The Center for Label-Free Imaging (CLIMB) hosted its annual biophotonics summer school, an immersive two-week program for graduate and postdoctoral students exploring the latest innovations in medical imaging. Led this year by bioengineering professor and Illinois alumnus Ali Ansari, the program combined lectures from leading experts with hands-on laboratory demonstrations and interactive activities. Students learned advanced imaging techniques, formed professional connections across disciplines, and even explored local nature sites for real-world sampling. Ansari, who stepped into his new role as Outreach Coordinator, called it “a delight” to see students grow in confidence and skill, reflecting CLIMB’s mission to advance imaging education and inspire the next generation of researchers.
Written by Ben Libman
CLIMB Summer School students in front of the Beckman Institute
The Center for Label-Free Imaging (CLIMB) hosted its annual intensive, interdisciplinary biophotonics summer school for graduate and postdoctoral students aspiring to learn more about the latest science behind medical imaging. Students went through a daily schedule of lectures from leaders in the field, hands-on laboratory demonstrations, and even a sampling of life at the University of Illinois.
This was bioengineering professor Ali Ansari’s first year running the CLIMB summer school in the role as Outreach Coordinator, taking over for Professor Marina Marjanovic, who retired in May. An Illinois bioengineering Ph.D. alumnus, Ansari has a passion for teaching and specializes in game-based learning. He joined the CLIMB team this past year. “Interacting with the students was truly such a delight,” said Ansari. “These are the brightest and most enthusiastic students who are so interested and excited to be here. I got to make word puzzles to entertain them, as well as set up novel labs with the lovely Teaching Assistants that we had. It was such a blast to see them enjoy themselves, get more confident, and also get very good at all the techniques.”
The two-week course features lectures from leaders in the field, including bioengineering professors Stephen Boppart, Brian Cunningham, Catherine Best-Popescu, Yang Liu, Yang Zhao, and alumna Janet Sorrells. “I genuinely enjoyed the presentations, as each offered valuable insights from different perspectives in the field of biophotonics,” said one attendee. “I found them informative and relevant to my research, especially those discussing advanced imaging techniques and interdisciplinary applications.”
Lectures and labs aren’t the only takeaways from the CLIMB summer school; students make valuable connections that can help them in their careers. “CLIMB brings together students from all over the world, so you end up building connections you wouldn’t normally make,” said Alexander Ho, bioengineering graduate student and CLIMB summer school Teaching Assistant. “Getting to know the students during those two weeks is really special, and I’m still good friends with attendees from past years.” Teaching Assistant Yug Rao concurred: “This interpersonal environment fosters collaboration and professional relationships, which may be harder to find for early-career researchers like graduate students and postdocs. In fact, many of us have continued these connections at conferences and other events long after the end of previous summer schools.”
In addition to the lectures and labs, students bonded over fun activities. The group went to Kickapoo State Recreation Area to hike, kayak, and even grab a sample or two. “It was great to see everyone relax and enjoy themselves outside of the academic setting,” said Ho. “We even brought back some lake water to use as samples for the hands-on labs.” The summer school concluded with a Jeopardy-style review, cementing the knowledge the students learned in a fun and engaging way.
Professor Ansari enjoyed his first experience with CLIMB summer school, and wanted to thank everyone who made it happen. “I think that the people were all so wonderful, from my colleagues, to our staff, to our Teaching Assistants—it could not have been possible without them.” Students surveyed afterward were equally effusive about the staff, saying “All Teaching Assistants were amazing and professional” and “Dr. Ansari was a great host!”
Enrollment for the CLIMB Summer school will begin early next year. If you are interested in attending, the link will be available at that time on the website or in the CLIMB newsletter. We hope to see you there.