The Microscopists

Steve Altschuler and Lani Wu are Professors in Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of California, San Francisco. In this episode of The Microscopists , Peter O’Toole talks to Steve Altschuler and Lani Wu—two mathematicians who leapt from Princeton and Microsoft into systems biology, high-dimensional data, and cell imaging. They share the (brutal) grad-school mailroom origin story of their p...

In this episode of The Microscopists , Uri Manor, Assistant Professor of UCSD, opens up about growing up with profound hearing loss and how, despite wanting nothing to do with becoming a scientist, a winding path through baseball, music, and restaurant work eventually led him back to physics and then biology. He reflects on how those early challenges shaped his confidence, communication, and resil...

In this episode of The Microscopists , Peter O’Toole sits down with Leonel Malacrida of Universidad de la República & Institut Pasteur Montevideo, Uruguay. Leonel reflects on his early ambition of becoming a veterinarian, the twists and turns that led him into the world of microscopy, and the unique challenges and opportunities of doing science in Latin America. He also shares how biking and s...

In this episode of The Microscopists, Peter O’Toole sits down with Dr. Elisa May, Chief Enabling Technology Officer at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), one of the largest and most influential research hubs in the world. Hear her fascinating journey from her early days as a facility leader to pioneering the establishment of German BioImaging and now overseeing a cutting-edge network of 13...

In this episode of The Microscopists , Peter O’Toole sits down with Kelly Rogers, Head of the Division of Advanced Technology and Biology at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) in Melbourne. Kelly reflects on her childhood ambition of becoming a forester, the surprising twist that steered her toward science, and her first encounter with confocal microscopy during her PhD in Hong Kong; a mom...

We're thrilled to bring you this episode of The Microscopists with an absolute force in accessible science and microscopy innovation— Manu Prakash of Stanford University. Manu shares the origin of the now-legendary $1 paper microscope, the Foldscope . He also discusses the importance of making science hands-on and accessible, his passion for fieldwork, and explains why he has barnacles growing in...

In this special episode of The Microscopists , we're joined by three passionate voices who share their personal experiences with perimenopause and menopause. They share personal stories of navigating the significant—yet often invisible—changes to their bodies and mental wellbeing, and discuss how these impacted their careers and daily lives. By opening up about the symptoms, and how long it took t...

This time on The Microscopists, we're joined by Christophe Leterrier , team leader at NeuroCyto in Marseille and director of a Nikon Center of Excellence for super-resolution microscopy. Christophe reflects on the make-or-break moment at the end of his postdoc, when he came close to leaving academia before securing his CNRS position, and how that experience now shapes the way he mentors others. He...

We're thrilled to bring you the latest episode of The Microscopists , this time featuring Robert Haase , Lecturer and Training Coordinator at Leipzig University. In this episode, Robert chats about the challenges of creating AI-relevant courses for bioimage analysis—a field that evolves at lightning speed. He also gives his insights into the impact AI is having on bioimaging, something he has a un...

This time on The Microscopists , we're thrilled to have Maddy Parsons , Professor of Cell Biology and Director of the Nikon Imaging Centre at King's College London, as our special guest. Maddy reflects on the dynamic nature of bioimaging in the UK and the importance of creating supportive imaging communities, which she believes generates impact. She also chats about her passions outside of work, i...

#84 — Louise Cole is MIF Director and Associate Professor of the Australian Institute for Microbiology and Infection at the University of Technology Sydney. In this episode of The Microscopists, Louise joins Peter O’Toole to discuss trashy TV, travel, and microscopy-themed bake-offs. She also shares her experience of hitting the glass ceiling, how it affected her, and what she did about it. Watch...

#83 — Anna Schueth is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Health, Medicine, and Life Sciences at Maastricht University. In this episode of The Microscopists , Anna joins Peter O'Toole to discuss starting her academic group despite personal and financial setbacks. They chat about championing women in STEM, how she expresses herself with cool tattoos, and finding a path through serious mental h...

#82 — In this special episode, our host, Peter O'Toole, and a panel of guests discuss mental health and its impact by sharing their struggles and victories. Beth Cimini opens up about her struggle with guilt and making peace with seeking help, even turning to medication to be the best version of herself Kedar Narayan shares his battle with depression stemming from childhood pressures and academic...

