Foundation Models and their Biomedical Applications (25w5470)

The Banff International Research Station will host the “Foundation Models and Their Biomedical Applications: Bridging the Gap” workshop in Banff from August 17 - 22, 2025.

In today's world, we are increasingly surrounded by vast amounts of complex biomedical data. One significant stride in this domain is the use of large-scale data from sources like the UK biobank, which contains valuable information ranging from brain imaging and genetic patterns to detailed electronic health records. There is an urgent need to leverage data science methodologies to decipher such multifaceted biomedical datasets. Foundation models, the newest wave of AI algorithms, are cultivated from vast, varied data pools and can cater to a large number of subsequent tasks. Our 5-day workshop is designed to gather experts from varied fields to collaboratively tackle the obstacles and explore the potential of foundation models in biomedical research.

The Banff International Research Station for Mathematical Innovation and Discovery (BIRS) is a collaborative Canada-US-Mexico venture that provides an environment for creative interaction as well as the exchange of ideas, knowledge, and methods within the Mathematical Sciences, with related disciplines and with industry. The research station is located at The Banff Centre in Alberta and is supported by Canada’s Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), and Alberta’s Advanced Education and Technology.