The PMOD software tools are being increasingly used for preclinical data analysis. Thus, PMOD has decided to participate for the first time as an exhibitor at the World Molecular Imaging Congress to be held on September 10 - 13, 2008 in Nice, France (WMIC 2008). In order to meet the numerous requests of PMOD users for training and exchange of experience, PMOD will organize in Nice prior to WMIC 2008 a two days PMOD Training Workshop as well as a PMOD Users' Meeting. The workshop is scheduled on September 8 and 9, and the users' meeting on September 10, from noon until 3pm, right before the WMIC registration opens (see separate announcement).

The aim of this PMOD Training Workshop is to teach the participants the effective use of the major PMOD tools. Brief presentations will outline the principles behind the different types of data analysis. They will be followed by live demonstrations. Finally, ample time will be available for individual practice based on a workbook and for interacting with the trainers.

The participants are required to bring their own notebooks. They will obtain a USB flash key with the latest PMOD version as well as training data sets. PMOD can be started directly from the key, such that the configuration of the notebook will remain untouched. As a courtesy, the key can be taken home and will work for another month. This will give the participants the opportunity to complete their studies if needed, and to try the PMOD tools on their own data.

Upon completion of the training the participants will be able to:

• Exploit the wealth of image presentations and layouts
• Apply the filtering and image processing tools
• Effectively define Volumes-of-Interest (VOIs) using manual and automatic methods and calculate their statistics
• Calculate time-activity curves and submit them to the kinetic modeling tool
• Understand the different types of models (compartment, graphical, reference) and apply them in the general and pixel-wise modeling tool
• Assess the identifiability of kinetic model parameters
• Match multi-modal images of a single patient by manual and automatic methods
• Spatially normalize a brain image to a brain atlas
• Select among the available image fusion techniques
• Perform pixel-wise algebra with matched series, e.g. to calculate a perfusion reserve
• Apply segmentation techniques to extract organ surfaces and render them in 3D
• Project functional information as a texture onto a segmented organ surface
  
  

The training workshop is aimed at participants with a basic to intermediate skill level. It is primarily designed for existing and prospective PMOD users who:

• Started with PMOD recently
• Wish to extend their knowledge and interact with the developers of the software
• Would like to evaluate modules which are not available in their acquired installations