The Virtual Institute Summer Session 2004

The 2004 Virtual Institute Summer Session hosted a series of five week-long sessions and four day-long workshops covering topics ranging from DNA Microarray Analysis, Genomics, and Proteomics to Biomedical Imaging. A total of 32 participants attended short courses and workshops which were team-taught by university professors and industry scientists. For a brochure describing the 2004 Summer Session courses, click here. Institutions represented in the participant body included:

Here are some comments from a few participants and lecturers:

“The Virtual Institute provided a great opportunity for visibility for our young emerging growth company, Cira Discovery Sciences. Not only was it an opportunity to interact with students from the region's academic and business communities, but it was also a chance to create closer ties with the Institute's faculty. In all, it's a great way to create and strengthen connections among the various life sciences communities in the Philadelphia region”. — Wade T. Rogers, Ph.D., President & CEO, Cira Discovery Sciences, Inc. (Virtual Institute Course Instructor)

“The summer course on Computations in Functional Genomics has been a well organized and structured introduction on the fast developing area of bioinformatics and biotechnology. The course provides a foundation on topics such as genomics, proteomics, cell biology, bionetworks etc., as well as hands on experience and application of new tools, advanced statistical methods and simple clustering techniques to analyze data from microarray samples, 2-D gels, and lab experiments. The instructors, both from academia and industry, provided the basic theory behind biological systems and the methodology for analysis with examples which made the course all the more comprehensive and interactive. As a final task, all the students were asked to select and describe a biological question, based on class data set generated, as well as analyze the strategy which would be applied to address the question. The question I researched was on identifying chromosomal regions using microarray gene expression profiling for cancer research, which had as a focus the understanding of cancer development, through the biochemical steps that lead to a specific cellular malfunction displayed in cancer cells. Key features studied involved the transcription and translation regulatory system, cellular signaling pathways and metabolic pathways that control cell cycle, differentiation, apoptosis and motility.” — Alexandra Vamvakidou M. S., Ph.D. Candidate, Bacterial Genomes and Cancer Research, Drexel University

“’Computations in Functional Genomics’ was a beneficial and enjoyable course. The curriculum included laboratory experience, classroom analytical techniques and demonstrations of emerging technologies. The course provided a comprehensive introduction to the great number of technical disciplines that contribute to the field of bioinformatics.” — Adam Ertel M.S., Ph.D. Candidate, Gene/Protein Groups and Categories, Drexel University

”I thoroughly enjoyed the 5 week symposium that Drexel and several other academic facilities held during the early part of the summer term. My personal experience with both genetics and bioinformatics were limited so I came into the course with high expectations that I could potentially learn a great deal of information. Leaving the course, I feel that I greatly enhanced my knowledge of what is currently going on in bioinformatics. I also believe that people who came into course with more experience in the field than I were able to further their studies in genetics. This course is good for both beginners and professionals in the field of bioinformatics. I am now confident that I can take the skills that I learned from the course and apply them to other subjects like pharmacogenomics in both a university and industrial setting.” — Frank Berardocco, Undergraduate Program, Drexel University