Education & Seminars
Our members are active member of the Feinberg community, speaking at and participating in a number of educational events around campus on a variety of epigentics-related topics.
Use the tabs below to browse listings of upcoming genetics-related seminars and events. For a schedule of additional Northwestern University and Feinberg School of Medicine events, visit the Feinberg Medical School Event Calendar or PlanIt Purple.
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Jul
16
Embedding Meaningful Course Touchpoints with Vigil: An Instructor Reading Circle
Off-Campus - 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Join a summer reading circle with the Searle Center where instructors collectively explore the Litowitz Center’s 2026 campus read, Vigil, and exchange ideas for integrating the text into courses.
Through generative, cross‑disciplinary dialogue and reflective pedagogy, participants will develop adaptable discussion questions, learning activities, and assignments that spark engagement, invite constructive disagreement, and connect learning to pressing real‑world questions.
Jul
17
Oncology Review Symposium
Chicago - 8:00 AM - 5:15 PM
Join us in person Friday, July 17 for the 2026 Lurie Cancer Center Oncology Review, which provides medical, radiation and surgical oncologists, nurses, scientists and allied healthcare professionals with a comprehensive summary of the most up-to-date research and clinical data in the field of oncology. This review covers multiple oncology and hematology disease types, and each topic is presented by an expert in the respective field.
Jul
21
STEM fellowship writing workshop for Fall 2026 applications
Online - 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Funding for graduate students in STEM fields has become more competitive but has not disappeared. There are external fellowships open to both first- and second-year graduate students. This three-day writing workshop will outline approaches to writing your fellowship applications and homework exercises will help you to build your Research and Personal Statements for fall external fellowships. You will also learn about characteristics of successful applications and common pitfalls to avoid. The first two sessions will focus on the Personal Statement, and the third session will focus on the Research Statement. Register and attend one, two, or all three sessions. Each meeting will last a little over 1 hour, with extra time added for questions. Questions? Contact LaTanya Williams PhD, Associate Director of STEM, Office of Fellowships at latanya.williams@northwestern.edu.
Jul
23
STEM fellowship writing workshop for Fall 2026 applications
Online - 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Funding for graduate students in STEM fields has become more competitive but has not disappeared. There are external fellowships open to both first- and second-year graduate students. This three-day writing workshop will outline approaches to writing your fellowship applications and homework exercises will help you to build your Research and Personal Statements for fall external fellowships. You will also learn about characteristics of successful applications and common pitfalls to avoid. The first two sessions will focus on the Personal Statement, and the third session will focus on the Research Statement. Register and attend one, two, or all three sessions. Each meeting will last a little over 1 hour, with extra time added for questions. Questions? Contact LaTanya Williams PhD, Associate Director of STEM, Office of Fellowships at latanya.williams@northwestern.edu.
Jul
28
STEM fellowship writing workshop for Fall 2026 applications
Online - 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Funding for graduate students in STEM fields has become more competitive but has not disappeared. There are external fellowships open to both first- and second-year graduate students. This three-day writing workshop will outline approaches to writing your fellowship applications and homework exercises will help you to build your Research and Personal Statements for fall external fellowships. You will also learn about characteristics of successful applications and common pitfalls to avoid. The first two sessions will focus on the Personal Statement, and the third session will focus on the Research Statement. Register and attend one, two, or all three sessions. Each meeting will last a little over 1 hour, with extra time added for questions. Questions? Contact LaTanya Williams PhD, Associate Director of STEM, Office of Fellowships at latanya.williams@northwestern.edu.
Aug
24
Teaching without AI When AI Is Everywhere
Evanston - 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
As instructors across disciplines navigate the growing presence of generative AI in their teaching contexts, they are thoughtfully considering how it intersects with learning, assessment, and disciplinary values. This 90‑minute in-person conversation creates space to focus on shared questions:
Which intellectual tasks should students practice without AI, and how can assignments make that learning observable, assessable, and meaningful?
Participants will take away practical strategies for both small and large classes, including ways to structure assessments that make student thinking visible. After the session, these strategies will be shared broadly to all faculty through the Searle Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning and the Office of the Provost. Throughout the conversation, we will emphasize instructor vitality, underscoring the importance of sustainable, shareable approaches that build on existing practices rather than continual reinvention.
Co-sponsored by the Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching and the Office of the Provost.
Aug
25
Course Design Institute
Evanston - 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Are you an instructor eager to craft a dynamic, engaging new course that inspires and empowers your students but that is also a manageable workload for you?
