UGM 2023

When, Where, and How

The UGM will be held in a live, in-person format across 3 days, September 27-29, 2023, in Lisbon, Portugal.

Main Meeting

Wednesday, September 27, 2023 12:00 pm WEST - Thursday, September 28, 2023 5:30 pm WEST

Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon (ULisboa) Auditorium, Building C1, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisbon, PT

Hackathon

Friday, September 29, 2023 9:30 am WEST - 3:00 pm WEST

SANA Metropolitan Hotel Madrid Room, R. Soeiro Pereira Gomes 2, 1600-198 Lisbon, PT

What to Expect

The UGM will bring together users of the MDAnalysis package from different communities. Our goal is to foster an opportunity to connect for interdisciplinary researchers and developers across biomolecular simulations, soft matter, biophysics and more. Whether you are a new MDAnalysis contributor, an MDAnalysis core developer, or a researcher using (or interested in using) MDAnalysis for your work in academia or industry, this UGM is for you. You can expect:

• Keynote talks from experts in the molecular dynamics simulations space (see Keynote Speakers below)
• Talks related to developing and using MDAnalysis for diverse scientific applications
• Tutorials diving into new features
• Direct access to the MDAnalysis core developer team to help shape future development of MDAnalysis
• Networking opportunities to foster new collaborations
• Hackathon and other social outings

Keynote Speakers

Prof. Giovanni M. Pavan

Giovanni Pavan received his MSc (2006) and PhD (2010) from the University of Trieste (Italy). From 2010-2018 he conducted research at SUPSI, first as a postdoc, then as a tenured researcher and senior researcher. Since May 2019 he is Full Professor and Head of the CPC lab at POLITO (Italy), with a double affiliation with SUPSI (Switzerland) as Professor and Head of the CMS Laboratory. His group performs research at the interface between the physics of self-assembling systems, computational supramolecular chemistry, and theoretical materials science. He is particularly interested in the dynamics of self-organizing systems, in the factors controlling it, and in how collective properties emerge in complex molecular systems. He has received various recognitions, including an ERC Consolidator and various Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) grants. He also serves as a member of the Editorial board of ChemSystemsChem (Wiley). He was recently elected as next Chair of the Gordon Research Conference (GRC) in Self-Assembly and Supramolecular Chemistry (2027).

Dr. Cédric Bouysset

Cédric Bouysset is a researcher specialized in cheminformatics, molecular modeling, and software development, currently working at Exscientia in Oxford (UK). He obtained an MSc in Cheminformatics from the University of Strasbourg and a PhD in Chemistry from the Université Côte D’Azur in France, where his research focused on studying taste perception and olfaction using a range of computational approaches. He actively maintains and contributes to open-source Python packages in computational chemistry, including MDAnalysis, which he became involved with during his participation in the Google Summer of Code program working on the interoperability between MDAnalysis and RDKit.

Program

The main conference will start at 12:00 pm on Wednesday, September 27 and will close around 5:30 pm on Thursday, September 28. An informal hackathon will be held from 9:30 am - 3:00 pm on Friday, September 29. All times are in WEST.

Download the draft agenda.

Registration and Abstracts

Registrations and abstract submissions are now being accepted. We welcome abstracts from all areas relevant to MDAnalysis’s work, including the use and development of open source software and tools for molecular simulations data analysis. NOTE: The deadline to submit abstracts (July 7) has passed; additional abstracts may only be accepted if any of the accepted speakers are unable to present.

MDAnalysis strives to be a diverse and welcoming community for all. While the event will be free to attend, a limited number of bursaries are available to enable attendance for those facing financial barriers. NOTE: The deadline for bursary applications (June 23) has passed; additional requests for funding may only become available if bursary recipients are unable to use their awards.

Travel and Accommodation

Participants are expected to make their own travel and accommodation arrangements. The SANA Metropolitan Hotel is the location for the hackathon and is our recommended place to stay for participants; it is a 24 minute walk or 20 min by bus (lines 731, 755, 768) to the main meeting venue at ULisboa. We also suggest the following hotels within walking distance of the meeting and hackathon venues (price range: 120-170 EUR per night):

• Radisson Blu Hotel (8 min walk to ULisboa, 30 min walk to SANA)
• Hotel NH Lisboa Campo Grande (17 min walk to ULisboa, 15 min walk to SANA)
• Holiday Inn Lisbon - Continental (29 min walk to ULisboa, 18 min walk to SANA)
• VIP Executive Zurique Hotel (28 min walk to ULisboa, 18 min walk to SANA)

There are many other hotel and guest house options accesible to and from the venues by foot or public transportation. Accommodations near subway stations with the yellow or green lines are suitable, as both subway lines go directly to Campo Grande station, which is a 10 min walk from ULisboa. There are also several buses with stops near the venues.

Citizens of several countries may travel to Portugal to attend a meeting without obtaining a visa. Please visit the Portugal Ministry of Foreign Affairs website for more information about travel visas. Confirmed attendees requiring a letter clarifying the purpose of travel should contact the MDAnalysis project manager.

Health and Safety

We are committed to providing a safe, comfortable, and healthy environment for the MDAnalysis UGM and have looked to local and international entities and other organizations in the open source community to develop onsite safety measures for UGM attendees.

Vaccine Policy

MDAnalysis strongly recommends that UGM attendees remain current (i.e., receiving all recommended primary and booster doses recommended by your local government) with their COVID-19 vaccinations as a personal protective measure.

Testing

A COVID-19 test result is not required to determine whether you can attend the UGM. A limited number of rapid self-tests will be made available at check-in for those who would like to test themselves for COVID-19 during the meeting.

Testing Positive for COVID-19

Individuals who are COVID-positive should not attend the UGM. If you receive a positive COVID-19 test result during the UGM, please notify the MDAnalysis UGM organizing committee and do not return to the event while you are still COVID-positive.

Face Coverings

Face coverings are not required, but are welcomed. We view face coverings as a personal choice and will support attendees in their choice to wear or not to wear a face covering.

Social Distancing and Hygiene

While we will be unable to enforce social distancing guidelines during the UGM, there is extra seating capacity at the venue that allows for voluntary distancing. At check-in, you will have the option to indicate your comfort level with social distancing on your name tag.

Code of Conduct

All members of the MDAnalysis community and participants in this UGM are expected to abide by the MDAnalysis Code of Conduct (CoC).

If you are attending the UGM and wish to make a report, you may contact the CoC Committee members or other event staff/meetup organizers so that they can take any appropriate immediate response. If you would prefer not to do that, please submit a report to MDAnalysis. The MDAnalysis CoC Committee includes Jenna Swarthout Goddard, Micaela Matta and Richard Gowers, who will identify themselves at the event.

Who to Contact

If you have any questions or special requests related to the UGM, you may contact the organizing committee.

Sponsors

A special thanks to our supporters: