People

Director of CAIC and SBS Microscopy Network

Lisa-Maria joins CAIC and the School of Biological Sciences (SBS) Microscopy Network following the completion of a Marie Skłodowska-Curie postdoctoral Fellowship, (University of Cambridge and University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA) during which she established a novel technology for ultra-sensitive, label-free measurements of single biomolecules in the solution-phase. Prior to this she focused on designing and applying novel fluorophores for single-molecule fluorescence and super-resolution imaging (University of Cambridge). She is eager to contribute to a new chapter in microscopy at CAIC and the SBS and to develop advanced techniques and instruments to study exciting biology.

Martin O. Lenz 

Senior Research Associate

Martin O. Lenz joined the centre from Institute of Neuroscience in Bordeaux, where he developed and applied various super-resolution microscopy techniques. He worked in several postdoctoral and engineering positions (University of Chicago, Imperial College London, IINS Bordeaux) developing and applying various leading edge microscopy technologies. His expertise in optical physics as well as the experience working in interdisciplinary teams helps to fulfil the centres mission.

Leila Muresan 

EPSRC Research Software Engineer Fellow

Leila Mureșan joined CAIC from the Centre de Génétique Moléculaire in Gif-sur-Yvette. As a Scientific Software Engineer her expertise in image processing and data analysis will be crucial in building the infrastructure and algorithms required to fully exploit the capabilities of our light sheet microscopes.

Karin Müller

Lead Electron Microscopist

Karin Müller is a cell biologist and has joined CAIC from the Department of Chemistry, Cambridge. Her own research has focused on nanoparticle cytotoxicity and mechanisms of extracellular matrix calcification and she therefore has ample experience of imaging specimens at the biological-material interface. Karin and her team will facilitate your TEM and SEM projects by advising on optimal specimen preparation techniques and appropriate imaging/analytical modalities for your particular research questions here at CAIC and in liaison with other electron microscopy facilities in Cambridge.

Filomena Gallo

Electron Microscopy Specialist

Filomena has a background in materials science, with experience in a range of micro-analytical techniques for the characterisation of inorganic materials. With knowledge of electron microscopy sample preparation, imaging and X-ray microanalysis (EDS and WDS), Filomena joined CAIC in 2018. Since then she has rapidly acquired experience on routine techniques for the preparation of biological specimens for EM such as staining, resin embedding and ultramicrotomy sectioning. She is currently leading the application of automated serial sectioning and 3-D imaging, Filomena has extensive experience in all aspects of laboratory practical work and management, including training of research/students and Health and Safety procedures.

Georgina Lindop

Senior Electron Microscopy Technician

Antonina J. Kruppa

Biological Microscopy Coordinator / SBS Microscopy Team

Antonina J. Kruppa is a cell biologist and has joined the School of Biological Sciences (SBS) from the Cambridge Institute for Medical Research. During her postdoc, she studied the role motor proteins and the cytoskeleton play in regulating mitochondrial homeostasis underlying neurodegenerative diseases using a wide variety of imaging modalities. As Biological Microscopy Coordinator for SBS, she is working at the user/facility interface to facilitate access to microscopy facilities across Departments within SBS, creating links with experts for bespoke imaging setups housed in the Cambridge Advanced Imaging Centre (CAIC), and building a wider microscopy community across Cambridge. 

Ben Sutcliffe

Microscopy Specialist / SBS Microscopy Team

Jonathan Howe 

Microscopy Specialist / SBS Microscopy Team

Chengxi Zhu

Post-doctoral researcher

Chengxi is leading the development of CAIC's Advanced Photomanipulation Microscope funded by a Wellcome Trust Technology Development award. His research focuses on spatial light modulator control of laser light for biological applications including optogenetics and photo-ablation experiments.

Anita Karsa

Post-doctoral researcher

Anita is a physicist with many years of experience and a deep interest in imaging and image processing. She joined CAIC after working in magnetic resonance imaging at University College London. She is passionate about studying and applying state-of-the-art image processing techniques, such as deep learning.

Alumni

Sarah Benaissa (PhD Student, -2024)

Sarah has joined CAIC for a three year PhD through the Integrated Photonics and Electronics Systems CDT. Sarah will be exploring the potential of lightfield microscopy for super-resolution through simulation and design of novel microlens arrays.

Kevin O'Holleran (Academic Director, 2013-2023)

Kevin O'Holleran is a physicist with 14 years experience working in the field of advanced light shaping; from esoteric laser manipulation to more applied shaping for super-resolution microscopy. He was the first to successfully embed an isolated knotted singularity into a laser beam and to discover the equations that determine the topology of simple wave superpositions. Since being appointed in 2013 Kevin has enhanced CAIC's capability, offering a full suite of super-resolution imaging modalities, both turn-key commercial microscopes and custom developed systems. His own research continues to focus on advanced bioimaging with a particular emphasis of collaboration and application. Recent successes have been single molecule imaging of the dynamics of transcription factors in living drosophila tissue and the improvement of 3D super-resolution methods through computational imaging.

He is founder and CEO of ZOMP, CAIC's first spin-out.

Dr Terry Wright (Post-doctoral researcher, 2021 - 2022)

Post-doctoral researcher

Terry worked on CAIC's first commercialisation effort - building a 3D imaging flow cytometer - as part of EPSRC's impact acceleration award to University of Cambridge.

Dr Bogdan Toader (Post-doctoral researcher, 2019 - 2021).

Bogdan joined CAIC as a post-doctoral researcher working on deconvolution methods for light sheet microscopy. He is now a post-doctoral researcher at Yale University in the Department of Statistics and Data Science.

Dr Mewanthi Flaminia Kaluthantrige Don (PhD, 2016 - 2020)

Flaminia completed her BBSRC CASE studentship in collaboration with CAIC, Meri Huch's lab and GSK Ltd. Her research focussed on development and characterisation of organotypic models for drug toxicity studies. Flaminia is now a post-doctoral research in the Kalebic Group at the Human Technopole Institute.

Dr Sohaib Abdul Rehman (PhD, 2015 - 2019)

Sohaib completed his EPSRC funded PhD in exploring super resolution 'beyond the coverslip'. His research focussed on challenging applications of single molecule localisation microscopy in living and fixed tissue where depth and light scattering were significant issues. He co-developed a new super-resolution technique with Dr Ruth Sims - Single Molecule Light Field Microscopy. Sohaib is now a post-doctoral researcher at Harvard University, working on multicolor cathodoluminescence microsocpy. The current goal of his research is to explore novel nanoparticles for multi-wavelength cathodoluminescence emissions. The work is being carried out at the Pirgozhin lab.

Dr Ruth Sims (PhD, 2014 - 2018)

CAIC's first PhD student. Ruth was affiliated with the EPSRC centre for doctoral training in Photonic Systems Development and gained her bachelors degree in Mathematics and Physics from Durham University. Ruth developed microscopy methods across a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. She now is now a post-doctoral reseracher at the Institut de la Vision in Valentina Emiliani's Wavefront Engineering Microscopy group.