Phylogenetic Biogeography Workshop @ WUSTL

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Apply

Join us! Complete the application form [link] by March 6, 2024. We only have 20 seats available. All applicants will be notified about their admission status by early March.

Who? This workshop is for researchers interested in phylogenetics, biogeography, and evolutionary modeling. Some familiarity with programming and phylogenetics is required. We expect most participants will be graduate students or postdoctoral researchers, but advanced undergraduates, curators, faculty, etc. are also encouraged to apply.

Expenses? The workshop will provide instruction, refreshments, and 4 nights of shared-room housing free-of-charge. Students will need to bring their own laptops, handle their own meal plans, and arrange their own transportation to participate in the workshop.

Please contact michael.landis@wustl.edu or fzapata@ucla.edu with any questions or comments about the workshop.

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Schedule

The workshop is in Room 117 of the Life Sciences Building (more info below).

(before workshop)	Install PhyloDocker	Tutorials: – PhyloDocker installation and use
	Watch Paul Lewis Phyloseminar series on statistical phylogenetics	Video links: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4
	Expected Tutorials [2-3 hours]	Tutorials: – RevBayes intro – Rev language syntax – Probabilistic graphical models – Markov chain Monte Carlo – Substitution processes
	Suggested tutorials [2-3 hours]	Tutorials: – Molecular clocks – Birth-death models – BiSSE models
Fri, May 24 9am – 11am CT	Virtual office hours help installing PhyloDocker, general questions, etc. See email for Zoom links	—
Mon, May 27 10am – 12pm CT	Virtual office hours help installing PhyloDocker, general questions, etc. See email for Zoom links	—
Mon, June 03	Arrive in St. Louis	—
Tue, June 04	Welcome and Overview All instructors	Slides: – Workshop overview
	Hawaiian plant biogeography Felipe & Isaac	Slides: – Hawaiian plant biogeography slides Tutorials: – Tutorial series overview
	RevBayes basics Michael	Slides: – RevBayes slides Tutorials: – Rev language syntax – Graphical models tutorial
	Lunch break	—
	Molecular phylogenetics Michael	Slides: – Molecular phylogenetics slides Tutorials: – Molecular phylogenetic analysis
	GeoSSE models Fábio	Slides: – GeoSSE slides Tutorials: – GeoSSE analysis
Wed, June 05	Regional features Isaac & Sarah	Slides: – Regional features slides
	FIG models Sarah	Slides: – FIG slides Tutorials: – FIG analysis
	Lunch break	—
	TimeFIG models Fábio	Slides: – TimeFIG slides Tutorials: – TimeFIG analysis
	Biogeographic dating Michael	Slides: – Biogeographic dating slides Tutorials: – Biogeographic dating w/ node calibration – Biogeographic dating w/ TimeFIG
Thu, June 06 (optional)	Visit Missouri Botanical Garden	Carpool sign-up: – Spreadsheet
	Advanced topic: regional feature effects Isaac & Sarah	Slides: – Empirical considerations – Hypothesis testing
	Advanced topic: modes of geographical speciation Fábio	Slides: – coming soon
	Discussion	—
Fri, June 07	Depart from St. Louis	—

Topics this workshop will cover: molecular phylogenetics, divergence time estimation, historical biogeographic models, state-dependent speciation-extinction models, ancestral range estimates, Bayesian inference, Markov chain Monte Carlo.

Topics this workshop will not cover: species delimitation, ecological niche models, species distribution models, macroecological analyses, species richness analyses, community phylogenetics, phylogeography, population genetics, species tree estimation, multispecies coalescent models.

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Participant information

Important locations are shown on the maps below.

Equipment. Students must bring their own laptops and chargers to fully participate in the workshop. Student laptops must have RevDocker [link] installed and working before the workshop begins. We will offer virtual office hours in late May to help students who need help installing RevDocker. Students will have wireless internet access through the wustl-guest-2.0 and eduroam networks [link].

Workshop classroom. The workshop will be held in Room 117 of the Life Sciences Building on the Danforth Campus of Washington University in St. Louis. It is easiest to enter the building from the southeastern entrance (see below). The workshop will run from 8am – 5:30pm from Tuesday, June 4th through Thursday, June 6th.

Housing. Housing is provided as part of the workshop and is on-campus at the Knight Center. The Knight Center is located on-campus at the intersection of Throop Drive & Snow Way. Check-in time begins at 3pm on Monday, June 3rd. Check-out time ends at 12pm on Friday, June 7th. Rooms are shared, two students per room. Students are responsible for incidental charges (room service, etc.).

Air Travel. You can fly to St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) through a number of popular airlines. The St. Louis Metro Rail connects the airport to Washington University. You will board the train at the airport, then transfer at Forest Park Station to reach Washington University. Tickets cost about $5/day. Uber or Lyft rides from the airport to campus cost about $20/trip.

Car Travel. You can park at Washington University in campus parking lots for approximately $8 per day.

Meals. Refreshments (coffee, snacks, etc.) are provided with the workshop. Workshop participants will be in charge of arranging their own breakfast, lunch, and dinner plans. Washington University offers various dining options [link]. Delmar Loop is within walking distance (<1 mile) and has a wide variety of nice restaurants [link].

Garden trip. We will be visiting the world-famous Missouri Botanical Garden on the last day, Thursday, June 6th. Participants will need to work together to arrange travel (Uber, Lyft). Thanks to Dr. Alexander Linan and Eduardo Aguirre-Mazzi for arranging free admission for our group!

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Code of Conduct

Our code of conduct was adapted from the 2024 Evolution Conference Code of Conduct.

Registration for, access to, and participation in any society-sponsored event represents an agreement to abide by the policies below.

The Workshop is intended to foster the respectful exchange of scientific ideas, providing participants with an opportunity to present research findings, establish/renew collaborations, recruit people to their laboratories, and learn, teach, and network with an international community of evolutionary biologists. We are committed to creating an environment where everyone can participate without experiencing harassment, discrimination, or similar unwelcome, exclusionary behavior.  All meeting participants must treat others with respect and consideration. Registration for the meeting is considered an agreement to abide by the Workshop code of conduct.
 
Harassment of others by any participant (attendee, instructor, staff member, service provider) will not be tolerated. Unacceptable treatment of others includes (but is not limited to) unwanted verbal attention, unwanted touching, verbal or physical intimidation, stalking, shaming, or bullying. Discrimination or exclusion on the basis of gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, physical appearance, race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, or similar will not be tolerated. Critiques of scientific work are appropriate and important, but all forms of communication must be free of offensive, discriminatory or disrespectful elements, including (but not limited to) words and images that are derogatory or demeaning to individuals or groups. Inappropriate comments presented in a joking manner constitute unacceptable behavior. Retaliation for reporting inappropriate behavior is also unacceptable, as is reporting an incident in bad faith.
 
People wishing to report a violation of this code of conduct should contact Michael Landis or Felipe Zapata, the organizers. Incidents of inappropriate and uncivil behavior are taken extremely seriously. Confidentiality will be maintained unless disclosure is legally required.
 
The Workshop organizers reserve the right to enforce this code of conduct in any manner deemed appropriate. Anyone violating the code of conduct may be: (a) asked to stop, (b) expelled from the workshop, and/or (c) prohibited from attending future events. Establishing and enforcing this code of conduct is intended to prevent incidents of harassment, discrimination, and violence, and to maintain a high quality of scientific discourse.