Agenda for the 2026 FaceBase Community Forum
The FaceBase Community Forum is a one-and-a-half-day meeting featuring invited talks, panels, and community discussions, with a particular focus on AI-readiness and cross-domain data federation. Includes live demonstrations of newly released FaceBase features and datasets.
Remote participation is available via Zoom (provided upon registration).
This year’s theme is:
Advancing Scientific Data Reuse, Integration, and AI-Readiness to Bolster Translational Research Across Dental, Oral, Craniofacial, Inner Ear, and Related Biomedical Domains to Enhance Overall Health
Start: Monday, May 4, 2026 at 9:00 AM EDT
End: Tuesday, May 5, 2026 at 12:30 PM EDT
Format: In person with remote participation options
Location: USC/ISI East Office — 3811 Fairfax Dr #200, Arlington, VA
Don’t Miss
- NIH Opening and Program Updates
- Keynote: Genome Medicine (Day 1)
- Keynote: Cranial Phenotyping (Day 2)
- AI-readiness and data reuse sessions
- ClinGen spatial transcriptomics collaboration
- Interactive poster session, live FaceBase demos, and networking reception
Day 1 — Monday, May 4
Welcome & Introduction
Yang Chai — University of Southern California
Opening Remarks (NIH)
Jennifer Webster-Cyriaque — Acting Director, NIDCR/NIH
FaceBase Highlights & Future Directions
Carl Kesselman and Rob Schuler — USC
Keynote
Genome medicine — multiomics in disease gene discovery & patient care
Brendan Lee — Baylor College of Medicine
Session: AI-Readiness in FaceBase
- New AI capabilities in FaceBase — Rob Schuler (USC)
- AI applications in glaucoma research — Benjamin Xu (USC)
Panel: Data Sharing, Reuse & Incentives
Moderated by Lu Wang (NIH/NIDCR)
Panelists include NIH and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory representatives
Session: FaceBase Data Reuse
- Facial–cranial correspondence mask — Susan Walsh (Indiana University Indianapolis)
- Regulatory evolution of the mammalian midface — Laura Cook (LBNL)
Interactive Poster & Demo Session + Networking Reception
- Featuring live demonstrations of new FaceBase capabilities, selected posters, and informal discussion with presenters and attendees.
Optional group dinner (self-pay)
Day 2 — Tuesday, May 5
Welcome & Day 1 Recap
Yang Chai — USC
NIH Remarks
Susan Gregurick — Director, NIH Office of Data Science Strategy
Keynote
Automated shape-based phenotyping in craniosynostosis
Janina Kueper — University of Pittsburgh
Session: Featured FaceBase Datasets
- Bone regeneration with mineralized collagen microgels — Sofia Vignolo (OHSU)
- Whole exome sequencing for syndromic orofacial clefts — Lord Gowans (Ghana)
Session: Data Federation & Collaboration
- EarBase collaboration with NIDCD — Troy Hackett (NIDCD)
- Spatial transcriptomics atlas with ClinGen — Pedro Sanchez (Cedars-Sinai) & Jifan Feng (USC)
Session: EMR Integration with FaceBase — Progress Update
Parish Sedghizadeh — USC
Closing Remarks
Carl Kesselman — USC