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Program in Quantitative Genomics

The Program in Quantitative Genomics (PQG) develops and applies quantitative methods to help handle massive genetic, genomic, and health data. Based in the Harvard Chan School and Longwood Medical Area, its goal is to improve health through the interdisciplinary study of genetics, behavior, environment, and health. 

Location

255 Huntington Ave
Building 2, 4th floor
Boston, MA 02115

PQG Seminar

The goal of the PQG Seminar Series is to promote interaction, collaboration, and research in quantitative genomics.  The series seeks to further the development and application of quantitative methods, especially for high dimensional data, as well as focus on the training of quantitative genomic scientists.

2024/2025 Seminar Organizers: Rong Ma 

Please direct any logistical questions to Amanda King

Note: Harvard Chan School seeks to bring in speakers with a wide range of experiences and perspectives. They’re here to share their own insights; they do not speak for the school or the university.

All PQG seminar meetings for the semester will be held in person unless otherwise noted.

Upcoming Seminar

Tuesday, April 8, 2024 
1:00 -2:00 PM
Biostats Conference  Room 2-426

Mengdi Wang
Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Center for Statistics and Machine Learning
Princeton University

From Genome to Theorem: Can Large Language Models Do Science?

Large Language Models (LLMs) are increasingly being explored as tools for scientific reasoning — not just in language tasks, but across disciplines such as mathematics, biology, and genomics. In this talk, I’ll discuss recent developments in AI for science, including genome language models, AI gene-editing co-scientist, and LLMs for mathematical problem solving. I’ll highlight both the capabilities and current limitations of LLMs, and discuss key gaps between model abstractions and the realities of scientific workflows. As we push toward AI systems that can assist with discovery, the question remains: can LLMs truly do science — or are we still in the early stages of bridging that divide?

2024-2025 Dates