Workshop Description (Introductory Course)

This workshop will cover the basic concepts of Python programming. The course is supplemented with hands-on exercises geared towards computational biology use cases. No previous knowledge of programming is assumed.

Workshop Topics

  •   Data types: strings, integers, floats, booleans
  •   Expressions, variables and assignments
  •   Conditional statements
  •   Functions and methods
  •    String indexing and slicing
  •    Loops
  •    Lists
  •    Dictionaries
  •    1: Running scripts
  •    2: Using built in modules: math, sys
  •    3: Writing modules
  •    4: Reading/writing with text files

Day 1 Slides – Python - Day 1

Day 2 Slides – Python - Day 2

Day 3 Slides – Python - Day 3

Technical Requirements

A MacOS, Windows or Linux computer with Anaconda–   https://www.anaconda.com/products/individual Installed (Python 3.8 version). With this installation you will automatically receive Python interpreter as well as Spyder IDE. Please try to ensure, prior to the workshop, that Anaconda & Spyder have been successfully installed. Helpful instructions for verifying proper installation can be found in the “Getting Started” section of the Anaconda User Guide:  https://docs.anaconda.com/anaconda/user-guide/getting-started/ In case you run into any problems, we will bring up a zoom session 1/2 hour before the class to sort these out.

Instructor

Dr. Gregory Tong is a postdoctoral researcher in Dr. Valerie Tornini’s lab in the department of Integrative Biology and Physiology. His research focuses on microprotein discovery and understanding how translational regulation influences gene expression using computational and integrative based approaches. Gregory received his B.S. in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology from the University of Washington and his M.S. degree in Quantitative and Systems Biology from Northwestern University and a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of California, Irvine.
Email: gmtong at g.ucla.edu

Video

Reviews

It was a great intro course in Python! I’m glad I took the course!

I came in with zero experience and I feel much more comfortable with python now.

Thanks for a great workshop. You provided excellent and useful material for all types of researchers.

Thank you! It was an excellent course, teaching was perfect.

Very clear, perfect pace for beginners, great job, would highly recommend!

Workshop Details

Prerequisites: None
Length: 3 days, 3 hrs per day
Level: Introductory
Location: Boyer 529
Seats Available: 28

Spring 2026 Dates

Jan. 6, Jan. 7 and Jan. 8

Mar. 31, Apr. 1 and Apr. 2

REGISTRATION IS CLOSED!

UCLA and Cedars-Sinai Affiliates: Click to Enroll
Non-UCLA Affiliates: Click to Enroll
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