TTD

University Of Michigan At Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MI

Investigators

Abstract

A Rehemtulla and KR Oldham will serve as Project Lead and Co-Lead, respectively, for the TTD Core. This Core will provide training and dissemination resources for use by a national and international audience to bridge the gap between engineering and biology in the emerging field of in vivo microendoscopy. Opportunities will be provided for CP/SP users, Center personnel, and outside researchers to become next generation investigators in in vivo imaging. The Core will provide training and education in basic concepts. Participants will be trained to 1) understand capabilities and limitations of microendoscopy, 2) identify parameters for specific applications, and 3) use operating software to control scan mechanisms, collect images, and interpret data. Education will be provided through hands-on training, workshops, academic courses, mentorship, seminar series, and local conferences. Dissemination through CP/SPs will accelerate broad acceptance of these technologies to advance in vivo imaging. An integrated curriculum will be developed to incorporate fundamentals in microsystems technologies, microendoscopy, and computational tools. Training opportunities will be available on-line and in person. Educational materials will be prepared for beginners ranging to advanced users. In addition to didactic lectures, trainees will attend tutorials on how to commercialize microsystems technologies to leverage potential for mass device production. Early stage trainees will have an opportunity to be mentored by Center faculty in small cohort of students. The ultimate goal is to provide mentorship experiences to motivate further training and a scientific career in microendoscopy. Hands-on training will be offered to CP/SP users to gain experience with use of microendoscopes and operating software to perform in vivo imaging in small animal models and in the clinical setting. Training will be designed primarily for CP/SP personnel, Center users, and outside investigators, and will be made available to a broad audience, including beginners and advanced users. A multi-faceted program will be developed to disseminate Center imaging technologies. A robust Center website will be developed to provide links to all online training opportunities. Outside investigators will have access to experimental protocols, SOPs, imaging system availability, and open source software, including nTracer, nGuage, and MiCV. Updates on operating software, new computational tools. In vivo images will be stored in standard formats to facilitate broad dissemination to outside investigators who want to validate the results. These image can be processed using common software packages, such as MATLAB and NIH Image J2. Center technologies will be commercialized via a start-up to provide technical support, software development, hardware prototyping, and technology transfer for pre-clinical and clinical imaging using microsystems devices, microendoscope, and software. New initiatives for dissemination will include a special journal issue on microendoscopy, a joint P41 conference, and social media.