49th Annual Course in Cytometry | La Jolla, CA

August 16–20, 2026

Thank You — What a Week

The 49th Annual Course in Cytometry has come to a close, and it was a tremendous success. Five days of lectures, fourteen hands-on laboratories, long days in the lab followed by fun nights by the ocean, and a room full of people genuinely excited about cells — thank you to everyone who made it happen.

49th Annual Course in Cytometry — group photo of instructors, students and organizers, La Jolla, California, August 2026 — The 49th Annual Course in Cytometry · La Jolla, California · August 2026

🎓 To Our Instructors

You volunteered your time, expertise, and patience
You taught lectures, ran labs, and stayed late to answer one more question
Many of you come back to teach year after year
This course runs on your generosity — for the community, by the community

🤝 To Our Sponsors

You shipped and supported the instruments and reagents that made every lab possible
You supported the workshops, social events, and the closing reception
Your scholarships opened the door for trainees and early-career scientists
Full list of supporters on our Sponsors page

🔬 To Our Students

You came from across the country and around the world
You asked the hard questions that made every session better
You brought the energy that keeps this course going after 49 years
Go forth and compensate correctly

The course is organized and overseen by Cytometry Educational Associates, Inc. (CEAI), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to advancing cytometry education. Questions, feedback, or certificate requests? Email info@sdcytocourse.org.

Save the Date · Next Year

50th Annual Course in Cytometry

June 19–24, 2027 · Madison, Wisconsin

The golden anniversary course will be hosted by the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center Flow Cytometry Laboratory. There is no sign-up yet — registration typically opens in February. Program and registration details for the 50th Course will be posted at cytometryeducation.org.

About the Course

Where Cytometrists Come to Learn

Now in its 49th year, the Annual Course in Cytometry is one of the longest-running and most respected intensive training programs in flow cytometry and cell analysis. Set against the backdrop of La Jolla's stunning coastline, this five-day course brings together leading scientists, clinicians, and emerging researchers for an immersive educational experience.

Participants gain hands-on expertise in instrument operation, panel design, data analysis, and cutting-edge cytometric technologies — all taught by a world-class faculty of cytometry experts. Whether you are new to flow cytometry or looking to deepen your advanced skills, this course offers an unmatched combination of didactic lectures and personalized laboratory sessions.

This course is built on a simple principle: for the community, by the community. Our faculty are working cytometrists who volunteer their time because they believe in accessible, high-quality education for the field. The course is a non-profit endeavor organized and overseen by Cytometry Educational Associates, Inc. (CEAI), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to advancing cytometry education. Registration fees are kept as low as possible and go directly toward supporting the course.

Who Attends

Who This Course Is For

The course spans foundations through advanced applications — below is a frank read on who tends to get the most out of it.

Best Fit

Some flow experience, ready to go deeper

Graduate students, postdocs, research technicians, and core facility staff a few months to a couple of years into flow work. You've used an instrument, run experiments, and want to move from "it works when I follow the protocol" to genuinely understanding why.

Crash Course Territory

Experienced at the bench, new to flow

Years of bench work and technical skills but no flow cytometry background. The biology won't slow you down — the Course is your orientation to the technique itself, and you'll learn fast.

Catching Up

Learned flow years ago, ready to modernize

You know your way around a cytometer, but spectral unmixing, UMAP, and automated clustering all came along after your last deep dive. The Course refreshes the fundamentals and adds the modern toolkit — spectral cytometry, high-dimensional analysis, and current best practices.

Probably Too Early

Newer to the bench

If you're still building basic wet lab skills and haven't worked with a cytometer, the pace may be overwhelming. We'd suggest a vendor training session or shadowing a core user for a couple of months first, then coming back once you've run a few experiments.

🎯

And PIs Too

Every year a handful of principal investigators and lab heads join the Course — sometimes to build their own flow expertise, sometimes in response to grant reviews that flagged cytometry as a weakness. You'll be welcome, not out of place.

46th Annual Course · San Diego, 2023

Learn. Connect. Discover.

Social

Evening beach reception

Lecture

Morning lecture — full house

Lecture

Imaging flow cytometry

Lab

Spectral lab

Lecture

New Topics

Lab

Multicolor Immunophenotyping lab

Lecture

High Dimensional Data Analysis

Lab

Data Acquisition lab

Lab

Advanced Cell Sorting lab

Lab

Standardization and Rigor lab

Lab

High Parameter Data Analysis lab

Lab

Hands-on laboratory work

Lab

Build-a-Cytometer lab

Beyond the Classroom

Explore La Jolla & San Diego

Beaches and seals along the coast, Torrey Pines golf, Del Mar racetrack, Padres at Petco Park, Balboa Park museums, world-class dining — a lot to do before, after, or between sessions.