The University of Kentucky Research Core Facility Expo, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday, March 12, in the Biomedical Biological Sciences Research Building atrium, will showcase the depth, innovation and collaborative power of UK's shared research resources.
This free event is open to all members of the university community and brings together core facility teams, faculty, staff and trainee researchers to explore the technologies, expertise and services that enable groundbreaking discoveries.
UK's core facilities provide access to state-of-the-art instrumentation, specialized methodologies and expert consultation that support high-quality, reproducible research at UK and beyond. From advanced imaging and microscopy to materials characterization, biospecimen services and clinical research technologies, these shared resources form a critical infrastructure that drives innovation and accelerates scientific progress.
"By strengthening connections between researchers and core facilities, the expo helps ensure that UK's investments in shared research infrastructure translate into transformative discoveries, stronger grant proposals and enhanced institutional reputation," said John Balk, Ph.D., associate vice president for research development and support. "Core facilities serve the entire university community and often support external collaborators, amplifying UK's role as a hub for innovation and partnership."
Through interactive exhibits and one-on-one conversations, attendees will gain practical insight into how core facilities can advance their research goals from experimental design and data acquisition to analysis and publication.
The expo aims to:
- Increase awareness of the breadth of core facility capabilities available to the UK research community
- Foster interdisciplinary collaboration by connecting investigators with core experts and potential research partners
- Promote efficient use of shared resources to enhance research quality, productivity and competitiveness for external funding
- Highlight emerging technologies and services that expand UK's research capacity and impact
- Support trainee development by introducing students and postdoctoral students to tools and expertise that strengthen their research skills
Core facilities represented:
- Animal Behavior & Energy Balance Core
- Division of Laboratory Animal Resources
- Electron Microscopy and Materials Characterization Core
- Flow Cytometry & Immune Monitoring Core
- Light Microscopy Core
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy Center
- Mass Spectrometry & Proteomics Core
- Pathology Research Core
- College of Arts and Sciences Imaging Center
The expo is sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Research. To learn more about these and other cores, visit the Core Facilities website at research.uky.edu/cores.
