Links within this page: HKU University Museum and Art Gallery | Hiking from the UNK to the Peak
Discover, Connect, and Explore Hong Kong at GIW ISCB-Asia 2025!
Who says networking has to be all PowerPoint, posters and coffee breaks? At GIW ISCB-Asia 2025, we’re reinventing the way connections are made. Picture this: meaningful conversations sparked over dim sum, collaborations born amidst the glow of Victoria Harbour, and friendships forming on the vibrant streets of Hong Kong.
This year, we're blending science with the city's unique energy, offering activities that invite you to explore the culture, cuisine, and iconic sights—all while building your professional network. The following activities will organized at the close of the conference on Saturday, December 13. Registration is required for planning purposes.
Confirmed Activities
HKU University Museum and Art Gallery
The University Museum and Art Gallery (UMAG) of The University of Hong Kong, established in 1953, is Hong Kong's oldest continuously operated museum. Its diverse collection spans over 7,000 years, featuring Neolithic ceramics, Ming and Qing dynasty paintings, and rare bronzes, including ritual vessels and Tang dynasty mirrors. Highlights include one of the earliest known underglaze-blue ceramic pieces and the world's largest collection of Yuan dynasty Nestorian crosses. UMAG also hosts contemporary and historical exhibitions, fostering a vibrant connection between art, education, and the public. As a teaching museum, it continues to support the University and the broader community through programs and activities that celebrate art and history.
Hiking from the UNK to the Peak
https://www.gethigh-hk.com/post/hku-to-the-peak
The Lugard Road Lookout (The Peak), perched along the historic Lugard Road on Victoria Peak, offers one of Hong Kong’s most breathtaking panoramic views. Named after Sir Frederick Lugard, Hong Kong’s 14th Governor, this scenic spot captures the city’s iconic skyline, Victoria Harbour, and distant islands, blending urban energy with natural beauty. Built in the early 20th century, the lookout is a popular stop on the Peak’s circular walking trail, a tranquil escape surrounded by lush greenery. The Lugard Road Lookout is a timeless gem that showcases the harmonious contrast of Hong Kong’s urban and natural landscapes.
More to come….
Join us in Hong Kong, where science meets adventure, and networking takes a bold, exciting twist!
Links within this page: Abstracts: Submission Guidelines | Abstract Preparation Guidance | Conference Topics | Important Dates | Why Submit?
Join us in advancing computational biology and bioinformatics!
GIW/ISCB-Asia 2025 welcomes abstract submissions featuring research at the forefront of bioinformatics and computational biology. We encourage the submission of original work, whether it is in progress or has been previously published within the last 18 months, for consideration for oral and/or poster presentation.
All presentations are categorized based on scientific topics, ensuring a cohesive organization of talks and posters. Please ensure that your abstract communicates a scientific result and refrains from serving as an advertisement for any commercial software package or products.
GIW/ISCB-Asia 2025 embraces a broad interpretation of bioinformatics/computational biology. Topics of particular interest encompass, but are not limited to, the following:
- Single-Cell Analysis
- Spatial Omics and Histology
- Cutting-Edge AI Applications in Biology and Medicine
- Protein/RNA Structure Analysis, Prediction and Design
- Cancer Genomics and Personalized Medicine
- Metagenomics and Microbiome Analysis
- Network Biology and Systems Biology
- Drug Discovery and Repurposing
- Ethical, Legal and Social Issues (ELSI)
- Bioinformatics Education
- Multi-Omic Informatics
- Databases, Ontologies and Biocuration
- Evolutionary, Comparative Genomics and Phylogenetics
- Synthetic Biology and Engineering
- General Computational Biology
See detailed descriptions of these topics below.
Abstracts: Submission Guidelines
The presenter should be identified during the submission process. Presenters of accepted abstracts are required to make the presentation themselves, and must register and pay to attend the conference.
Submitters may choose to have their submission reviewed for: (i) talk only, (ii) talk and poster or (iii) poster only. If you select talk and poster, and are unsuccessful for a talk, your abstract will automatically be considered for a poster presentation. Submissions must be received by September 29, 2025.