Then join colleagues, Searle Center educational developers, and Northwestern IT Teaching and Technology instructional designers for the summer Course Design Institute!
The CDI is an annual,lina.eskew@northwestern.edu in-person immersive three-day course design institute centered on developing a new syllabus for the upcoming academic year, driven by inclusive, evidence-based practices, iterative discussion, and reflective learning communities.
—Tuesday, August 25 (Norris University Center, Evanston Campus)
—Wednesday, August 26 (Norris University Center, Evanston Campus)
—Thursday, August 27 (Online)
Aug
26
Course Design Institute
Evanston - 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Are you an instructor eager to craft a dynamic, engaging new course that inspires and empowers your students but that is also a manageable workload for you?
Then join colleagues, Searle Center educational developers, and Northwestern IT Teaching and Technology instructional designers for the summer Course Design Institute!
The CDI is an annual,lina.eskew@northwestern.edu in-person immersive three-day course design institute centered on developing a new syllabus for the upcoming academic year, driven by inclusive, evidence-based practices, iterative discussion, and reflective learning communities.
—Tuesday, August 25 (Norris University Center, Evanston Campus)
—Wednesday, August 26 (Norris University Center, Evanston Campus)
—Thursday, August 27 (Online)
Aug
26
"Molecule-scale resolution and dynamics in fluorescence microscopy" Stefan Hell, PhD, Max Planck Institute
No Location - 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM
CDB SPECIAL SEMINAR:
"Molecule-scale resolution and dynamics in fluorescence microscopy"
Wednesday, August 26, 2026
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Location to be announced
Stefan Hell, PhD
Director, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences in Göttingen, and Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg, Germany
I will discuss MINFLUX [1, 2, 3, 4], a recent molecular localization and superresolution method that has reached Angström localization precision and resolution of the size of a fluorophore molecule. MINFLUX and the related MINSTED concept [5, 6] are being established for routine applications in cell and molecular biology, structural biology and neuroscience. Relying on much fewer fluorescence photons than the widely used camera-based localization methods, these techniques are poised to characterize dynamic processes of single proteins, as demonstrated by tracking the nanometer conformational changes of the motor proteins kinesin-1 [7] and dynein in living cells [8]. MINFLUX has also been demonstrated to measure intramolecular distances with Angström precision, providing a precise and reliable alternative to FRET [9]. Harnessing confocal detection, MINFLUX also provides nanometer-range resolution deeper down in layers of cells and (mildly) scattering tissue [10]. Finally, I will show an arguably surprising ability of MINFLUX to separate individual identical fluorophores without sequential ON/OFF switching or activation of fluorescence. Thus, the simultaneous, uninterrupted, nanometer-scale tracking and imaging of multiple, identical (same-color) fluorophores becomes possible for the first time [11]. This novel superresolution principle should allow MINFLUX to reveal the conformational changes of individual proteins in their native environment.
[1] Balzarotti, F., Eilers, Y., Gwosch, K. C., Gynnå, A. H., Westphal, V., Stefani, F. D., Elf, J., Hell, S.W. Nanometer resolution imaging and tracking of fluorescent molecules with minimal photon fluxes. Science 355, 606-612 (2017).
[2] Eilers, Y., Ta, H., Gwosch, K. C., Balzarotti, F., Hell, S. W. MINFLUX monitors rapid molecular jumps with superior spatiotemporal resolution. PNAS 115, 6117-6122 (2018).
[3] Gwosch, K. C., Pape, J. K., Balzarotti, F., Hoess, P., Ellenberg, J., Ries, J., Hell, S. W. MINFLUX nanoscopy delivers 3D multicolor nanometer resolution in cells. Nat. Methods 17, 217–224 (2020).
[4] Schmidt, R., Weihs, T., Wurm, C. A., Jansen, I., Rehman, J., Sahl, S. J., Hell, S. W. (2021) MINFLUX nanometer-scale 3D imaging and microsecond-range tracking on a common fluorescence microscope. Nat. Commun. 12:1478.
[5] Weber, M., Leutenegger, M., Stoldt, S., Jakobs, S., Mihaila, T. S., Butkevich, A. N., Hell, S. W. MINSTED fluorescence localization and nanoscopy. Nat. Photon. 15, 361-366 (2021).
[6] Weber, M., von der Emde, H., Leutenegger, M., Gunkel, P., Sambandan, S., Khan, T. A., Keller-Findeisen, J., Cordes, V. C., Hell, S.W. MINSTED nanoscopy enters the Ångström localization range. Nat. Biotechnol., 41, 569-576 (2023).
