Four members of our group attended the Interventional Biophotonics Week and Summer School at UC Davis. The programme offered insights into advanced optical imaging, clinical applications, and international research exchange.
Summer School in Sacramento
From 20 to 24 July 2026, four research staff members from our group in Jena attended the Interventional Biophotonics Week and Summer School at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) in Sacramento. The event combined a multi-day summer school with a scientific symposium. It offered a valuable opportunity to learn about current developments in biophotonic imaging and to exchange ideas with international researchers.
The programme focused on technologies that connect optical methods with biomedical research and clinical practice. For our group, the event provided a useful setting to discuss current challenges in translational imaging. It also created links to related research approaches in interventional biophotonics.
Focus on optical imaging methods
A central theme of the summer school was Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy (FLIM). Another major topic was Interferometric Diffuse Optical Spectroscopy (iDOS). Through numerous lectures, participants gained insights into the physical principles of these methods and their use in biomedical research and diagnostics.
The programme also covered further modern optical techniques for interventional medicine. These contributions helped connect methodological foundations with practical applications. In addition, they offered useful points of reference for our own work in biophotonic imaging. The broad range of talks encouraged discussions on how optical technologies can support more informative and clinically relevant measurements.
Laboratories, clinic visits, and exchange
The summer school also included laboratory tours at UC Davis and visits to the UC Davis Medical Center. These visits gave participants direct insights into research infrastructures and experimental setups. They also offered the chance to discuss clinical requirements with researchers and physicians on site. These conversations helped highlight both the potential and the practical challenges of optical imaging in clinical environments.
During the following symposium, our group presented current research work in poster format. The event also created many opportunities for scientific networking, especially with other early-career researchers. A joint wine tasting added an informal setting for personal exchange among the participants.
Overall, the Interventional Biophotonics Week and Summer School offered a valuable combination of scientific training, clinical perspectives, and international exchange. For our group, the visit provided new impulses for ongoing work in biomedical optical imaging.
