Workshop of the GMDS Working Group on Biomedical Informatics at GMDS 2025
As part of the GMDS Annual Meeting 2025 in Jena, a high-profile workshop entitled “New perspectives of biomedical informatics through genome sequencing in healthcare” took place on September 10, 2025. The event was organized by the GMDS Working Group on Biomedical Informatics, led by Prof. Dr. Ulrich Sax, Benjamin Löhnhardt (both from the Department of Medical Informatics, University Medical Center Göttingen), and Prof. Dr. Tim Beißbarth (Institute for Medical Bioinformatics, University Medical Center Göttingen). Prof. Dr. Michael Altenbuchinger represented Tim Beißbarth.
Three renowned experts presented exciting insights into current developments and applications of genome sequencing in healthcare:
Prof. Dr. Michael Krawczak (Kiel University)
In his presentation “genomDE: Paving the way for genome-based personalized healthcare and translational research in Germany,” Prof. Krawczak introduced the national genomDE project and the model project for genome sequencing. Drawing on decades of experience, he placed the developments in historical context and showed how genomDE is paving the way for personalized healthcare.
PD Dr. Michael Seifert (TU Dresden)
PD Dr. Seifert presented a specialized application of exome sequencing entitled “Patient-specific computational evolutionary reconstruction of ovarian cancer development using whole exome sequencing data.” He demonstrated how individual disease progression in ovarian cancer can be reconstructed using computer-aided methods—a promising approach for personalized oncology.
Prof. Dr. Dr. Melanie Börries (University of Freiburg)
The Freiburg-based cancer researcher, winner of the German Cancer Award 2025, spoke on “Personalized Medicine in Practice: Integrating Genomic Data into Clinical Care.” She gave a practical overview of the work done in interdisciplinary tumor boards and showed how genomic data is already being integrated into clinical decision-making today.
The workshop impressively illustrated how genome sequencing is opening up new avenues for research and care. The speakers' contributions demonstrated both the breadth and depth of current developments – from national initiatives and specialized applications to practical implementation in clinics.
Further information:
- GMDS Annual Meeting 2025: https://gmds2025.de/
- GMDS Working Group on Biomedical Informatics: https://www.gmds.de/aktivitaeten/medizinische-informatik/arbeitsgruppenseiten/biomedizinische-informatik-gemeinsame-arbeitsgruppe-des-fachbereiches-med-informatik-und-biometrie/