Participants who opt for (i) talk only or (ii) talk and poster are required to submit:
- Both a 200-word abstract to be posted on the conference website AND a long abstract of up to two (2) pages in PDF format.
Participants who opt for (iii) poster only are required to submit:
- A 200-word abstract to be posted on the conference website.
All abstracts must be submitted using the conference submission site by the abstract deadline: September 29, 2025.
Abstract Preparation Guidance
The 200-word abstract should be a brief and concise summary of the background/motivation for the study, method and result (s), as well as a conclusion/statement of significance. The abstract is submitted through the EasyChair submission system.
Accepted abstracts (maximum 200 words) will be posted on the conference website.
For authors requesting a talk you should upload a long abstract of up to two (2) pages in PDF format during the submission process, to provide additional details including figures and graphics that support the main points of the abstract. Do not submit more than two pages.
Your abstract must not contain your title/position or any personal information (e.g. affiliation). These details will be collected through the EasyChair submission system.
Conference Topics
Submissions are invited on, but not limited to, the following topics:
SINGLE-CELL ANALYSIS:
Advancements in single-cell technologies have allowed researchers to delve deeper into understanding cellular heterogeneity, cell signaling, and gene expression at the single-cell level. Analyzing large-scale single-cell data poses challenges in computational methods, driving innovation in this area.
SPATIAL OMICS AND HISTOLOGY:
Methods development, computational analysis, and clinical application of spatial transcriptomics, multi-omics, and/or the integration of histology images. The combination of spatial transcriptomics and histology provides detailed, high-resolution maps of gene expression within the context of tissue architecture.
CUTTING-EDGE AI APPLICATIONS IN BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE::
The application of machine learning algorithms and artificial intelligence in biology and medicine has been rapidly expanding. In biology, these techniques aid in predictive modeling, variant calling, drug discovery, functional genomics, and interpreting complex biological data. In medicine, AI and machine learning are revolutionizing diagnostics, personalized treatment plans, patient monitoring, and clinical decision-making.
PROTEIN/RNA STRUCTURE ANALYSIS, PREDICTION AND DESIGN:
Cutting-edge computational methods are revolutionizing our ability to predict and design the structures of proteins and RNA molecules. These advancements hold immense potential for developing new drugs, understanding fundamental biological functions, and creating innovative therapeutics.
CANCER GENOMICS AND PERSONALIZED MEDICINE:
Computational approaches are instrumental in analyzing large-scale genomic and clinical data to tailor treatments based on an individual's genetic makeup. Precision oncology, in particular, relies on computational biology for tumor profiling, drug sensitivity prediction, and identifying potential therapeutic targets.
METAGENOMICS AND MICROBIOME ANALYSIS:
Computational tools play a crucial role in studying complex microbial communities and their impact on human health, agriculture, and the environment. Analyzing metagenomic data involves developing algorithms for taxonomic classification, functional profiling, and understanding microbial interactions.
NETWORK BIOLOGY AND SYSTEMS BIOLOGY:
Computational modeling of biological networks, such as protein-protein interactions, metabolic pathways, and gene regulatory networks, helps in understanding the underlying mechanisms of complex biological systems. Systems biology integrates computational and experimental approaches to study biological systems holistically.
DRUG DISCOVERY AND REPURPOSING:
Computational methods are extensively used in virtual screening, molecular docking, and drug-target interaction prediction. These approaches accelerate drug discovery and enable the repurposing of existing drugs for new therapeutic applications.
ETHICAL, LEGAL AND SOCIAL ISSUES (ELSI):
With the increasing volume of biological data being generated, there is a growing emphasis on addressing ethical concerns, ensuring data privacy, and developing frameworks for responsible data sharing and usage in computational biology research.
BIOINFORMATICS EDUCATION:
Bioinformatics education is fast advancing by reflecting substantial changes in the expanding research areas and educational tools.
