Omics is an interdisciplinary field examining the interactions and functions of biological components across multiple layers, such as the genome, transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome. By integrating multimodal AI approaches, we can derive critical insights from these diverse areas, uncovering intricate relationships among genes, RNA, proteins, and metabolites in living organisms. Our exploration into developing multimodal strategies for omics starts with Transcriptomics, the most extensively studied domain, where we look at gene expression to see which genes are active and their level of activity.
In this presentation, Balaji Selvaraj will guide us through the transformative shift from traditional bulk sequencing methods, which are constrained by limited data availability, to innovative single-cell technology that has enabled new AI-based approaches in the omics field. The discussion will provide insights into the structure of the omics data and its inherent complexities, such as sparsity and batch effects. The session will explore key concepts and techniques in developing Single Cell Foundation models, like scGPT. The presentation will also highlight the potential applications of these foundation models in the healthcare industry, particularly in understanding disease mechanisms, tissue composition, and tumor recurrence. The talk is intended for anyone interested in the current state of AI and its potential in the healthcare industry.
Balaji Selvaraj is a Senior Deep Learning Engineer at AstraZeneca, bringing over a decade of expertise in the field. He is recognized as a top-performing participant on Kaggle, ranking in the top 1% and has achieved an exceptional peak global rank of 652 among more than 200,000 data scientists worldwide.
Balaji is proficient in designing and developing advanced deep learning models and pipelines across various data modalities, including images, signals, tabular data, and text. Outside of his professional endeavors, Balaji is passionate about Formula 1, cricket, and engaging in strategic board games.
