Introduction to the courses

The previous courses have ben very successful and encouraged us to organize an even more flexible Fourth Course with 6 different options aimed to meet the expectations of medical doctors, PhDs, laboratory managers and technical laboratory staff related to flow cytometry.

This year the courses are set for two different levels of expertise: Cytometry Toolbox 1 and 2 and Basic Leukemia for beginners and less experienced cytometrists, and Lymphoma, Advanced Leukemia and Myelodysplasia courses for more experienced cytometrists. Both groups will include a theoretical and a practical approach.

Lectures will take place in the mornings and cover major topics of interest to each group.
The students in each course will then go to different rooms/labs in the afternoons.

Basic Leukemia is recommended for beginners in this field (less than 1 year of experience of analysis, interpretation and reporting of results of leukemic samples). Hands-on will include data file analysis of selected cases, performed by groups of 5 students working with 1 computer and supervised by the Faculty.

Cytometry toolbox 1 and 2 are wetlabs.

Cytometry Toolbox 1 is aimed at beginners in this field, and will cover instrument set-up, calibration and compensation issues performed on different flow cytometers and Quality Assurance Schemes.

Cytometry Toolbox 2 will focus on absolute counts of CD4 T cells and CD34 cells, as well as primary immunodeficiencies and will provide useful advice on how to survive a complicated day in the flow cytometry lab.

It is recommended that the attendees should have at least 4 years of experience to apply for the Advanced Course and the Myelodysplasia Course. Each course will include open discussions of previously provided and analysed files (15 minutes/case) followed by comments by the faculty (15 minutes/case).

The Myelodysplasia Course will focus on the maturation patterns of both CD34+ cells and CD34- cells in bone marrow. This course is particularly recommended for students who have previously attended the Advanced Leukemia Course.

The Lymphoma Course will cover B and T cells proliferation in different samples, including normal, reactive and neoplastic lymph nodes and CSF (at least 2 years of experience are recommended).

The fact that the Faculty includes both European and American speakers is also of added value.