MULTI-OMIC INFORMATICS:
Various informatics resources and technologies have been developed for omics data accumulated via high-throughput technologies.
DATABASES, ONTOLOGIES AND BIOCURATION:
To effectively manage the vast amounts of biological data generated by advanced measurement techniques, it is increasingly crucial to design interoperable and reusable biological databases, construct ontologies for precise data representation in life sciences, and refine biocuration workflows to enhance data quality and accessibility.
EVOLUTIONARY, COMPARATIVE GENOMICS AND PHYLOGENETICS:
New discoveries as well as groundbreaking methods are being made for comparing genomic data and revealing the evolutionary histories and relationships of diverse species.
SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY AND ENGINEERING:
Engineering biology enabling the intentional design, manufacture and deployment of living cells, cell systems, and other biological processes to create materials and products for benefiting humanity.
GENERAL COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY:
Other topics related to computational biology not listed above.
Important Dates
Submission Deadline: September 29, 2025
Abstract Decision Date: October 17, 2025
Late-Breaking Posters Deadline: October 20, 2025
Late-Breaking Poster Decision Date: October 29, 2025
Why Submit?
GIW XXXIV | ISCB-Asia VIII provides a leading platform for presenting groundbreaking research, engaging with peers, and advancing computational biology globally. Join us in exploring cutting-edge innovations and impactful discoveries.
Submit your work and be part of this premier conference!
Venue Information
University of Hong Kong
Rayson Huang Lecture Theatre
Pok Fu Lam Rd, Lung Fu Shan, Hong Kong
Link to Map
Hotel Accommodations
Coming soon.
Getting to Hong Kong
Hong Kong is a major international hub, easily accessible by air, land, and sea. Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) serves numerous direct flights from major cities worldwide.
Upon arrival, efficient transport options like the Airport Express train, buses, and taxis provide seamless connections to the city center. For travelers from Mainland China and Macau, high-speed trains, cross-boundary coaches, and ferry services offer convenient access to Hong Kong.
This extensive network ensures that reaching Hong Kong is straightforward, regardless of your starting point.
The Discover Hong Kong website has detailed up-to-date information about traveling to the city.
Links within this page: Registration Benefits | Conference Fellowships | In-Person Registration Fees | Virtual Registration Fees | ISCB Membership | Conference Merchandise | Payment Options | Code of Conduct | Media Release Statement | Cancellation Policy | Controlled Access to Meeting Content
Coming Soon
Be sure to log in before registering if you are a member.
The safety of conference participants is ISCB’s top priority. Please take a moment to review the Health and Safety Protocols at https://www.iscb.org/iscb-policy-statements/iscb-health-and-safety-protocols, which outline the right of entry requirement to the conference.
Registration Benefits
Registration is for the full conference. Participants can choose to register to join in person or virtually. In person participants will have access to the virtual platform - ISCB Nucleus, the ISCB center for science, collaboration, and training.
Registration includes the following conference benefits:
- Live sessions with on-demand recordings to benefit attendees from all time zones
- 100+ expected scientific talks and posters
- Live question and answer feature to engage with the speaker during sessions
- Live chat feature to engage with other participants within your session room
- Dedicated time for research presentations within the Poster Theatre
- Ability to make new connections when utilizing the virtual attendee profile and match maker features
- Schedule one-on-one time with speakers, poster presenters, exhibitors, and sponsors to learn more about their work, products, or services
- Exclusive access to the on-demand repository of talks and poster presentations for viewing at your leisure after conference dates through ISCB portal
- Access to training workshops (additional fee) - coffee breaks included
- Coffee breaks, lunch, welcome reception and poster reception are included for the conference to all in-person participants
Registration Desk Hours (In-person)
*subject to change without notice
| Thursday, December 11 | 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM |
| Friday, December 12 | 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM |
| Saturday, December 13 | 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM |
Registration fees are in HKD for all in person and virtual registrations. Certificates of participation will be available on-line following the conference for registered delegates who actively participated.