[7] Wolff, J. O., Scheiderer, L., Engelhardt, T., Engelhardt, J., Matthias, J., Hell, S.W. MINFLUX dissects the unimpeded walking of kinesin-1. Science, 379, 1004-1010 (2023).
[8] Schleske, J. M., Hubrich, J., Wirth, J. O., D’Este, E., Engelhardt, J., Hell, S. W. MINFLUX reveals dynein stepping in live neurons. PNAS 121, e2412241121 (2024).
[9] Sahl, S. J., Matthias, J., Inamdar, K., Weber, M., Khan, T. A., Brüser, C., Jakobs, S., Becker, S., Griesinger, C., Broichhagen, J., Hell, S. W. Direct optical measurement of intramolecular distances with angstrom precision. Science 386, 180-187 (2024).
[10] Moosmayer, T., Kiszka, K. A., Pape, J. K., Leutenegger, M., Steffens, H., Grant, S. G. N., Sahl, S. J., Hell, S. W. MINFLUX fluorescence nanoscopy in biological tissue. PNAS 121, e2422020121 (2024).
[11] Hensel, T. A., Wirth, J. O., Schwarz, O. L. Hell, S. W. Diffraction minima resolve point scatterers at few hundredths of the wavelength. Nat. Phys. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-024-02760-1 (2025).
Aug
27
Course Design Institute
Evanston - 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Are you an instructor eager to craft a dynamic, engaging new course that inspires and empowers your students but that is also a manageable workload for you?
Then join colleagues, Searle Center educational developers, and Northwestern IT Teaching and Technology instructional designers for the summer Course Design Institute!
The CDI is an annual,lina.eskew@northwestern.edu in-person immersive three-day course design institute centered on developing a new syllabus for the upcoming academic year, driven by inclusive, evidence-based practices, iterative discussion, and reflective learning communities.
—Tuesday, August 25 (Norris University Center, Evanston Campus)
—Wednesday, August 26 (Norris University Center, Evanston Campus)
—Thursday, August 27 (Online)
Sep
14
Annual Cell & Developmental Biology Retreat - Day 1
Chicago - 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Please secure this time for the annual Cell & Developmental Biology departmental retreat.
Additional details will follow.
Sep
15
Annual Cell & Developmental Biology Retreat - Day 2
Chicago - 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Please secure this time for the annual Cell & Developmental Biology departmental retreat.
Additional details will follow.
No events found. Please try again later.
Jul
16
Embedding Meaningful Course Touchpoints with Vigil: An Instructor Reading Circle
Off-Campus - 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Join a summer reading circle with the Searle Center where instructors collectively explore the Litowitz Center’s 2026 campus read, Vigil, and exchange ideas for integrating the text into courses.
Through generative, cross‑disciplinary dialogue and reflective pedagogy, participants will develop adaptable discussion questions, learning activities, and assignments that spark engagement, invite constructive disagreement, and connect learning to pressing real‑world questions.
Jul
17
Oncology Review Symposium
Chicago - 8:00 AM - 5:15 PM
Join us in person Friday, July 17 for the 2026 Lurie Cancer Center Oncology Review, which provides medical, radiation and surgical oncologists, nurses, scientists and allied healthcare professionals with a comprehensive summary of the most up-to-date research and clinical data in the field of oncology. This review covers multiple oncology and hematology disease types, and each topic is presented by an expert in the respective field.
Jul
21
STEM fellowship writing workshop for Fall 2026 applications
Online - 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Funding for graduate students in STEM fields has become more competitive but has not disappeared. There are external fellowships open to both first- and second-year graduate students. This three-day writing workshop will outline approaches to writing your fellowship applications and homework exercises will help you to build your Research and Personal Statements for fall external fellowships. You will also learn about characteristics of successful applications and common pitfalls to avoid. The first two sessions will focus on the Personal Statement, and the third session will focus on the Research Statement. Register and attend one, two, or all three sessions. Each meeting will last a little over 1 hour, with extra time added for questions. Questions? Contact LaTanya Williams PhD, Associate Director of STEM, Office of Fellowships at latanya.williams@northwestern.edu.
Jul
23
STEM fellowship writing workshop for Fall 2026 applications
Online - 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Funding for graduate students in STEM fields has become more competitive but has not disappeared. There are external fellowships open to both first- and second-year graduate students. This three-day writing workshop will outline approaches to writing your fellowship applications and homework exercises will help you to build your Research and Personal Statements for fall external fellowships. You will also learn about characteristics of successful applications and common pitfalls to avoid. The first two sessions will focus on the Personal Statement, and the third session will focus on the Research Statement. Register and attend one, two, or all three sessions. Each meeting will last a little over 1 hour, with extra time added for questions. Questions? Contact LaTanya Williams PhD, Associate Director of STEM, Office of Fellowships at latanya.williams@northwestern.edu.
