Training · Molecular Imaging Research at UBC

Tours, Workshops & Training.

Three ways to engage with MIRF — hands-on workshops in preclinical PET, SPECT and CT, personalized image-analysis sessions for active research projects, and on-site lab tours for biotech and industry partners exploring a collaboration.

Hands-on workshops

Learn

Foundational training and prerequisites — the formal courses MIRF and UBC offer before students begin their imaging projects.

Personalized data sessions

Analyze

Group workshops and individual sessions for visualizing, quantifying, and reporting your imaging data — ROIs, TACs, SUVs, and publication-ready figures.

Lab tours for partners

Visit

Guided on-site tours of CCM and the MIRF lab for biotech, radiopharma, and industry teams considering a collaboration.

Hands-on Training for Different Needs.

An introductory module taught yearly as part of UBC's PHAR518 graduate course, and a dedicated imaging data analysis workshop offered by request to research groups.

PHAR518 — Preclinical Imaging: From Principles to Practice PHAR518 · Yearly module
UBC Graduate Course · PHAR518

Introduction to Preclinical Imaging

A foundational module covering small-animal molecular imaging, taught yearly as part of UBC PHAR518. Designed for graduate students entering preclinical imaging work — this is the course that prepares students to start their own imaging projects in the MIRF lab.

Course components
Principles of PET and SPECT
Principles of CT
Drug discovery process
Imaging modalities
Topics covered
  • The Drug Discovery Process
  • Why Preclinical Imaging Matters
  • The Tracer Principle
  • Tracking Drug Distribution
  • The Physics of SPECT
  • Multi-pinhole Collimators
  • Research Applications
Yearly
Full-day module
CCM · Imaging lab
Imaging data analysis session at MIRF By request · per research group
Hands-on · By request

Imaging Data Analysis Workshop

A hands-on workshop in image visualization and quantification — how to evaluate image quality, run analyses, and produce figures publishable in peer-reviewed papers. Run as a multi-session course for small research groups.

Educational objectives
  • 2D and 3D data visualization techniques
  • Preparing movies and quality figures for publication
  • Time activity curves (TACs) and biodistribution analysis
  • SUVs and %ID/g quantification
  • Complete dataset analysis as a capstone exercise
3–4 hours
Small groups
Fee per research group
Hands-on exercises
Request a session

One-on-one data sessions.

When you need someone to sit down with you and your data — whether to troubleshoot an analysis, prepare cinematic movies for a talk, or polish figures for a paper — we offer individual sessions tailored to your project.

Individual sessions

Bring your data. Leave with publication-ready visuals.

Two-to-three sessions, scheduled around your timeline — with direct hands-on help from the MIRF team.

These sessions are designed for researchers who want personalized support beyond the group workshop format. Bring your own imaging dataset and we'll work through it with you — from raw data to publication-ready outputs.

What's included
Data analysis & quantification
Cinematic 3D rotation movies
Publication-quality figures
TACs, SUVs, %ID/g calculation
One-on-one
2–3 sessions
Per-engagement fee
Inquire about a session

Visit the lab. See what we can build together.

For biotech, radiopharma, and industry partners exploring a potential collaboration — MIRF runs guided tours of the Centre for Comparative Medicine and the imaging lab to show the scanner, walk through current and past projects, and discuss how we could support your program.

By appointment

Bring your team. Tour the lab. Map the partnership.

Typically 60–90 minutes on-site at UBC — Centre for Comparative Medicine

An informal but substantive visit for companies considering working with MIRF. See the VECTor/CT scanner, the radiochemistry bench, and the supporting instrumentation — then sit down to discuss a portfolio of projects MIRF can run with industry partners and how that maps to your drug development, theranostics, or nanomedicine program.

What's included
CCM & MIRF lab walkthrough
Scanner & instrumentation demo
Project portfolio review
Collaboration pathways discussion
60–90 minutes
By appointment
CCM - 4145 Wesbrook Mall
Request a tour

UBC-mandated animal courses.

In addition to MIRF workshops, all students handling animals in the lab must complete UBC's standard lab rodent training.

UBC Animal Care Services — Lab Rodent Courses

UBC ACS offers six online lab rodent courses that are mandatory for any student handling animals in the lab. These are separate from MIRF's preclinical imaging workshops, but most lab members complete them in parallel.

View UBC ACS lab rodent courses

Who attends, and how.

Who it's for

Graduate students, postdocs and visiting researchers — PHAR518 attendees plus external collaborators, biotech partners and trainees from partner labs.

How sessions run

Small-group, in-person sessions in the MIRF lab. A mix of lectures, scanner walkthroughs and hands-on exercises — scheduled around lab availability and student cohorts.

How to register

Email MIRF or use the contact form to express interest — we'll coordinate timing with your project and let you know about the next PHAR518 offering or set up a group workshop.

Ready to start your imaging project?

The fastest path is to email us with your project background — we'll match you to the right workshop track and the right person on the team.

Get in touch