34th Annual Conference of the International Society for Clinical Biostatistics, 25 - 29 August 2013 in Munich, Germany. An array of fascinating topics has been organized by the conference´s Scientific Programme Committee, including biomarker-based clinical trial designs, statistics for global clinical trials, and social networks in infectious diseases. This year´s customary Thursday Symposium will address topics related to individual prediction, personalized medicine, vaccination, and guidelines for prognostic research, which are sure to provide stimulating discussions and fuel for thoughts.