LabKey is a customizable scientific data management platform designed to help researchers collaboratively organize and manage their data. It brings together diverse types of scientific data into a unified view of your research, which can then be explored using built-in analysis and reporting tools or integrated with third-party applications. It is ideal for groups looking to transition to a more robust solution when working in Excel becomes unmanageable. Its API enables scripted data access from languages such as R and Python.
This introductory course is designed for participants with little to no prior experience with LabKey. Through hands-on exercises, you will explore LabKey's core features and key modules step by step. By the end of the course, you will be familiar with the core features of LabKey and be able to navigate and use the platform in your day-to-day research work.

Content

1. Navigating LabKey Server
2. Working with Lists
3. Collaboration Tools
   a. Permissions
   b. Wiki
   c. File Browser
   d. Message
4. Introduction to Sample Manager

Methods

Course materials will be provided in advance on the sciCORE LabKey Collab Server. Teaching methods include instructor-led sessions covering the core features of LabKey, complemented by hands-on exercises with a test dataset to support practical learning and application.

Target Group:  All Doctoral Candidates & Postdocs

Requirements: No prior knowledge of LabKey is required. Participants are required to bring their own laptops.

About the Trainer

Eva Pujadas is a senior software engineer and data manager, holding also a MSc in Human Biology. For the past fifteen years, she has been working at sciCORE, the center for scientific computing at the University of Basel. She has extensive experience in the design, development, implementation, and maintenance of data management applications and tools. Her responsibilities also include providing support to researchers on their data management tasks.

Ankit Izardar is an Application Specialist (Data Engineer) at sciCORE and serves as the Service Owner of LabKey. His professional experience spans the implementation of Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) across both academic and industry settings.

Workload: Total of 7h

Registration: https://fortbildung.unibas.ch/courses/organizer/scientific-tools/introduction-to-research-data-management-using-labkey-303606 

Deadline: 1 October 2026

Feature

Once registration is open, applications will be collected for 24 hours and course places allocated by lot. All registrations received after the initial 24h period will be put on a waiting list and assigned on a first come, first served basis.

Course places/places on the waiting list will be confirmed by e-mail. Course registrations can only be canceled before the registration period ends (send an e-mail to grace@unibas.ch). Full course attendance is mandatory. Participants who fail to attend a course without prior notification or withdraw after the registration deadline are subject to a fee of CHF 30. In addition, participants who cancel their course registration at a later point in time, are absent without an excuse or do not attend the entire course will, for reasons of fairness, not be considered for course registration in the following semester and will be removed from other courses offered in the same semester. Please find the detailed regulations on the Transferable Skills Homepage.

This course is organized by sciCORE in collaboration with GRACE as part of the Transferable Skills course program.