#81 — Ilaria Testa is an Associate Professor in the Science for Life Laboratory at Karolinska Institutet Science Park . In this episode of The Microscopists , Ilaria joins Peter O'Toole for a candid chat about the challenges and triumphs of grant writing and balancing family life with groundbreaking science. She also talks about her love for Magritte's paintings because they challenge our percepti...

#80 — Ammasi Periasamy is a Professor and Director of Keck Center for Cellular Imaging at the University of Virginia. In this episode of The Microscopists , Ammasi joins Peter O’Toole to discuss pioneering metabolic imaging techniques and growing up in a small farming village. They also chat about Ammasi's transition from India to the US, the foundations of the Keck Center, cooking, and cheering o...

#79 — Michael Dustin is a Kennedy Trust Professor of Molecular Immunology and Director of Research at the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology at the University of Oxford. In this episode of The Microscopists , Michael joins Peter O’Toole to discuss how changing the way you pitch grant applications influences how well they are received and how antibodies got their naming convention. They also chat ab...

#78 — Erin Tranfield is Head of the VIB Bioimaging Core , Ghent. In this episode of The Microscopists , Erin joins Peter O’Toole to discuss her inspirational contribution to microscopy despite enormous personal challenges. She also chats about her time at NASA, her mum's career advice, the exotic countries she has worked in, and lunar dust. Watch or listen to all episodes of The Microscopists : ht...

#77 — Kelly Vere is the University Director of Technical Strategy at the University of Nottingham . In this episode of The Microscopists , Kelly joins Peter O’Toole to discuss funding her degree by working as a Junior Medical Technician with no science A Levels. They also chat about the amazing work Kelly has done to champion the work of technicians in education and get their contributions interna...

#75 — In this episode, Peter O'Toole hosts an entertaining panel discussion with former members of his lab group who have gone on to pursue non-academic science careers. His guests are: • Lotta Katriina Räty , Senior Marketing Manager at Miltenyi Biotec. • Rakesh Suman , Innovation Development Officer at the University of Leeds. • Richard Kasprowicz , Investigator and GSK Associate Fellow at Glaxo...

#75 — Graham Wright is the Director of the Research Support Centre at A*STAR Agency for Science, Technology and Research . In this episode of The Microscopists , Graham joins Peter O’Toole to discuss his motives for switching from research to running a core facility. They also chat about his exciting move from the UK to Singapore and how he manages his hobbies and family between the two countries....

#74 — Julia Fernandez-Rodriguez is the Head of the Centre for Cellular Imaging Core Facility, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and President of the Core Technologies for Life Sciences (CTLS) Association. In this episode of The Microscopists , Julia joins Peter O’Toole to discuss the role of the CTLS. They also chat about why you shouldn't let the doubters get in the way of how you want to work, w...

#73 — John Eriksson is the Director General of Euro-BioImaging . In this episode of The Microscopists , John joins Peter O’Toole to discuss how he fell in love with microscopy and shares some beautiful images from his early career. They also chat about his favorite cities, his liter of tea in the mornings, and Finnish hamburgers. Watch or listen to all episodes of The Microscopists : http://themic...

#72 — Paul Verkade is a Professor of Bioimaging in the School of Biochemistry at the University of Bristol. In this episode of The Microscopists , Paul joins Peter O’Toole to discuss his inspirations and involvement in developing correlative light and electron micropy (CLEM). He also chats about co-establishing the Wolfson Bioimaging Facility and his favorite Christmas movies. Watch or listen to a...

#71 — Timo Zimmermann is Team Leader in Light and Microscopy Service and Development at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Imaging Centre. In this episode of The Microscopists, Timo joins Peter O’Toole to discuss how the microscopy courses they have attended changed their career paths. They also chat about Timo's stunning recent 3D renderings using data he collected in 1996 and how S...

#70 — In this special panel discussion, Peter O'Toole is joined by members of the Network of European Bioimage Analysts (NEUBIAS), including: • Elnaz Fazeli , Imaging Specialist in the Department of Anatomy at the University of Helsinki. • Kota Miura, freelance image analyst and Vice Chair of NEUBIAS. • Robert Haase , Group Leader in Bio-image Analysis Technology Development in the DFG Cluster of...