Stereology Courses

Not all stereology courses are created equal. MBF scientific staff have audited a number of courses taught by different instructors. The following are courses that we recommend for stereology—they are led by respected and knowledgeable instructors, with no commercial affiliations to MBF.

NeuroStereology Workshop
by Dr. Mark West
April 5-10, 2008
Woods Hole, MA

Short Description
The NeuroStereology Workshop is a special topics course at the Marine Biology Laboratory, Woods Hole. 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.

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.

Course Director
Mark. J. West, Ph.D., Dr. Med. Sci
University of Aarhus
Denmark

Practical Training Courses in Confocal Microscopy and Stereology
organized by Dr. Daniel Peterson
May 19-23, 2008 and August 18-22, 2008
North Chicago, IL 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.

Course Director
Dr. Daniel A. Peterson, 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 core microscopy and stereology facility. 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

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.