DataVis Masterclass

Data Visualization Masterclass ()

Data visualization is essential for validating datasets, verifying AI-driven insights, and communicating your findings. The Data Visualization Masterclass series offers you the opportunity to rapidly learn key principles, methods, and tools from leading international experts.

How is the Masterclass structured? The Masterclass format has evolved over ten years of delivering events worldwide, shaped by feedback from instructors and over 1,000 participants. We select leading practitioners and ask them to share their most valuable insights, distilling decades of experience into a few hours. This intensive, in-person experience covers foundational principles, cutting-edge techniques, and personalized guidance to help you tackle your specific visualization challenges.

Is the Masterclass for me? If you work with large or complex datasets—whether you're a data analyst, programmer, or scientist—this Masterclass is designed for you. The course also covers data-driven storytelling, so will be valuable for designers, visual artists, as well as marketing and communications professionals.

What will I learn? The Heidelberg event will cover:

• Visualization principles
• Strategies for complex data
• Case studies (including participant examples)
• Data-driven storytelling

Can I bring my own data? You can present your data visualization challenges in a ~1 minute “lightning talk” with up to three slides. The Masterclass will be limited to ~70 participants to facilitate feedback from the speaker and other participants.

Can I get the fee reimbursed? You'll receive a certificate of completion, which you can use to apply for reimbursement from your employer. To support your reimbursement request to your employer, download the DataVis Masterclass Prospectus (PDF | Word | Text/RTF).

Seán O’Donoghue is a frequent keynote speaker at international scientific meetings. He is renowned for his work on data visualisation, and currently works as a conjoint Professor at UNSW in Sydney, Australia. Previously, he worked as a Chief Research Scientist at Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). Much of his career was spent in Heidelberg, Germany, at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL). He worked as Director of Scientific Visualisation in EMBL's first spin-off company, Lion Bioscience AG — a leading company involved in the initial analysis of the human genome. Seán has developed software used by tens of thousands of life scientists, and produced biomedical animations widely viewed by researchers and educators, with over 1 million views. He has also organised annual international events on data visualisation, including VIZBI and the DataVis Masterclass.

Barbora currently holds the position of an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Informatics, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic. She is heading the Visitlab research group focusing on diverse topics in visualization. Her main research interests are visualization and visual analysis with diverse application areas, with the largest focus on biochemistry. In the past 15 years, she has been intensely collaborating with protein engineering experts and together they developed the CAVER and CAVER Analyst tools for exploration of protein structures and their tunnels, where the temporal aspect of proteins plays a crucial role.

Christian Stolte currently works as Lead Visualization Engineer at Cellarity, a biotech startup in Somerville, MA. With a background in art and graphic design, he is dedicated to making complex scientific issues understandable. Since 2007 he has designed web-based tools and data visualizations for scientific research and clinical applications, first at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, then at CSIRO and the Garvan Institute in Sydney, Australia, and at the New York Genome Center. His award-winning work was recognized as innovative and helpful to the research community. He contributed to many scientific publications.

Drew Berry is a biologist-animator whose scientifically accurate and aesthetically rich visualizations reveal cellular and molecular processes to the public. Trained as a cell biologist and microscopist Drew brings scientific rigor to each project, ensuring current research data are represented. Since 1995, Drew has been a biomedical animator at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. His work has been exhibited at international venues, including the Guggenheim Museum, MoMA, and the Royal Institute of Great Britain. In 2011, he collaborated with the musician Björk for her album Biophilia. His many awards include an Emmy, a BAFTA, and the MacArthur 'Genius' Fellowship. See his animations on wehi.tv.

To learn more:

Info: Location: Amphithéâtre Jean-Baptiste Say

Info: Visualization is crucial for exploring complex datasets, yet creating clear, effective visuals can seem daunting. This talk aims to demystify the process by discussing principles, methods, and tools for crafting exemplary biological data visualizations. Learn how visual perception limitations, illustrated by optical illusions, inform techniques to enhance clarity. While focusing on 2D data, we extend to 3D and multidimensional visualizations. Additionally, we explore how knowledge of visualization principles and methods can be leveraged with recently emerging AI tools and resources.

Info: Effective data visualization depends to a large extent on principles from user-centered graphic design and typography. Tailoring a visualization to its subject matter and audience involves making deliberate choices about design elements and attributes. We begin by considering audience needs and defining goals—whether for explanation, exploration, or research—before addressing key design elements. Lines and shapes establish structure, typography conveys hierarchy, and space influences clarity. These choices shape perception and maximize impact. After the coffee break, we will continue by examining visual attributes such as color, value, and scale.

Info: Location: Amphithéâtre Jean-Baptiste Say

Info: Picking up after the break, we will explore how attributes like color, value, and scale influence emphasis and meaning. Composition principles—including Gestalt principles, unity, and balance—help organize visual elements effectively. We will then shift to interactive visualization, considering how content functions as an interface and how additional control elements enhance exploration. Finally, we will cover design strategies for big data, addressing ways to manage complexity while maintaining clarity. By the end, you will have a stronger framework for designing effective and engaging data visualizations.

Info: When analyzing and exploring complex biological datasets, we often have to handle with their temporal aspect, capturing the evolution of certain phenomena. Moreover, such data can contain a lot of uncertainty, coming from different sources. Their proper visual representation and understanding can significantly influence the decision-making processes. In this masterclass, we will discuss the basic visualization concepts for treating dynamic and uncertain datasets, with specific focus on biology and biochemistry.

Info: Location: Salon d'honneur

Info: This interactive session focuses on real-world case studies, drawing from both our own experiences and those submitted by participants. We begin by exploring key challenges in visualizing 2D, 3D, and multidimensional data, highlighting specific issues we have encountered in practice. The majority of the session will be a moderated discussion centered on participant-submitted examples, encouraging open dialogue and peer input. We will provide structured feedback and guide contributions to ensure a productive exchange, where all participants can share ideas, gain insights, and explore innovative solutions to complex visualization challenges.

Info: Location: Amphithéâtre Jean-Baptiste Say

Info: Location: Salon d'honneur

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts, 292 Rue Saint-Martin, Paris, France