Welcome to SfN’s Optogenetics Training Series. Advance your understanding of how to optimize optogenetics techniques in your research.

We invite neuroscientists at any training and career stage, institution, and geography, with all levels of familiarity and proficiency with optogenetics, to engage with the series’ resources created for you by more than 20 global neuroscience leaders.

You have unparalleled opportunities to enhance your knowledge about how to use optogenetics techniques appropriately, effectively, and rigorously:

• Learn from and ask for advice from experts pioneering optogenetics approaches to advance various research objectives.
• Find out how to design and conduct rigorous experiments using optogenetics methods in a diversity of lab environments.
• Understand how optogenetics techniques are evolving so you can implement the newest technologies.

Training Modules

The series’ eight training modules, organized in partnership with neuroscientists Kamran Khodakhah (Albert Einstein College of Medicine), Alexandra Nelson (University of California, San Francisco), and Veronica Alvarez (NIH Intramural Research Program/NIAAA), consist of:

• Short lectures and demonstration videos, written articles, and recommended reading lists you can access anytime. View some or all of the content in the order you prefer.
• Two discussion forums in the Neuronline Community (Module 7: August 1–16 and Module 8: August 1–30). The Module 7 live chat will occur on August 16 from 1–2 p.m. EDT, and you can post your questions at any time before then or live. The Module 8 forum will be open for your questions at any time until the end of August 30, and faculty will answer your questions via a video published in early September.
• A Community forum to share your insights and best practices, ask questions, and engage with other training series’ participants.

Virtual Conference

The culminating virtual conference, Next Generation Optogenetics: Tools and Applications, was organized in partnership with Alexandra Nelson and Veronica Alvarez.

SfN Member Access

Your SfN membership benefits offer you full access to the training series’ on-demand resources and community forums.

Non-SfN Member Access

Across Neuronline, anyone can access five resources of their choosing every 30 days, including content in the optogenetics training series.

Join SfN or renew your membership to enjoy full access to the series’ on-demand content and discussion forums. You will also gain unlimited, year-round access to Neuronline’s hundreds of other resources, and additional SfN member benefits.

Email digitallearning@sfn.org with questions.