Elizabeth Hillman, Columbia University
Benjamin Judkewitz, Charité and Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
Ruben Portugues, Technical University, Munich, Germany
Philbert Tsai, University of California, San Diego
Co-Instructor:
Joseph Donovan, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Germany
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COVID-19: All participants planning to attend in-person will be required to provide documentary proof of full vaccination AND first booster (when eligible) with an FDA or EMA approved vaccine. Additional safety measures will be in line with current NY and federal guidelines applicable in summer 2022.
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Advances in light microscopy, digital image processing, and the development of powerful fluorescent probes present expanding opportunities for investigating the nervous system, from synaptic spines to networks in the brain.
This intensive laboratory and lecture course will provide participants with the theoretical and practical knowledge to utilize emerging imaging technologies. The primary focus of the course will be on in vivo applications of light microscopy, particularly functional imaging with genetically encoded indicators.
Methods taught will include:
- Multi-photon (2P and 3P) microscopy
- Wide-field microscopy
- Light-sheet and SCAPE microscopy
- Use of spatial light modulators and digital holography
- Combination of imaging with optogenetics
- Analysis of imaging datasets
Lectures by leading experts will progress through basic concepts to presentation of cutting-edge methods. Students will learn the fundamentals of optics and microscopy, as well as the use of different types of cameras, laser scanning systems,
in vivo preparations and image processing and analysis software. Hands-on optics and building exercises are an important component of the course, enabling students to develop an intuitive understanding of optical principles, assemble their own two-photon microscope, and gain experience with a variety of state-of-the-art commercial systems.
We encourage applications from theoretical neuroscientists and experimental neuroscientists working on a variety of model organisms, including mouse, fish, fly and worm.
In your personal statements, applicants should answer the following questions (point by point, ≤ 1 page total):
- What are your reasons for attending the course?
- What is your experience with optical techniques and which microscope systems are available to you?
- What is your experience with data and image analysis and programming in Matlab or Python?
- How will the course help you in your current project?
- How will you help others using the knowledge obtained during the course?
- What are your long-term goals in learning more about optical methods?
All participants should familiarize themselves with the following concepts by the beginning of the course:
- Fundamentals of Fourier transform and matrix operations
- Basic programming experience in either MATLAB or Python (see e.g.: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
2022 Lecturers:
Arkarup Banerjee, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Denise Cai, Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine
Liangyi Chen, Peking University, China
Valentina Emiliani, Institut de la Vision, France
Na Ji, University of California, Berkeley
Jeff Lichtman, Harvard University
Michael Lin, Stanford University
Emilie Macé, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Germany
MacKenzie Matthis, EPFL, Switzerland
Adam Packer, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
Darcy Peterka, Columbia University
Kaspar Podgorski, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Spencer Smith, University of California, Santa Barbara
Francois St. Pierre, Baylor College of Medicine
Carsen Stringer, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Jennifer Waters, Harvard Medical School
Chris Xu, Cornell University
Nilay Yapici, Cornell University
Petr Znamenskiy, The Francis Crick Institute, United Kingdom
Support & Stipends
We would like to acknowledge the following companies that provided invaluable support:
Microscope Systems: Bruker Corporation, Intellegent Imaging innovations, Scientifica, Sutter Instrument Company, Thorlabs, Inc
Equipment: Andor Technology, Anysys Inc, Bitplane, Coherent, Inc, Conoptics, Crystalaser, Hamamatsu Photonics, Holoeye, Molecular Devices, Narishige International USA, Nikon Corporation, Photometrics, Thorlabs, Inc, Vidrio Technologies, LLC, World Precision Instruments
Incubation: Okolab, Tokai Hit USA Inc
Major support provided by: the National Institute of Mental Health, Helmsley Charitable Trust and Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Stipends are available to offset tuition costs as follows:
Please indicate your eligibility for funding in your stipend request submitted when you apply to the course. Stipend requests do not affect selection decisions made by the instructors.
Cost (including board and lodging): $5,340