Remote Training Workshops
We offer remote training workshops via Zoom to support students, postdocs, and early-career PIs in their research and troubleshooting efforts. These online workshops focus on the following techniques: optogenetics and fiber photometry. Details on the workshop format for each technique are listed below.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Workshops will be scheduled based on demand with an effort to maintain small training groups for a personal experience. For information contact Dr. Maisie Lo: maisielo@stanford.edu To register for a workshop or ask further questions, please email the education manager above with the following information:
• Your name
• Your institution
• Your position (graduate student, postdoc, etc.)
• Your PI’s name (if applicable)
• Which workshop(s) you would like to attend
• If applicable, please also indicate if you receive financial support through NeuroNex or NIDA
WORKSHOP DETAILS
The remote training workshops will be facilitated over Zoom and scheduled according to the Pacific Standard Time zone. Each workshop will be about a week long, with daily online training sessions lasting roughly 1-3 hours. Training sessions will contain a variety of formats including interactive presentations, live and recorded video demonstrations, and Q&A feedback discussions with lab experts. All workshops are provided at no cost to the participants. Previews of the content and schedule for each training workshop are outlined below:
Optogenetics Remote Workshop: 6-7 days, 1-2 hours per day

Fiber Photometry Remote Workshop: 6-7 days, 1-2 hours per day

Optogenetics Training
The Optogenetics Innovation Laboratory (OIL) offers a number of hands-on courses at different levels of detail. Graduate students, Stanford researchers, and those willing to travel to take a class are welcome to select from the courses below.
For more information, please contact the Laboratory and Education Manager: Dr. Maisie Lo, Ph.D. (maisielo@stanford.edu). Space is limited, so individuals wishing to participate in a workshop should contact Dr. Lo directly for training registration.
1) 3-day workshop (offered throughout the year)
Topics covered:
- Stereotactic cannula implantation
- Optical stimulation for behavior testing
- Optical stimulation for electrical recording
2) 3-week summer workshop (for researchers with a more flexible time schedule)
Topics covered:
- Production of recombinant lentivectors for optogenetic gene delivery in mammals
- Stereotactic injection and cannula implantation
- Optical stimulation for behavior testing
- Optical stimulation for electrical recording
- Confirmation of transgene expression
Possible topics include:
- 6. Primary neuronal cell culturing
- 7. Confocal microscopy
- 8. Patch clamping
3) Graduate course (BIOE 291; for Stanford graduate students only)
Held in the Fall quarter. In-depth optogenetics class with lectures, group presentations, final project proposals and a hands-on lab component.
More information
For more information, see our Stanford course listing