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Keck Center Training Programs

The training arm of the Gulf Coast Consortia offers world-class opportunities for training, mentorship, and interaction with faculty leaders and others engaged in interdisciplinary bioscience research.

The Keck Center brings together computational, physical, mathematical, engineering, and biological scientists in a stimulating and nurturing environment for the development and training of a new type of scientist–one who can incorporate theory, simulation, and experiment to expand our understanding of modern biological problems. Pre- and Postdoctoral trainees are provided an intellectual environment for considering problems that transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries, as well as training opportunities with mentors in different disciplines.

35th Keck Annual Research Conference

Advances in Epigenetics: From Mechanisms to Medicine

Epigenetic mechanisms play a critical role in development, cell differentiation, and responses to environmental signals. They are increasingly recognized as key contributors to diseases such as cancer, neurological disorders, and developmental defects. In this conference, leading experts will highlight how recent advances in novel sequencing technologies, computational tool development, and emerging conceptual frameworks for studying epigenetics are transforming our understanding of gene regulation, tumor evaluation, and precision medicine. The conference and poster session will also highlight the outstanding research underway by predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees in the six inter-institutional training programs administered by the GCC/Keck Center in the greater Houston area. Don’t miss this exciting conference and poster session.

Confirmed speakers are:

  • Xin Chen, Johns Hopkins University;
  • James Nuñez, University of California Berkeley;
  • Benjamin Sabari, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center;
  • Hui Shen, Van Andel Institute;
  • Andrew Stergachis, University of Washington.

The 2025 Keck Conference Chair is Yun Nancy Huang, PhD, Institute of Biosciences and Technology of Texas A&M (IBT), and Conference Co-Chairs are Isaac Hilton, PhD, Rice University, and Xiaotian Zhang, PhD, UTHealth Houston.

Location:  Bioscience Research Collaborative, 6500 Main St., Houston. Friday, October 24, 2025.

Conference Website

Annual Research Conference Poster Session

Training Programs

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Antimicrobial Resistance Training Program in the Texas Medical Center (AMR-TPT)
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Training Program in Biomedical Informatics and Data Science (NLM)
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The Cancer Therapeutics Training Program (CTTP)
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Training Interdisciplinary Pharmacology Scientists (TIPS)
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Molecular Basis of Infectious Diseases (MBID)
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Training in Precision Environmental Health Sciences (TPEHS)
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Keck Seminar
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Rigor and Reproducibility Resource Page

The 34th Keck Annual Research Conference was held on October 25, 2024. Theme: Machine Learning and Computation in Structural Biology. Previous conferences include:

Keck Seminar Series: 4:00 pm Fridays during the academic year
BioScience Research Collaborative (BRC), 6500 Main @ University, Rice University.
Trainees supported by the GCC are required to attend the seminars in person.

The Keck Seminar Series, begun in 1990, focuses on contemporary interdisciplinary science involving quantitative or computational, biomedical informatics and data science, bioinformatics, chemical, and/or physical approaches to biological and biomedical problems. The speakers, selected by a committee of GCC-supported trainees, are drawn from GCC institutions, and institutions nationwide. Everyone is welcome to attend. The Keck Seminar Series is also a 1-credit graduate course at Rice University, BIOC 592 “Topics in Quantitative Biology & Biomedical Informatics.”

Acknowledging Keck Center Support
Are you participating in a Keck Center training program? Don’t forget that Keck Center trainees are required to acknowledge their fellowship funding support on all publications and abstracts resulting from their fellowship project – regardless of publication date – as well as posters during their appointment period. You will find the grant number of your program on your appointment letter as well as on the web page of your training program.

Individual Development Plans (IDPs)
The GCC supports the NIH’s strong encouragement that every graduate student or postdoc supported by any NIH training grant, fellowship, or research grant have an Individual Development Plan (IDP) (NOT-OD-14-113) as a career development tool. Although institutions are responsible for implementation of and compliance with this notice for their trainees, the GCC monitors that our fellows have completed an IDP every year. One popular tool for creating an IDP is AAAS myIDP.

Highlights