Koala Centre, where students will be on hand to update you on the latest research in the genetics of Australia’s unique wildlife. Early Career Researchers are well catered for, with pre conference workshops, a special networking event and a ‘Meet the Editor’ session. Please join us!”
Sadly only 25% of submitted abstracts could be selected for oral presentations, which means that the poster sessions will be fantastic too.
Early bird registration closes the end of January. We are accepting poster abstracts until end of January and have held two 15 min speaking slots for late breaking abstracts.
We expect to announce scholarship packages for early career researchers in January. We have some events planned to support networking for early career researchers.
ICQG6 is hosted by the University of Queensland, home to researchers from across the breadth of quantitative genetics research.
June is winter in Brisbane – so the weather is expected to be like nice summer days of the northern Europe/US (!). It is a perfect time of year to visit the barrier reef and the Aussie outback. We have provided some vacation ideas (my favourites are Kakadu national park and the Whitsundays).
I look forward to welcoming you to Brisbane. It should be a great conference.
Naomi Wray
Co-chair