For a variety of reasons, ISCB strongly prefers that scientific research accepted for oral presentation be presented in-person at the conference venue. We understand that some presenters will have valid reasons to avoid in-person attendance. ISCB will grant remote presentation options for reasons associated with maternity/paternity leave, care for a family member, personal/medical disability, sickness, financial hardship, or potential visa problems. If your research is accepted for oral presentation and you are unable to present in person, ISCB requires notification at the time of acceptance and no later than November 13, 2025. You will be asked during your confirmation of participation to confirm your in-person participation. If unable to participate you will need to request a waiver by writing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Talks will be broadcast live through the virtual platform for participants.
All virtual talk presenters will be required to provide a pre-recorded talk in advance of the conference. The pre-recorded talk will be used in case of any unforeseen circumstances that prevent a live presentation by the presenter.
We require that in-person presenters upload either the pdf or the mp4, but prefer you upload both so that our virtual attendees get the most from your work. This also serves to extend the life of your work so that all attendees are able to watch it on-demand after the conference. Virtual presenters are required to upload both the mp4 and the pdf.
Failure to upload a digital version of your poster will revoke your in-person poster acceptance.
Conference Fellowships
GIW ISCB-Asia 2025 is pleased to offer conference (travel and registration) fellowships to any member in good standing with priority going to members from low or middle income countries as well as students and postdoctoral fellows to attend the conference. Funding sources for Fellowships are very limited and we regret that we are not able to fund all applicants. The conference organizers are committed to providing support to as many eligible applicants as possible. Fellowship consideration is based on membership, accepted work, and country economic status based on World Bank rankings.
Coming Soon
Be sure to log in before registering if you are a member.
In-Person Registration Fees
| ISCB MEMBER FEES (in-person idividual) |
Early Rate (Before November 1) |
Normal Rate (Starting November 1) |
| Student | $2510.00 HK | $3096.00 HK |
| Post-Doc | $2510.00 HK | $3096.00 HK |
| Professional: Academic; Non-profit; Government; or Corporate | $3763.00 HK | $4350.00 HK |
ISCB now offers group registrations! The Group PI must have a Professional, Laboratory, or Institutional membership to ISCB. They are charged at same rate as a Professional Member, but all other members of the group register at a discount. Minimum group size 3 (group PI and 2 others). NOTE: Group registrations are charged to a single registrant (the group admin), be sure to confirm your institution's regulations and procedures about reimbursement of third party payments.
| ISCB MEMBER FEES (in-person group) |
Early Rate (Before November 1) |
Normal Rate (Starting November 1) |
| Group PI | $3763.00 HK | $4350.00 HK |
| Discount for Institutional/Laboratory PI (minimum 2) | 12.5% | 12.5% |
| Discount for Professional PI (minimum 2) | 10% | 10% |
Not an ISCB member? To take advantage of more savings, become a member of ISCB prior to or during the registration process. This will save you more! We welcome you to join during registration or select the non-member registration rate which will include a complimentary 1-year membership to ISCB and ISCB-China.
Learn more about ISCB Membership Fees at: https://www.iscb.org/become-a-member
| ISCB NON-MEMBER FEES (in-person) |
Early Rate (Before November 1) |
Normal Rate (Starting November 1) |
| Student | $3135.00 HK | $3724.00 HK |
| Post-Doc | $3135.00 HK | $3724.00 HK |
| Professional: Academic; Non-profit; Government; or Corporate | $5095.00 HK | $5683.00 HK |
Coming Soon
Be sure to log in before registering if you are a member.
