The Arizona Imaging and Microanalysis Society hosts an annual conference every spring. This annual meeting provides a forum for members to discuss research and exchange ideas, as well as an opportunity for learning about new techniques and concepts. We encourage anyone who works with microscopy to sign up as an AIMS member. Registration for the conference is separate and you can register through this link.
Scientific Poster Session: Undergraduate and graduate students who use microscopy in their research are invited to submit an abstract and present a poster. There will be four microscopy poster awards each in the categories of Physical or Biological Sciences. The awards will be for 1st ($150), 2nd ($100) at the Graduate/Postdoc level and 1st ($150), 2nd ($100) place at the Undergraduate level. Poster abstracts must be submitted by April 10, 2026. Poster format guidelines.
Image Contest: We will be hosting our annual image contest that will take place during the conference on April 17th. There will be awards for 1st ($100), 2nd ($50) and 3rd ($25) determined by popular vote. Use this LINK to submit your images. Image Contest Flyer. These must be submitted my Apr 10, 2026. Image contest rules.
Professional Development and Training Workshop: On Monday April 16, 2026, there will be an all day Image Processing Workshop The focus of this workshop is to offer continued training in sample preparation workflows, tissue resources, special stains and other protocols or techniques to improve the quality of your imaging data. Anyone working with microscopes and histological samples are encouraged to attend. Must RSVP by April 10, 2026. Registration is required. Please use this Registration Link.
Important Deadlines:
Poster Abstract Deadline: April 6, 2026 – EXTENDED to April 10, 2026
Image Contest Deadline: April 10, 2026
Workshop Registration Deadline: April 10, 2026
2026 AIMS Conference
April 17, 2026
ASU Sky Song I & II (Map)
Travel Details [Including Hotel discount information]
AIMS Announcement Flyer
AIMS Winter Newsletter
AIMS 2026 Program
AIMS 2026 Abstract Guide
Check–In
|8:00AM – 8:45AM|
Opening remarks Page Baluch – AIMS President
| 8:45AM – 9:00AM |
Cryogenic Low Dose Imaging for Structure Determination
Dewight Williams, PhD, Research Scientist, Eyring Materials Center, Arizona State University
| 9:00AM – 9:40AM |
Low Dose In Situ and Multiscale Cryo Microscopy on Solid-Liquid Interfaces
Katie Jungjohan, PhD, Group Research Manager III-Materials Science, National Laboratory of the Rockies
| 9:40AM – 10:20AM |
Morning Break/Student Posters/Visit Vendors
| 10:20AM – 11:20AM |
Volume Electron Microscopy: A Nanoscale Window into 3D Cell Biology
Kedar Narayan, PhD, Group Leader and Senior Scientist at the National Institutes of Health
| 11:20AM – 12:00PM |
Microscopy Core Facilities in Arizona
| 12:00PM – 12:15PM |
Buffet Lunch
| 12:15PM – 1:15PM |
Cryo-FIB/(S)TEM of Low-Z, Hydrated, and Beam Sensitive Materials
John Watt, PhD, Scientist and Electron Microscopist, Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies (CINT), Los Alamos National Laboratory
| 1:15PM – 1:55PM |
Vendor Lightening Talks
| 1:55PM – 2:35PM |
Break/Student Posters/Vendors
| 2:35PM – 3:05PM |
Integrating Microscopy, Large Language Models, and High Performance Computing
Peter Ercius, PhD, Staff Scientist, National Center for Electron Microscopy, Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
| 3:05PM – 3:45PM |
Developing a Microscopy Toolkit for the Cellular Biology of Non-Model and Intracellular Organisms
Jess Warren, Postdoctoral Researcher, Arizona State University
| 3:45PM – 4:15PM |
Hiding and Seeking Sodium metal in Sodium Closo-Hydroborate, an Electron Beam Damage Study
Thomas Marchese, NSF Graduate Research Fellow, University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering specializing in energy materials and X-ray tomography
| 4:15PM – 4:45PM |
Awards and Closing Remarks
| 4:45PM – 5:00PM |