I am an experimental physicist / biophysicist interested in all aspects of optical microscopy. I obtained my PhD in Physics in 2008 from King’s College London, UK, in developing the (at the time novel) Structured Illumination Microscopy (SIM) super-resolution technique. I then held several postdoctoral positions at the University of Melbourne, Australia, and King’s College London, UK, where I continued to develop novel super-resolution and time-resolved fluorescence microscopy methods, and gained extensive experience in a broad range of optical microscopy techniques (including multiphoton, TIRF, lightsheet and atomic force microscopy, various super-resolution methods and fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM)).

I joined the Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis (CMCA) at UWA in 2019 as a lecturer and leader of the Optical Microscopy platform. I oversee all CMCA Optical Microscopy equipment and provide training and ongoing support to the users of the Optical Microscopy platform.

I am interested in a large range of optical microscopy techniques, and their applications to many fields of science. While my background is in instrument development, I now work in a core facility where my main focus is to support the users of our (mainly commercially available) microscopes, and therefore my focus has shifted from technique development more towards applications.

I am specifically interested in specialised fluorescence microscopy methods, including super-resolution and lightsheet microscopy, and fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM). I am always happy to try to find novel imaging solutions to problems that require something beyond conventional imaging techniques.

CMCA incorporates many different microscopy and analysis platforms, which enables correlative and multimodal imaging within the same facility. Together with other platforms at CMCA, I am developing correlative and multimodal workflows that combine optical microscopy techniques with other imaging methods, including Electron Microscopy, μCT, and nanoSIMs.

My primary teaching role is to provide training and support for the Optical Microscopy platform users, many of whom are HDR students. I have developed and maintain an online training program for new users of our microscopy equipment, as well as providing practical assistance and support with projects. I also run a microscopy basics and image processing courses that are open to all WA researchers.

Additionally, I contribute to undergraduate teaching units in which light microscopy plays a central role. I am currently teaching part of the SCIE5516 unit (Materials Characterisation for Biomedical Engineering and Synthetic Biology), and have developed confocal & image processing practicals for BMEG5001 unit (Advanced Topics in Biomedical Engineering).

Platform Leader - CMCA Optical Microscopy

WA State Rep - Light Microscopy Australia

WA State Rep - Australia and New Zealand Society for Cell and Developmental Biology (ANZSCDB)