Jul
28
STEM fellowship writing workshop for Fall 2026 applications
Online - 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Funding for graduate students in STEM fields has become more competitive but has not disappeared. There are external fellowships open to both first- and second-year graduate students. This three-day writing workshop will outline approaches to writing your fellowship applications and homework exercises will help you to build your Research and Personal Statements for fall external fellowships. You will also learn about characteristics of successful applications and common pitfalls to avoid. The first two sessions will focus on the Personal Statement, and the third session will focus on the Research Statement. Register and attend one, two, or all three sessions. Each meeting will last a little over 1 hour, with extra time added for questions. Questions? Contact LaTanya Williams PhD, Associate Director of STEM, Office of Fellowships at latanya.williams@northwestern.edu.
Aug
24
Teaching without AI When AI Is Everywhere
Evanston - 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
As instructors across disciplines navigate the growing presence of generative AI in their teaching contexts, they are thoughtfully considering how it intersects with learning, assessment, and disciplinary values. This 90‑minute in-person conversation creates space to focus on shared questions:
Which intellectual tasks should students practice without AI, and how can assignments make that learning observable, assessable, and meaningful?
Participants will take away practical strategies for both small and large classes, including ways to structure assessments that make student thinking visible. After the session, these strategies will be shared broadly to all faculty through the Searle Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning and the Office of the Provost. Throughout the conversation, we will emphasize instructor vitality, underscoring the importance of sustainable, shareable approaches that build on existing practices rather than continual reinvention.
Co-sponsored by the Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching and the Office of the Provost.
Aug
25
Course Design Institute
Evanston - 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Are you an instructor eager to craft a dynamic, engaging new course that inspires and empowers your students but that is also a manageable workload for you?
Then join colleagues, Searle Center educational developers, and Northwestern IT Teaching and Technology instructional designers for the summer Course Design Institute!
The CDI is an annual,lina.eskew@northwestern.edu in-person immersive three-day course design institute centered on developing a new syllabus for the upcoming academic year, driven by inclusive, evidence-based practices, iterative discussion, and reflective learning communities.
—Tuesday, August 25 (Norris University Center, Evanston Campus)
—Wednesday, August 26 (Norris University Center, Evanston Campus)
—Thursday, August 27 (Online)
Aug
26
Course Design Institute
Evanston - 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Are you an instructor eager to craft a dynamic, engaging new course that inspires and empowers your students but that is also a manageable workload for you?
Then join colleagues, Searle Center educational developers, and Northwestern IT Teaching and Technology instructional designers for the summer Course Design Institute!
The CDI is an annual,lina.eskew@northwestern.edu in-person immersive three-day course design institute centered on developing a new syllabus for the upcoming academic year, driven by inclusive, evidence-based practices, iterative discussion, and reflective learning communities.
—Tuesday, August 25 (Norris University Center, Evanston Campus)
—Wednesday, August 26 (Norris University Center, Evanston Campus)
—Thursday, August 27 (Online)
Aug
26
"Molecule-scale resolution and dynamics in fluorescence microscopy" Stefan Hell, PhD, Max Planck Institute
No Location - 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM
CDB SPECIAL SEMINAR:
"Molecule-scale resolution and dynamics in fluorescence microscopy"
Wednesday, August 26, 2026
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Location to be announced
Stefan Hell, PhD
Director, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences in Göttingen, and Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg, Germany
I will discuss MINFLUX [1, 2, 3, 4], a recent molecular localization and superresolution method that has reached Angström localization precision and resolution of the size of a fluorophore molecule. MINFLUX and the related MINSTED concept [5, 6] are being established for routine applications in cell and molecular biology, structural biology and neuroscience. Relying on much fewer fluorescence photons than the widely used camera-based localization methods, these techniques are poised to characterize dynamic processes of single proteins, as demonstrated by tracking the nanometer conformational changes of the motor proteins kinesin-1 [7] and dynein in living cells [8]. MINFLUX has also been demonstrated to measure intramolecular distances with Angström precision, providing a precise and reliable alternative to FRET [9]. Harnessing confocal detection, MINFLUX also provides nanometer-range resolution deeper down in layers of cells and (mildly) scattering tissue [10]. Finally, I will show an arguably surprising ability of MINFLUX to separate individual identical fluorophores without sequential ON/OFF switching or activation of fluorescence. Thus, the simultaneous, uninterrupted, nanometer-scale tracking and imaging of multiple, identical (same-color) fluorophores becomes possible for the first time [11]. This novel superresolution principle should allow MINFLUX to reveal the conformational changes of individual proteins in their native environment.
