What’s it like to work in an imaging core?

What is a typical day like in the life of an imaging core facility director? What qualifications are necessary to work in an imaging core facility? The video below is a recording of a live online presentation that was given by Jennifer Waters in May 2020. The presentation was intended for scientists interested in pursuing a career in an imaging core facility, and answers a wide range of pre-submitted questions from those who attended. The presentation was announced on Twitter (@JenCWaters).

Publications on core facility careers

Ferrando-May, Elisa, Hella Hartmann, Jürgen Reymann, Nariman Ansari, Nadine Utz, Hans-Ulrich Fried, Christian Kukat, et al. 2016. “Advanced Light Microscopy Core Facilities: Balancing Service, Science and Career.” Microscopy Research and Technique, April 2016. 

Brown, Claire M. 2018. “Careers in Core Facility Management.” Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology 10 (8).

Core management courses

Global BioImaging International Training Courses for Core Facility Staff

Course Website

German BioImaging Core Facility Leadership and Management Course

Course Website

Core Facilities in Life Sciences Training Courses

Course Website

In-person imaging courses

To search for upcoming imaging courses, visit Microlist.org

Online imaging courses

iBiology Microscopy Lecture Series

Course Directors: Ron Vale, Nico Stuurman, and Kurt Thorn

This free online comprehensive series begins with the basics of optics, proceeds through transmitted light microscopy, covers the various methods of imaging fluorescent samples, describes how cameras work and image processing, and concludes with some of the latest advances in light microscopy. In addition to lectures, we also provide labs (filmed at a microscope) and short tips, so as to cover pragmatics of how to use microscopes. Assessments are provided for each lecture.

Course Website

Bioimage Analysis Course

Instructor: Robert Haas

YouTube lectures on a range of image analysis topics, posted weekly starting April 2, 2020. Covers fundamental topics in image analysis, starting with the basics and working through to advanced topics including deep learning, Python and more.

Course Website

Microcourses

Instructor: Jennifer Waters

Short YouTube videos on a variety of fundamental concepts in light microscopy.

Course Website

iBiology Bioimage Analysis Course

Course Organizers: Anne Carpenter & Kevin Eliceiri

This course is designed as a graduate student level introduction to bioimage analysis and will provide an overview of the practice and principles of microscopy digital image handling. This series follows the life cycle of an image data set, from acquisition to analysis. It teaches important concepts and best practices, and provides examples that will come in handy when scientists are designing their own experiments.

Course Website

NEUBIAS Academy

NEUBIAS = Network of European Bioimage Analysts

NEUBIAS Academy is a new initiative, aimed to provide sustainable material and activities focused on Training in Bioimage Analysis. NEUBIAS Academy capitalizes on the success of 15 Training Schools (2016-2020) that have supported over 400 trainees (Early Career Scientists, Facility Staff and Bioimage Analysts), but could not satisfy the high and increasing demand (almost 1000 applicants). A team of about 20 members will interact with a larger pool of hundreds of trainers, analysts and developers to bring knowledge and bleeding-edge updates to the community.

Course Website

Forums

For image acquisition Q&A and discussion: Microforum

For image analysis Q&A and discussion: Image.sc

Find a job in an imaging core

Search job postings on Microlist.org

Imaging core jobs are often retweeted by @Microforum, @BioImagingUK and Jennifer Waters on Twitter

Visit the BioImaging North America job board

Search Nature Careers