Python Data Analysis Boot Camp

Python is one of the world's most popular programming languages. It is versatile enough to create sophisticated data visualizations and powerful enough to run sophisticated machine learning models. Fortunately, Python was also specifically designed to be easy to learn and use, making it an excellent tool for anyone looking to enhance their data gathering and analytical skillset.

This two-day course will provide an introduction to the python programming language and demonstrate how it can be used to do essential data wrangling, manipulation and cleaning tasks using real-world biomedical data. Bringing together scalable methods and popular libraries for data manipulation, basic statistical analysis and visualization, this boot camp will provide participants with all the necessary tools and background for getting started with Python for data work. Through hosted notebooks, participants will leave the workshop with functioning code that they can then apply to their own data sets. Participants will receive orienting videos before the real-time sessions so they can familiarize themselves with the Jupyter Notebook/Google Colab environment; all code samples will be available in this format for participant use.

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Load and explore data sets in Python
• Join, reconcile and otherwise clean up messy data sets
• Do basic statistical analyses, including linear and logistic regression
• Render exploratory visualizations

Investigators from any institution and from all career stages are welcome to attend, and we particularly encourage trainees and early-stage investigators to participate.

No prior programming experience is required to participate in this workshop. However, participants must have (or create) an unrestricted Google account for working with sample notebooks (via Google Colab) and data sets. Likewise, participants will be expected to complete a brief survey and watch up to 3 hours of pre-recorded introductory material before the start of the real-time workshop activities.

Training Director: Susan McGregor, Associate Research Scholar, Columbia University Data Science Institute (DSI). McGregor has been teaching Python for data analysis and wrangling to learners from diverse backgrounds for almost a decade. Her book, Practical Python Data Wrangling & Data Quality is available from O'Reilly media.

Training scholarships are available for the Python Data Wrangling Boot Camp.

Summer 2026: The Python Data Wrangling Boot Camp is a live, in-person training taking place June 15-16, 2026 at the Columbia University Irving Medical Campus in NYC from 9:00am - ~5:00pm. All training start and end times are in EDT.

More information on travel, lodging, and getting around NYC.

"I genuinely found this to be one of the more approachable and useful trainings I have attended to date." - Faculty Member at University of California, San Francisco, 2025

"The Python Boot Camp and team of instructors offered a pleasant/welcoming environment to begin training in Python even more so for those unfamiliar with the platform." - Faculty Member at Augusta University, 2025

"Well-structured workshop that gave a broad idea on what to consider when structuring your data for analysis." - Postdoc at University of Pennsylvania, 2023

"It was a nice workshop for beginners to start using Python for data science projects." - Faculty member at University of Missouri-Kansas City, 2023

Registration Fee is based on your category and includes course material, breakfast, and lunch on training days. Course material will be available to all attendees during and after the workshop. Lodging and transportation are not included.

2026 Registration Category Rates: 

• Student/Postdoc/Trainee: 
  • Early-bird rate: $1,195 
  • Regular rate: $1,395 
• Faculty/Academic Staff/Non-Profit Organizations/Government Agencies: 
  • Early-bird rate: $1,395 
  • Regular rate: $1,595 
• Corporate/For-Profit Organizations: 
  • Early-bird rate: $1,595 
  • Regular rate: $1,795 

$200 early-bird discount is automatically applied if you register before the  April 15  deadline.  

• $200 Early-bird Discount: This is automatically applied if you register before the April 15 early-bird deadline.  
• 10% Columbia Discount: This is valid for any active student, postdoc, staff, or faculty at Columbia University. If paying by credit card, use your Columbia email address during the registration process to automatically have the discount applied. If paying by internal transfer within Columbia, see below.  
• 10% Mailman Alumni Discount: This is valid for any individual who graduated from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. To access the Mailman Alumni discount and receive a registration code, please email sharp_program@cumc.columbia.edu your graduation year and degree.  
• Group discounts are available for organizations sending 5+ participants. Please contact us directly at sharp_program@cumc.columbia.edu for more information.  

If paying by internal transfer within Columbia, submit this Columbia Internal Transfer Request form (link to form coming soon) to receive further instructions. Please note: filling out this form is not the same as registering for a training and does not guarantee a training seat.

If you would prefer to pay by invoice/check, please submit this Invoice Request form (link to form coming soon) to receive further instructions. Please note: filling out this form is not the same as registering for a training and does not guarantee a training seat.

Cancellation notices must be received via email at least 30 days prior to the training start date in order to receive a full refund, minus a $75 administrative fee. Cancellation notices received via email 14-29 days prior to the training will receive a 75% refund, minus a $75 administrative fee. Please email your cancellation notice to ColumbiaSHARP.Python@gmail.com. Due to workshop capacity and preparation, we regret that we are unable to refund registration fees for cancellations less than 14 days prior to the training.

If you are unable to attend the training, we encourage you to send a substitute within the same registration category. Please inform us of the substitute via email at least one week prior to the training so we can include them on attendee communications, gather registration details, and provide materials. Should the substitute fall within a different registration category (e.g., you are a faculty member and they are a postdoc), the credit card on file will be credited/charged respectively. Please email substitute inquiries to ColumbiaSHARP.Python@gmail.com. In the event Columbia must cancel the event, your registration fee will be fully refunded.