Stereology Course – July 21-23, 2010
Douglas J. Taatjes
Microscopy Imaging Center
University of Vermont
Burlington, VT 05405
802-656-0373
Short Description
This 3 day practical course is designed for advanced students, Post Doctoral fellows, technicians, and Principal Investigators seeking to understand the principles of stereology as applied to microscopy images.
Lecturers
Jens Nyengaard and Johnnie Andersen, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark
Matthias Ochs, Hannover Medical School, Germany
Douglas J. Taatjes, University of Vermont, USA:
Practical Training Course in Confocal Microscopy and Stereology
Organized by Dr. Daniel Peterson
August 16-20, 2010
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Short Description
The purpose of this course is to provide a comprehensive background in the theory and practice of modern histological preparation and microscopic analysis for researchers in biomedical science. The course provides a practical tutorial in all aspects of microscopic analysis including experimental design, specimen preparation, use of fluorescence and confocal microscopes, design-based stereology, and image preparation for scientific publication. At least four confocal microscopes equipped for stereology and several brightfield microscopes are available for use. Participants should bring examples of their material and problems for discussion. In addition to lectures, substantial time every afternoon is devoted to “hands-on” practical sessions. Finally, attendees participate in group discussion, where they can discuss their research applications and consult with the instructors.
Who Should Attend
Anyone who needs to utilize the cutting edge technologies of confocal microscopy and stereology to achieve an adequate level of analysis for their studies. This course is designed to provide systematic instruction in microscopy and stereology for scientists who are actively engaged in qualitative and quantitative microscopy or for those who need to introduce these technologies into their work. The course is taught on a graduate level and is suitable for experienced technicians and graduate students through to principal investigators.
Lecturer
Daniel A. Peterson, Ph.D., is a stem cell biologist and neuroscientist who maintains an active, NIH-funded academic lab focusing on brain repair and neurogenesis. Dr. Peterson also directs a Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine. He has been teaching international microscopy and stereology courses since 1995.
Space is limited to the first 20 registrants for each session. Two graduate student scholarships are available. For more information, to download the course program, or to register, please visit: www.neurorenew.com
Sixth Course “Morphometry and Stereology in Neurosciences”
Organized by Harry B.M. Uylings, MD, PhD
October 18-22, 2010
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
To be held in the colloquium room, MF-H-161, of the Dept. Anatomy & Neurosciences/Pathology, VU University Medical Center (VUmc), Van der Boechorststraat 7, Amsterdam
Short Description
The aim of this ONWA Stereology course is to teach how to design, to perform and critically evaluate stereological studies of the nervous system. Stereology is a methodology to achieve quantitative descriptions of the geometry and number of three-dimensional structures from measurements that are made on (nearly) two-dimensional images.
The ONWA Stereology course covers the following topics:
1)The measurement of volumes, surfaces(area), lengths, and number in 3-dimensional space using ‘2’-dimensional images.
2)The measurement of these structural parameters in homogeneous and non-homogeneous tissues.
3)The design of efficient, unbiased sampling strategies, i.e., ”design based” stereology
4)Differential histological shrinkage, how to account for.
5)Confocal microscopy and stereology
6)Morphometry
7)Statistics and stereology
These topics will be dealt with in lectures, practical exercises and demonstrations. Maximum number of participants: 15
Teaching Staff Invited
| Harry B.M. Uylings, MD, PhD Coordinator | (1) Dept. of Anatomy & Neuroscience, VUmc, A’dam (2) School Mental Health & Neurosci., Div. Brain & Cognition, Univ. Maastricht hbm.uylings@vumc.nl | ||
| Wilma D.J. van de Berg, PhD Coordinator | Dept. of Anatomy & Neuroscience, VUmc, Amsterdam | ||
| Floris G. Wouterlood, PhD | Dept. of Anatomy & Neuroscience, VUmc, Amsterdam | ||
| Angela Engel, Msc | Dept. of Anatomy & Neuroscience, VUmc, Amsterdam | ||
| Pieter Voorn, PhD | Dept. of Anatomy & Neuroscience, VUmc, Amsterdam | Cathrin Canto, Msc | Dept. of Anatomy & Neuroscience, VUmc, Amsterdam |
| Reinhard Braul, PhD | MicroBrightField Europe, Magdeburg, Germany | ||
| Arjan van Ooyen | CNCR, Fac. Earth/Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam | ||
| Jaap van Pelt | CNCR, Fac. Earth/Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam | ||
| Ger Ramakers | Netherlands Institute for Brain Research, KNAW, Amsterdam |
Introduction to Stereology for Neuroscientists
Organized by Dr. Mark West
November 11-12
Horton Grand Hotel
Down Town San Diego, CA
Short Description
The goal of the workshop is to teach a small group of research scientists how to design, supervise, and critically evaluate stereological studies of the nervous system. Stereology is a methodology that provides meaningful quantitative descriptions of the geometry of three-dimensional structures from measurements that are made on two-dimensional images sampled from a structure of interest. The workshop will emphasize modern ”design based” stereology, which is characterized by the preparation and probing of tissue in such a manner that no assumptions about the size, shape, and orientation of the structures being quantified are necessary.
Unlike previously available methods, these newer methods produce accurate and robust estimates of total quantities, such as number, length, area and volume. Because of the enhanced power of the data obtained with these methods, they have recently made important contributions to our understanding of the changes in the structure of the brain related to aging and disease and are rapidly becoming the standards required by journals and granting agencies.
The mathematical basis and practical application of these methods will be presented through a series of lectures, practical exercises, demonstrations, and critical evaluations of individual projects. Particular emphasis will be placed on design based, stereological methods that have particular relevance to the study of the nervous system, such as estimates of: 1) the numbers of neurons and synapses, and the volumes of brain regions, layers; 2) the volumes of individual cells and pathological entities.
Who Should Attend
The target audience includes neuroscience research scientists working at the graduate student, post-doctoral, and senior scientists who are interested in the practical application of design based stereological methods. The number of participants will be limited to 30, to ensure robust faculty-student interaction.
Lecturer
Dr. Mark West. For more information, to download the course program, or to register, please visit: http://www.neurostereology.info/
Note: MBF has a policy of not promoting courses that are taught by commercially affiliated instructors. There are other stereology courses that are offered by organizations that use instructors with direct commercial interests in the products that are demonstrated during these courses. If you have a doubt, ask the instructor directly if they have a commercial affiliation with the products demonstrated at their course. Contact MBF if you have any questions about courses not listed here or about our policy.