WORKSHOPS

Tuesday, July 7:
Workshop: Multiphoton, Super-resolution Microscopy and Imaging Mass Cytometry
Leader: Wade J. Sigurdson, PhD, Director Confocal Microscopy and Flow Cytometry Facility, UB JSMBS
Max capacity: 20 people
Description:
The optical imaging techniques of super-resolution and multiphoton microscopy will be demonstrated. Super-resolution optical imaging technologies exceed the theoretical physical limits of resolution via several approaches which advantage fluorescent dyes properties and mathematical post-processing of appropriately sampled images. Multiphoton microscopy permits deep tissue in vivo imaging far exceeding that of confocal microscopy. The demonstration will involve brief descriptions of the applications and limitations of these technologies.

Workshop: Microfluidics, bioMEMS, and Lab-on-a-chip Technologies
Leader: Kwang Oh, PhD, Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering and Department of Biomedical Engineering, UB
Max capacity: 50 people
Description:
This session will begin with an overview of current trends in microfluidics, bioMEMS, and Lab on a Chip technologies, highlighting their growing impact on diagnostics and biomedical engineering. The latter part of the session will feature selected examples of microfluidic devices fabricated in UB's Sensors and MicroActuators Learning Lab (SMALL).

Wednesday, July 8:
Workshop: Next Generation Sequencing Tools and Bioinformatics Analysis
Next Generation Sequencing Tools: From Single Cell to Spatial Architecture
Leader: Donald Yergeau, PhD, Associate Director of Genomic Technology, The Research Foundation for SUNY
Bioinformatics for Next-Gen Sequencing Datasets
Leader: Jonathan E. Bard, PhD, Research Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Associate Director of Bioinformatics Genomics and Bioinformatics Core, UB JSMBS
Max capacity: 40 people (will split into two groups of 20 each and then rotate)
Description:
1st part: For the past 10 years, single cell and spatial technologies have accelerated tissue function and organization at the most basic level. This workshop will outline the current single cell and spatial technologies available to researchers with a focus on protocols from 10X Genomics (Single Cell, VISIUM and XENIUM) available in the UB Genomics Core. We will discuss sample prep from collection to storage, quality control metrics and sequencing parameters for both single cell and spatial transcriptomics.
2nd part: Single-cell and Spatial technologies have revolutionized the field of next-generation sequencing and biomedical science. This workshop will provide tips and tricks regarding the primary and secondary data analysis of 10x-Genomics based sequencing data. Participants will leave with knowledge of the processing pipelines, key quality filtering metrics, and insight into recent advances in cell annotation strategies. For spatial technologies, participants will understand the pros and cons of Visium/Xenium based binning and cell segmentation strategies, as well as the ramifications on downstream analysis.

Thursday, July 9:
Workshop: From Bench to Bedside: Bringing Your Research to the Market and the Clinic*
Leaders: Per Stromhaug, PhD, Senior Associate Vice President for Economic Development, and Olga Petrova, PhD, Director, Innovation Initiatives, UB
Max capacity: 200 people
Description:
Groundbreaking discoveries rarely reach patients on their own. This workshop bridges the gap between research and real-world clinical and commercial impact, covering the translational pathway from early-stage discovery to clinical application including intellectual property, technology transfer, funding mechanisms, and key regulatory considerations. Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of how to evaluate the translational potential of their work and take meaningful next steps toward broader impact, whether through industry partnership, startup formation, or clinical integration.

Workshop: Vascular Biology Technology Forum: Experimental Platforms and Analytical Pipelines
Leader: Gautam Mahajan, PhD, Scientific Director, Emulate, Inc.
Moderator: Tyler Rolland, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, UB Neurology
Max capacity: 50 people
Description:
This workshop will introduce human organ-on-chip technologies from Emulate, Inc., which recreate tissue-level physiology by integrating vascular, immune, and biomechanical cues in a controlled microfluidic environment. Dr. Mahajan, Scientific Director, will present a coronary artery chip model demonstrating how pulsatile strain regulates endothelial inflammation and immune interactions, alongside an intestine-chip model that reconstructs the cascade of immune cell recruitment, migration, and effector function and its modulation by clinically relevant therapeutics. Together, these studies will highlight the potential of micro-physiological systems to bridge vascular biology/bioengineering and translational drug discovery. The session will conclude with discussion on design of platforms for vascular biology research, analytical pipelines, and data analyses.

Workshops have limited attendance and there is a $25 fee.
Select workshops when registering.
*Career development workshop are free