International Society for Computational Biology

International Society for Computational Biology. The International Society for Computational Biology is the leading global professional society dedicated to advancing the scientific understanding of living systems through computation. It serves a multidisciplinary community of scientists working at the intersection of biology, computer science, mathematics, and statistics. The society fosters scientific discovery, standards of practice, and education by hosting major conferences, publishing influential journals, and supporting regional student groups and specialized communities worldwide.

History

The society was formally constituted in 1997 through the merger of two earlier organizations, the Intelligent Systems for Molecular Biology conference series and the Journal of Computational Biology. This unification aimed to create a single, cohesive professional body for the rapidly growing field of bioinformatics and computational biology. Key founding figures included prominent scientists like Michael S. Waterman and David J. Lipman, who helped shape the early direction of the discipline. Since its inception, the society has expanded its global reach, establishing numerous regional subdivisions and becoming the umbrella organization for premier events like the ISMB conference.

Organization and governance

The society is governed by an elected Board of Directors and an executive committee, which includes the President, Vice President, and Treasurer. Day-to-day operations are managed by an executive office located in Bethesda, Maryland. Leadership includes representatives from academia, industry, and government institutions worldwide. Major decisions and strategic directions are often informed by various committees, such as the Conference Committee and the Awards Committee. The society also maintains a close collaborative relationship with affiliated organizations like the European Conference on Computational Biology and the Asia Pacific Bioinformatics Network.

Activities and programs

A core activity is organizing the annual Intelligent Systems for Molecular Biology conference, which is among the largest and most respected meetings in the field. The society administers several prestigious awards, including the ISCB Accomplishment by a Senior Scientist Award and the Overton Prize. It runs extensive support programs for early-career researchers, such as the ISCB Student Council and travel fellowship programs to events like RECOMB. Additional initiatives include advocacy for open science, diversity and inclusion efforts through the COMBINE program, and public policy engagement on issues relevant to data science in biomedical research.

Publications

The society publishes two flagship, peer-reviewed journals: Bioinformatics, jointly with Oxford University Press, and PLOS Computational Biology, in partnership with the Public Library of Science. These journals are among the most cited publications in the field, covering topics from genomics and proteomics to systems biology and phylogenetics. The society also sponsors special issues and conference proceedings, such as those for the ISMB/ECCB conference. Editorial boards comprise leading scientists from institutions like the European Molecular Biology Laboratory and the Broad Institute.

Special Interest Groups

To serve specialized communities, the society charters numerous Special Interest Groups focused on specific research areas. These include groups dedicated to RNA bioinformatics, evolutionary genomics, regulatory genomics, and computational structural biology. SIGs organize dedicated sessions at major conferences like ISMB and ECCB, host standalone workshops, and contribute to community standards and resources. They provide a forum for collaboration and knowledge exchange among researchers from organizations such as the National Institutes of Health and the Wellcome Sanger Institute.

Affiliated conferences and events

Beyond its flagship ISMB meeting, the society is the umbrella organization for several other major conferences. These include the joint ISMB/ECCB conference held in Europe, the Conference on Computational Intelligence in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, and regional events like the Latin American Conference on Bioinformatics. The society also sponsors or endorses numerous satellite meetings and workshops, such as the Bio-Ontologies workshop and the Machine Learning in Computational Biology meeting. These gatherings often take place in conjunction with larger events like the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics or the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory symposia. Category:Scientific organizations Category:Computational biology Category:Professional associations