Hands-On Training Workshop • 29–30 July 2026

Introduction to R and Gene Expression Analysis Using Bioinformatics Tools

A two-day hybrid workshop designed and conducted by Dr. Khuram Shahzad at the Interdisciplinary Research Center in Biomedical Materials (IRCBM), COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus.

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Dates
29–30 July 2026
Mode
Hybrid — On-Site & Online
Resource Person
Dr. Khuram Shahzad
Host
IRCBM, CUI Lahore Campus
Event Report

Building bioinformatics skills in R and RNA-Seq analysis

A two-day hands-on workshop titled “Introduction to R and Gene Expression Analysis Using Bioinformatics Tools” was designed and conducted by Dr. Khuram Shahzad at the Interdisciplinary Research Center in Biomedical Materials (IRCBM), COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, on 29–30 July 2026. The workshop was organized in hybrid mode, providing participants with the opportunity to attend either physically at IRCBM or online.

Dr. Shahzad served as the resource person and delivered comprehensive theoretical lectures and hands-on training throughout the workshop, enabling participants to develop practical expertise in bioinformatics and transcriptomic data analysis.

The workshop aimed to equip researchers, postgraduate students, faculty members, and professionals from various institutions with fundamental knowledge and practical skills in R programming and RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) gene expression analysis. Participants actively engaged in theoretical discussions and practical training sessions through both physical and online platforms.

The workshop concluded with a certificate distribution ceremony led by the Head IRCBM, Prof. Dr. Anila Asif, who presented certificates to the participants in recognition of their successful completion of the workshop. Overall, the hybrid training program was highly successful in strengthening participants’ computational and bioinformatics skills while promoting the application of modern bioinformatics tools in life sciences research. The hybrid format also enabled broader participation by allowing researchers and students from different institutions and locations to join the training remotely.

Curriculum

The complete RNA-Seq analysis workflow

Training moved step by step from the R environment through to the interpretation of differential gene expression results.

  1. Introduction to the R programming environment
  2. Retrieval of gene expression datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO)
  3. Downloading sequencing data using the SRA Toolkit
  4. Quality control of sequencing reads
  5. Genome alignment
  6. Read counting
  7. Metadata preparation
  8. Differential gene expression analysis using DESeq2
  9. Visualization and interpretation of gene expression results
  10. Implementing reproducible bioinformatics workflows in R
Who Took Part

Resource person and participants

Designer & Resource Person

Dr. Khuram Shahzad

Designed and conducted the workshop, delivering theoretical lectures and hands-on training across both days.

Head of IRCBM

Prof. Dr. Anila Asif

Led the certificate distribution ceremony and presented certificates to participants in recognition of their successful completion of the workshop.

Audience

Open to researchers across institutions

  • Researchers
  • Postgraduate students
  • Faculty members
  • Professionals from various institutions
  • On-site participants at IRCBM
  • Online participants joining remotely

IRCBM remains committed to organizing similar capacity-building programs to advance bioinformatics education, computational research, and scientific excellence in Pakistan.

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