Since immersing myself in the microscopy and imaging community in 2009, I have mentored numerous master’s and Ph.D. students, organized various activities such as symposia, workshops, and conferences, and played an active role in multiple microscopy and imaging community initiatives in recent years. A selection of my engagements can be found on this page:
QUAREP-LiMi
Since its launch at the beginning of 2020, I am an active member of the Quality Assessment and Reproducibility for Instruments & Images in Light Microscopy (QUAREP-LiMi) initiative. QUAREP-LiMi is an initiative of enthusiastic light microscopists from academia and industry all interested in improving quality assessment (QA) and quality control (QC) in light microscopy [talk by Roland Nitschke]. Within QUAREP-LiMi, I am chairing the White Paper working group, coordinating the input of over 40 core facility leaders and microscopy experts from around the world to communicate the message of QUAREP-LiMi to the stakeholders in the field. Furthermore, I am the Image Quality working group‘s vice-chair, aiming to reach a consensus about image quality parameters with more than 50 experts. Although coordinating such large groups can be quite challenging, the overall goal to establish standards in the field of microscopy and imaging is worth the amount of work.
BioImaging North America (BINA)
BINA is an integrated network of optical imaging scientists, students, and innovators across North America. It aims to bring together the bioimaging community in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. I joined the network to get to know the microscopy community in North America and support its mission to educate, train, and shape core facility trainers and users. Currently, I am supporting its Quality Control and Data Management working group.
German BioImaging
Founded in April 2017, German BioImaging-Gesellschaft für Mikroskopie und Bildanalyse e.V. (GerBI-GMB, Society for Microscopy and Image Analysis) has emerged as the successor of the DFG funded German BioImaging network. The GerBI-GMB Society continues to support microscopists and bioimage analysts throughout Germany. Within GerBI-GMB, I am a member of two working groups: (1) “Image Data Analysis and Data Management” working group and (2) “Training and Knowledge Transfer” working group. Both working groups want to establish common guidelines for imaging facilities in Germany.
Optical Interest Groups
Since 2017, I have co-chaired the Light Microscopy Interest Group (LMIG) at the NIH in Bethesda and Tatiana Karpova, and Christian Combs. The mission of LMIG is to inform the NIH community about cutting-edge research in light fluorescence microscopy and about available resources, both extramural and intramural. It aims to build a bridge between NIH biologists and microscopists.
Since 2019, I am also co-chairing Janelia’s Optical Interest Group (OIG). Together with Chen Wang and Elizabeth Gillette, we organize seminar talks and workshops for Janelians to broaden their optics knowledge base and inform them about cutting-edge research in optical imaging and image analysis and available resources. We want to promote discussion of new ideas and hopefully provide useful insights to Janelians to address and encourage further questions in molecular, cellular, and organism-level biology. Since September, OIG is partnering with EMBL’s Microscopy Optics and Image Analysis Interest Group (MOIA) in a monthly seminar series. The series is open to both institutions, and the presentations will be available to the public afterward.
Labeling & Nanoscopy conference
Since 2016, I am supporting the organization of Stefan Hell’s Labeling and Nanoscopy conference in Heidelberg. The conference is organized every two years for 200 participants to bring together experts in fluorescence and labeling with those designing and applying new far-field optical nanoscopy concepts. Together with Steffen Sahl, I was the lead localhost in 2016. Furthermore, I set up the conference’s social media presence on Twitter and Facebook, and I am still responsible for both platforms. Due to the pandemic, the meeting had to be canceled in 2020.
Focus On Microscopy (FOM) conference
Between 2015 and 2019, I managed the social media presence of the Focus On Microscopy (FOM) conference on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Additionally, in 2015, I was part of the local support team for the conference held in Goettingen, which had 900 participants. In this role, I coordinated 25 local volunteers to ensure the smooth running of the event.
“Optical nanoscopy” platforms
In 2013, I launched the social media “Optical Nanoscopy” platforms on Facebook and Twitter to broaden everyone’s knowledge about imaging, microscopy & superresolution microscopy / optical nanoscopy, and to keep everyone updated about recent research results.
For further information or if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.