Genetic Data Analysis Course and Workshop: "ConGen-2024" Online Theme: Applications of Next Gen Sequencing Data in Population Genomics, Molecular Ecology, and Conservation Genetics. Instructors include Sally Aitken, Eric Anderson, Ellie Armstrong, Chris Funk, Matthew Desaix, Marty Kardos, Brenna Forester, Will Hemstrom, Gordon Luikart, Eryn McFarlane, Angel Rivera-Colon, Rena Schweizer, Stephen Spear, Robin Waples, and more TBA. When: August 26 - Sept 4, 2024 (with Aug. 20th pre-course lecture on using Linus command line, R & the basics of bioinformatics for NGS data handling) Where: Online via Zoom Course Objective: To provide training in conceptual and practical aspects of data analysis for understanding the population and evolutionary genomics of natural and managed populations. The course covers concepts and methods including the coalescent, Bayesian, and likelihood-based approaches. Emphasis is on next-generation sequence data analysis (RADs, whole genome sequence analyses, etc.) and the interpretation of output from important statistical approaches, pipelines, and software programs. The course includes discussions among early career researchers (student participants) and >12 leaders in population genomics (instructors) to help develop our next generation of molecular ecologists, conservation geneticists, and evolutionary geneticists. Course lecture topics include taking raw reads to genotypes (de novo and with reference), genome assembly, Ne, GWAS, RoH, landscape genomics, assignment tests with low-coverage-WGseq data, and more (see past course contents). New lectures in 2024 (with hands-on exercises) will include eDNA metabarcoding analysis, phylogenomics, and genome assembly. Past course lecture videos will be available (e.g., RNAseq, epigenetics, Genome-QC, landscape genetics, etc.). For details on ConGen-2024: see https://www.umt.edu/ces/conferences/congen/default.php Who should apply: Advanced Undergrads, M.S. & Ph.D. students, post-docs, faculty, agency researchers, and population biologists who have taken at least a one-semester university-level course in population genetics and a course in population ecology. Participation will be limited to ~30 people allowing efficient instruction with hands-on computer exercises during the course. Priority will be given to persons with their own NGS data to analyze. Past courses: see Andrews & Luikart 2014: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mec.12686/abstract Benestan et al. 2016: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mec.13647/full Hendricks et al. 2018: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/eva.12659 Rena Schweizer et al. 2021: https://doi.org/10.1093/jhered/esab019 Schiebelhut, L. 2023. Guidance in conservation genomics. doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.13893 Hemstrom et al. 2024. Next-generation data filtering in the genomics era. Nature Reviews Genetics, accepted. - be on the lookout for this relevant review! ConGen participants-2024. A course/meeting group review, contents to be determined. Registration & Costs include all lectures (live and recorded) by at least 12 expert instructors, online question and answer sessions during hands-on exercises with worksheets and dummy datasets, copies of lecture PowerPoint slides, along with ConGen-2022 Swag (T-shirt, mug). Course materials are also available after the end of the course to all students in a box repository including all recorded lectures and class materials. $US 890 if payment is after June 15th. Sponsors: American Genetic Association (AGA), Journal of Heredity, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Science Foundation (NSF-USA), PacBio, NanoPore. Journal of Heredity gordon.luikart@mso.umt.edu (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to golding@mcmaster.ca)