Virtual Registration Fees
| ISCB MEMBER FEES (virtual individual) |
Rate |
| Student | $430.00 HK |
| Post-Doc | $430.00 HK |
| Professional: Academic; Non-profit; Government; or Corporate | $1215.00 HK |
ISCB now offers group registrations! The Group PI must have a Professional, Laboratory, or Institutional membership to ISCB. They are charged at same rate as a Professional Member, but all other members of the group register at a discount. Minimum group size 3 (group PI and 2 others). NOTE: Group registrations are charged to a single registrant (the group admin), be sure to confirm your institution's regulations and procedures about reimbursement of third party payments.
| ISCB MEMBER FEES (virtual group) |
Rate |
| Group PI | $1215.00 HK |
| Discount for Institutional/Laboratory PI (minimum 2) | 12.5% |
| Discount for Professional PI (minimum 2) | 10% |
Not an ISCB member? To take advantage of more savings, become a member of ISCB prior to or during the registration process. This will save you more! We welcome you to join during registration or select the non-member registration rate which will include a complimentary 1-year membership to ISCB and ISCB-China.
Learn more about ISCB Membership Fees at: https://www.iscb.org/become-a-member
| ISCB NON-MEMBER FEES (virtual) |
Rate |
| Student | $823.00 HK |
| Post-Doc | $823.00 HK |
| Professional: Academic; Non-profit; Government; or Corporate | $2350.00 HK |
Coming Soon
Be sure to log in before registering if you are a member.
ISCB Membership
ISCB Membership Fee Chart available here
ISCB Members
If you are a current member of ISCB, you must use the email address registered with your ISCB membership record in order to register at the discounted member rates through the online system. If you do not know the email address you used to register with ISCB, please use the help function at: http://www.iscb.org/iscb-forgot-your-password
Non-Members of ISCB
Save money by becoming a member of ISCB during registration.
ISCB Membership Renewal
If your ISCB membership is not current or will expire on or before the last day of the conference, you will be offered an opportunity to renew your membership as part of your registration fees through the online system.
Conference Merchandise
In person conference delegates can purchase a conference t-shirt during online registration. These high-quality t-shirts can be pre-ordered online until November 1, 2025, at a cost of $15.00. (Please note t-shirts are not available for sale on-site).
Payment Options
Conference fees are charged in HKD. The following credit/gift cards are accepted for registration: MasterCard and Visa.
Wire Transfer or Check
Last day to pay by wire or check Ends on November 26, 2025 - after this time only Credit Card payment is accepted
Delegates wishing to pay using a wire transfer will select “pay by wire” on the Additional Options page and the Payment page during registration to create an invoice. Wire transfer information will be found on the summary page once registration is complete, as well as at the bottom of the PDF invoice.
Please note that any bank fees must be paid by the participant. Should funds arrive with bank fees deducted, payment of the difference will be charged to the participant at on-site registration.
Code of Conduct
The ISCB Code of Conduct for ISCB Conferences is available here.
Media Release Statement
ISCB intends to take photographs and video of this event for use in ISCB news, media, and promotional material, in print and electronic, including the ISCB website and social platforms. As an international society ISCB is GDPR compliant. During your registration you will be asked to provide ISCB with permission to use any incidental capture of your voice or likeness for our promotional material.
ISCB will record all presentations given at the conference. Presenters will be asked to submit a Confirmation of Participation, during which they will be asked for permission under CC-BY4.0 for ISCB to a) keep the recording and b) share the recording. Instances where permission to keep the recording have been denied will be fulfilled as early as ISCB is able to edit the recordings.
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Cancellation Policy
Requests for registration cancellation must be made in writing and emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. prior to December 1, 2025.
- Delegates registering no later than October 31, 2025 are eligible for a full conference refund at any date prior to the opening day of the conference should your plans change. No cancellation fee applies.
- Delegates registering after October 31, 2025 will be refunded less a $50.00 administration fee.
- No refunds are available after December 1, 2025.
Controlled Access to Meeting Content
Only registered participants will have online access to the conference while it is live, and for 6 months afterwards, though the virtual platform. Presenters may provide permission to ISCB to keep and, separately, to share the recording of their talks. Any recordings for which ISCB was granted permission to keep the recording will be available to registered participants via the virtual platform for so long as it is open. Only those presentations for which ISCB has permission to share the recordings will be posted to our YouTube channel and the Nucleus Content Library. This permission can be updated at any time by the presenter.
For questions about registration contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.