We're pleased to invite you to the Perth Biostatistics/Bioinformatics Meetup. This is a joint event supported by the WA Branch of the Statistical Society of Australia (SSA), Clinical Trials Enablement Platform WA (CTEP-WA), Perth Epidemiological Group (PEG), and the WA Health Translation Network (WAHTN).

Date: Tuesday, 10 June 2025.
Time: Refreshments at 5:30 PM, presentations from 6:00 PM.
Venue: McCusker Auditorium, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research (North).

The purpose of this event is to bring together those in Perth with expertise and/or interest in statistics as applied in fields such as medicine, healthcare, and biology. It is an opportunity to socialise and network, and encourage upcoming professionals to pursue a career in these worthwhile domains.

There are two invited speakers this evening: Dr Yunwei Zhang (Murdoch), Dr Chuck Herring (UWA).

Presentations

Variable Selection in Survival Analysis

Dr Yunwei Zhang, Murdoch University.

Variable selection, one of the oldest topics in statistics, continues to play a powerful role in influencing real-world outcomes. The development of modern techniques has enabled the analysis of increasingly complex time-to-event data in health and biology, associated with a wide range of diseases, biological processes, and patient treatment responses. Accurately identifying important variables in such data can drive biological discovery, promote targeted treatment strategies, and improve clinical decision-making.

However, this type of data often presents significant challenges: it typically contains more variables than observations, involves censored survival times, and may include outliers. These factors complicate the process of selecting relevant variables. In response, recent advances in statistical modelling have focused on addressing these challenges, leading to the development of more robust and efficient methodologies.

In my talk today, I will begin by introducing the nature of time-to-event data and the challenges it poses. I will then present recent methodological advances designed to address these issues. Finally, I will share findings from a benchmark study that evaluates how these methods perform in practical settings. This talk aims to highlight both the methodological development and real-world application of variable selection methods in survival analysis, offering insights for future research and collaboration.

About the Speaker

Yunwei Zhang is a lecturer in statistics from the School of Mathematics, Statistics, Chemistry and Physics at Murdoch University and an adjunct lecturer at Macquarie University. Before coming to Perth, she worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow in University of Melbourne and Macquarie University. She completed her PhD at the University of Sydney in 2023 with her thesis titled "Statistical methods for complex multi-modality kidney disease data". Her research interests are broad, including but not limited to statistical machine learning, feature selection methods, survival analysis, simulation algorithms and graphical visualisations. She works closely with health and medical collaborators on multiple interdisciplinary projects to make real-life impact in the health area.

Human Prefrontal Cortex Gene Regulatory Dynamics from Gestation to Adulthood at Single-cell Resolution

Dr Chuck Herring, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research

Human brain development is underpinned by cellular and molecular reconfigurations continuing into the third decade of life. To reveal cell dynamics orchestrating neural maturation, we profiled human prefrontal cortex gene expression and chromatin accessibility at single-cell resolution from gestation to adulthood. Integrative analyses define the dynamic trajectories of each cell type, revealing major gene expression reconfiguration at the prenatal-to-postnatal transition in all cell types followed by continuous reconfiguration into adulthood and identifying regulatory networks guiding cellular developmental programs, states, and functions. We uncover links between expression dynamics and developmental milestones, characterize the diverse timing of when cells acquire adult-like states, and identify molecular convergence from distinct developmental origins. We further reveal cellular dynamics and their regulators implicated in neurological disorders. Finally, using this reference, we benchmark cell identities and maturation states in organoid models. We are currently expanding our epigenetic profiling to include histone modifications at the single-cell level, providing deeper insights into the regulatory processes shaping cortical development. This comprehensive approach aims to enhance our understanding of the dynamic regulatory landscape governing human cortical development.

About the Speaker

Dr. Chuck Herring is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Western Australia and the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, where he works as a bioinformatician in Professor Ryan Lister’s lab. His research focuses on understanding how gene regulation and epigenetics shape cell identity and development, particularly in the human prefrontal cortex. He is also interested in developing analytical tools to track dynamic changes in cell states over time.

Before entering research, Chuck served in the United States Marine Corps and later earned a BSc in Physics from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He completed his PhD in 2018 at Vanderbilt University in the lab of Professor Ken Lau. Since joining the Lister lab, his work has focused on mapping the epigenetic and gene regulatory landscape of the human brain across development using single-cell techniques, with the goal of gaining insight into typical development and brain-related disorders.

Venue & Parking

This event is held at Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research (North; Google Maps). The presentations will be hosted in McCusker Auditorium, followed by refreshments in the building foyer.

Suggested parking is in Car Park 3A, accessed via Hampden Rd and Caladenia Cr.

Registration

This event is free, but please register your attendance to assist with catering and meeting dietary requirements.

Please circulate this invitation amongst your networks to anyone who might be interested, especially students and those early in their careers.

If you have any queries, please contact the convenor, Shih Ching Fu.

Thank you again to all of this event's supporters.