Conference: 2026 ASA Statistical Methods in Imaging (SMI) Conference

The 2026 ASA Statistical Methods in Imaging (SMI) Conference will take place June 1-3, 2026 at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. This annual symposium serves as a vital hub for bringing together researchers to discuss the rapidly evolving role of statistics, mathematics, and AI in imaging science. From medical scans that detect disease to telescopes that capture distant galaxies, images are fundamental to modern discovery. However, extracting reliable and meaningful information from this visual data requires sophisticated mathematical, advanced statistical tools, and novel AI services. This conference fosters the collaboration needed to develop these tools, ensuring that scientific breakthroughs, from earlier disease detection to more accurate climate models, are built on a solid analytical foundation. By hosting this event, the University of Michigan will catalyze interdisciplinary dialogue, support the training of the next generation of data scientists through student awards and travel scholarships, and make advanced research accessible to a wider scientific community. The SMI-2026 conference will highlight the intersection of scientific innovation and cultural enrichment, and demonstrate how mathematical sciences contribute to a broader understanding of the world. The technical program for the SMI 2026 conference is designed to showcase cutting-edge methodological developments and their applications in imaging science. Over three days, the symposium will feature three keynote addresses from leading international experts, twenty special invited sessions, two short courses, student competitions, and networking events. A rigorous peer-review process will be implemented to select the best theoretical and applied papers, with a dedicated competition and award for the best student paper. The conference aims to highlight novel statistical approaches for complex imaging data, including high-dimensional inference, machine learning integration, and the analysis of multi-modal images. By leveraging the unique resources at the University of Michigan, such as the Statistics Online Computational Resource (SOCR), Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Centers, and the AI Institutes at Michigan, the symposium will facilitate hands-on demonstrations and deep dives into computational tools. The organizers will coordinate with the leadership of the ASA Journal "Statistics and Data Science in Imaging" to publish a special proceedings issue, ensuring that the presented research has a lasting impact on the mathematical sciences community. Workshop website: https://www.statsinimaging.org/SMI-2026/ This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria. NSF Award ID: 2611649 | Program: 01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT | Principal Investigator: Ivo Dinov | Institution: Regents of the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, ANN ARBOR, MI | Award Amount: $25,000 View on NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/show-award/?AWD_ID=2611649 View on Research.gov: https://www.research.gov/awardapi-service/v1/awards/2611649.html