2nd Intensive Bioinformatics Summer Workshop 2026

2nd Intensive Bioinformatics Summer Workshop 2026

Population Genetics — Organized by the Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Qatar University

? Schedule

June 1 – June 14, 2026
10 working days (Sundays – Thursdays), 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Lunch break: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Pre-workshop setup session: Sunday, May 31, 2026

? Location

Qatar University, Doha (in-person)

⏱️ Format

Intensive hands-on practical sessions
Two phases covering 10 instructional days
Command-line (CLI) Linux environment
QU-Microsoft Azure HPC infrastructure

? Cost

Free for eligible QU-Health students

? Workshop Theme: Population Genetics

This intensive two-week workshop provides comprehensive training in population genetics, with a focus on the genetic landscape of the Qatari population. Participants will gain hands-on experience with industry-standard tools and real-world datasets, building the theoretical and practical foundations needed to engage with cutting-edge research in ancestry inference, polygenic risk prediction, admixture analysis, demographic reconstruction, and natural selection.

Every concept is paired with immediate practical work on the QU Azure server using real tools (PLINK, ADMIXTURE, PRSice-2, LDpred2, SHAPEIT4, RFMix, PSMC, ALDER, selscan, and others) applied to public datasets including the 1000 Genomes Project, the Human Genome Diversity Project (HGDP), and the Allen Ancient DNA Resource. Examples and case studies connect each topic to the genetic landscape of the Qatari population — consanguinity, multi-ancestry composition, and historical migration.

? Eligibility Requirements

Who Can Apply?

  • ✓ QU-Health Students Only: Must be currently enrolled in the College of Health Sciences at Qatar University
  • ✓ Active QU Email Required: Participants must have an active Qatar University email address for registration and course materials access
  • ✓ Academic Level:
    • • Master’s students (research track preferred) – Highly recommended to join
    • • Undergraduate students – Welcome to participate
    • • PhD students – Limited places available on a case-by-case basis
      (Please contact Dr. Rozaimi at rozaimi.r@qu.edu.qa for more details)

⚠️ Not Eligible

Staff, faculty, and other non-student personnel are not eligible for this workshop.

A separate workshop will be organized in the future specifically for QU staff and faculty members.

⚠️ Fundamental Prerequisite

Introduction to Linux and Azure HPC

This foundational module is required for ALL participants and will be held on Sunday, May 31, 2026.

All analyses and experiments will be conducted on the CLI environment in the Qatar University Microsoft Azure Cloud Computing server. Participants should have basic familiarity with biology, genetics, and the Linux command line. This prerequisite session ensures all participants have the necessary skills to effectively engage with the workshop materials from Day 1.

? Workshop Itinerary

? Phase 1 — Foundations of Population Genetics (Days 1–5)

Day 1
Mon, Jun 1		 Introduction to population genetics; VCF/PLINK file formats; basic variant manipulation
Day 2
Tue, Jun 2		 Sample and variant quality control; relatedness and kinship analysis
Day 3
Wed, Jun 3		 Population structure: principal component analysis (PCA)
Day 4
Thu, Jun 4		 Admixture modeling; ancestry-informative markers (AIMs); FST
Day 5
Sun, Jun 7		 Consanguinity and runs of homozygosity (ROH); structural variants; comparison with global reference panels (1000 Genomes, HGDP)

? Phase 2 — Advanced Population Genetics (Days 6–10)

Day 6
Mon, Jun 8		 Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and polygenic risk scores (PRS)
Day 7
Tue, Jun 9		 Admixture dating and historical migration; integration with ancient DNA
Day 8
Wed, Jun 10		 Demographic history reconstruction; coalescent methods
Day 9
Thu, Jun 11		 Haplotype phasing and fine-scale local ancestry inference
Day 10
Sun, Jun 14		 Detection of positive selection in immune-related genes

* No sessions on Fridays (Jun 5, Jun 12) and Saturdays (Jun 6, Jun 13).

✨ Workshop Highlights

  • Hands-on throughout: Every concept paired with immediate practical work on the QU Azure server
  • Real tools, real data: Industry-standard software (PLINK, ADMIXTURE, PRSice-2, LDpred2, SHAPEIT4, RFMix, PSMC, ALDER, selscan) applied to public datasets
  • Qatar context: Examples and case studies grounded in the Qatari population’s unique genetic landscape — consanguinity, multi-ancestry composition, and historical migration
  • Reproducibility-first: Command-line workflows, scripting in bash/R/Python, and version control integrated throughout
  • Research pipeline: Designed as preparation for advanced research opportunities in Dr. Rozaimi Razali’s bioinformatics group

Ready to Advance Your Bioinformatics Skills?

Join our intensive two-week summer workshop and gain hands-on experience with cutting-edge population genetics tools and techniques. Learn and work with real-world datasets on high-performance computing infrastructure.

Registration details will be announced in early 2026. For inquiries, contact Dr. Rozaimi Razali at rozaimi.r@qu.edu.qa.

Qatar University 2nd Intensive Bioinformatics Summer Workshop 2026

For inquiries: Dr Rozaimi Razali – rozaimi.r@qu.edu.qa | +974 4403-6028

2026 Qatar University. All rights reserved.