CAB Newsletter

1 September 2026

In this newsletter:

1⃣ Events: 2026 Human Cell Atlas Asia Meeting
2⃣ News and infrastructure: Supercomputer allocation schemes 2027
3⃣ Training: Pawsey HIP Workshop & EMBL-EBI Training
4⃣ Conferences and seminars: AI and Computational Biology Conference 2026
5⃣ Jobs: Masters graduate seeking opportunities
6⃣ Information for students: Masters projects & PhD scholarships

2026 Human Cell Atlas Asia Meeting

➤ The HCA Asia Meeting will dedicate plenary and breakout sessions on spatial and digital pathology, computational biology, A.I., cohort-scale research, cancer, genetics, infectious diseases, and aging.

➤ Sessions will also explore healthy atlasing, grant opportunities, integrative systems research, and industry technology showcases. The meeting aims to align with regional funding priorities, promote collaboration, and build the necessary expertise to further the HCA mission across Asia.

📍 Esplanade Hotel, Fremantle

📅 2–4 November 2026  ·  🕕 8 am

➤ More info: website

Call for applications to NCMAS 2027

➤ The National Computational Merit Allocation Scheme (NCMAS) is Australia's premiere grant scheme for access to High Performance Computing (HPC) resources.

➤ The two Tier-1 HPC facilities in Australia, Pawsey and NCI, together offer hundreds of millions of hours of computing time to meritorious researchers.

➤ NCMAS supports HPC simulations, data processing and AI/ML. Quantum computing is also available via Setonix-Q — a portal for Australian researchers to run hybrid quantum–classical workflows.

➤ Apply: click here

Pawsey Partner Allocation Scheme is open for 2027

➤ The Pawsey Partner Scheme supports partner institutions: CSIRO, Curtin University and UWA, providing significant compute time for meritorious projects.

➤ WA Government Agencies conducting research or development are also eligible to access Pawsey services under the Partner Share.

➤ Apply: click here

Pawsey HIP Workshop

➤ Build essential skills in developing Heterogeneous Interface for Portability (HIP) applications for Pawsey's Setonix supercomputer. Focus on harnessing the compute capabilities of MI250X GPUs.

📅 20–21 October 2026  ·  📍 Online

➤ Register: click here

EMBL-EBI Training

➤ Join scientists from around the world to advance your bioinformatics skills — live online, in person at EMBL-EBI, or at your institute. Learn from experts while broadening your knowledge and network.

➤ Browse courses: click here

AI and Computational Biology Conference 2026

➤ Held 9–10 December 2026 at KU Leuven, Belgium. Themes: Genome to Function, Cell to System, Disease Modelling, and Innovation in Machine Learning.

📅 Abstract deadline: 7 October 2026 (oral & poster)

➤ Submit abstract: click here

Jobs advertised

➤ To advertise a position in your institution, contact Felipe Albornoz

Jobs wanted

Aina Kizhakkuden Tojo recently completed her Master of Bioinformatics at Edith Cowan University and is seeking entry-level opportunities as a Research Assistant, Bioinformatics Analyst, or Computational Biologist. She has experience with NGS workflows, RNA-seq, microbiome and metagenomics analysis, and transcriptomic data analysis using Galaxy and R/Bioconductor. Contact: Aina

Calling all bioinformatics students — join COMBINE

➤ COMBINE brings together students and early-career researchers from the computational and life sciences for networking, collaborations, and professional development.

➤ Learn more and join: COMBINE

UWA Master of Bioinformatics dissertation projects

➤ Start early — identify a supervisor and project at least six months before your intended start date. Supervisor availability is limited.

➤ Opportunities also exist for unpaid research internships. Contact Dave Edwards

➤ Looking to host a Masters student for their dissertation? Contact David Edwards

PhD scholarships available

➤ The UWA Applied Bioinformatics Group is seeking candidates for projects in plant genome bioinformatics and machine learning for trait association. Contact David Edwards