[1] Balzarotti, F., Eilers, Y., Gwosch, K. C., Gynnå, A. H., Westphal, V., Stefani, F. D., Elf, J., Hell, S.W. Nanometer resolution imaging and tracking of fluorescent molecules with minimal photon fluxes. Science 355, 606-612 (2017).
[2] Eilers, Y., Ta, H., Gwosch, K. C., Balzarotti, F., Hell, S. W. MINFLUX monitors rapid molecular jumps with superior spatiotemporal resolution. PNAS 115, 6117-6122 (2018).
[3] Gwosch, K. C., Pape, J. K., Balzarotti, F., Hoess, P., Ellenberg, J., Ries, J., Hell, S. W. MINFLUX nanoscopy delivers 3D multicolor nanometer resolution in cells. Nat. Methods 17, 217–224 (2020).
[4] Schmidt, R., Weihs, T., Wurm, C. A., Jansen, I., Rehman, J., Sahl, S. J., Hell, S. W. (2021) MINFLUX nanometer-scale 3D imaging and microsecond-range tracking on a common fluorescence microscope. Nat. Commun. 12:1478.
[5] Weber, M., Leutenegger, M., Stoldt, S., Jakobs, S., Mihaila, T. S., Butkevich, A. N., Hell, S. W. MINSTED fluorescence localization and nanoscopy. Nat. Photon. 15, 361-366 (2021).
[6] Weber, M., von der Emde, H., Leutenegger, M., Gunkel, P., Sambandan, S., Khan, T. A., Keller-Findeisen, J., Cordes, V. C., Hell, S.W. MINSTED nanoscopy enters the Ångström localization range. Nat. Biotechnol., 41, 569-576 (2023).
[7] Wolff, J. O., Scheiderer, L., Engelhardt, T., Engelhardt, J., Matthias, J., Hell, S.W. MINFLUX dissects the unimpeded walking of kinesin-1. Science, 379, 1004-1010 (2023).
[8] Schleske, J. M., Hubrich, J., Wirth, J. O., D’Este, E., Engelhardt, J., Hell, S. W. MINFLUX reveals dynein stepping in live neurons. PNAS 121, e2412241121 (2024).
[9] Sahl, S. J., Matthias, J., Inamdar, K., Weber, M., Khan, T. A., Brüser, C., Jakobs, S., Becker, S., Griesinger, C., Broichhagen, J., Hell, S. W. Direct optical measurement of intramolecular distances with angstrom precision. Science 386, 180-187 (2024).
[10] Moosmayer, T., Kiszka, K. A., Pape, J. K., Leutenegger, M., Steffens, H., Grant, S. G. N., Sahl, S. J., Hell, S. W. MINFLUX fluorescence nanoscopy in biological tissue. PNAS 121, e2422020121 (2024).
[11] Hensel, T. A., Wirth, J. O., Schwarz, O. L. Hell, S. W. Diffraction minima resolve point scatterers at few hundredths of the wavelength. Nat. Phys. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-024-02760-1 (2025).
Aug
27
Course Design Institute
Evanston - 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Are you an instructor eager to craft a dynamic, engaging new course that inspires and empowers your students but that is also a manageable workload for you?
Then join colleagues, Searle Center educational developers, and Northwestern IT Teaching and Technology instructional designers for the summer Course Design Institute!
The CDI is an annual,lina.eskew@northwestern.edu in-person immersive three-day course design institute centered on developing a new syllabus for the upcoming academic year, driven by inclusive, evidence-based practices, iterative discussion, and reflective learning communities.
—Tuesday, August 25 (Norris University Center, Evanston Campus)
—Wednesday, August 26 (Norris University Center, Evanston Campus)
—Thursday, August 27 (Online)
Sep
14
Annual Cell & Developmental Biology Retreat - Day 1
Chicago - 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Please secure this time for the annual Cell & Developmental Biology departmental retreat.
Additional details will follow.
Sep
15
Annual Cell & Developmental Biology Retreat - Day 2
Chicago - 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Please secure this time for the annual Cell & Developmental Biology departmental retreat.
Additional details will follow.