The Bioscopy Conference 2026 will be held at UiT The Arctic University of Norway in beautiful Tromsø from 15 to 17 June.

Organized by young researchers for young researchers

Sign up and submit the abstract here!

Registration

Conference Registration Link

Important dates

  • Submission Deadline: 1 March
  • Extended Deadline: 31 March
  • Free Registration (for accepted abstracts): 31 March
  • Author Notification: 7 April
  • Early-Bird Registration: 10 April
  • Registration Closes: 25 April
  • Conference: 15-17 June

Scope

This conference fosters interdisciplinary dialogue between Life Sciences and Advanced Imaging. It brings together inter-, multi-, and trans-disciplinary research on biological measurements. Above all, we are fueled by curiosity. We invite you to share your authentic research journeys — the successes, setbacks, and the invaluable insights derived from them.

We favor submissions bridging biology and imaging/analytical expertise. Beyond successes, we welcome insights from unsuccessful paths or ‘negative’ results as they provide invaluable lessons within the authentic research journey. Example themes include, but are not limited to:

Biological

  • Fundamental Life Sciences: Cell Biology, Microbiology & Immunology
  • Biomedicine & Biotechnology: Drug discovery, innovation & Bio-assays
  • Translational & Clinical Research: From bench to bedside

Imaging & Analytical

  • Advanced Imaging & Microscopy: Hardware, probes & novel modalities
  • AI & Computational Biology: Machine learning, image analysis & biosignals
  • Multi-omics & Quantitative Biology: Transcriptomics, Proteomics & Spatial technologies

We encourage negative results with important insights.

Program Overview

This interdisciplinary conference features panels, keynotes, workshops, and exhibitions. An overview of the program is given below. This is a preliminary overview, subject to changes. A preliminary schedule will soon be released.

Conference Topics

🔬 Optical Instrumentation: Can we image calcium spikes without bleaching the sample?

🧪 Molecular Probes & Labeling: What probe chemistry enables single-molecule tracking in living tissue?

🧭 Advanced Imaging Modalities: How do we push resolution without sacrificing cell viability?

🤖 AI & Computational Methods: Can physics-informed networks recover signal from noisy live-cell data?

🗺️ Spatial Biology & Multi-omics: How do we align spatial transcriptomics with high-resolution microscopy?

🔄 Cellular & Molecular Dynamics: What physical forces govern viral entry and immune cell migration?

🫀 In Vivo & Tissue-Scale Imaging: How do we maintain signal fidelity while imaging deep into living tissue?

Panel Discussion

Bridging the Gap between Biologists and Physicists

This panel is led by young researchers, offering fresh perspectives on how to connect two scientific cultures. Senior researchers are warmly welcomed to join the conversation on the following themes:

The Knowledge Barrier: Physicists seek precision, biologists seek function. How do we speak the same scientific language?

Co-development: Why settle for off-the-shelf tools when breakthrough science often requires customized engineering?

Future Talents: The coding biologist or the bio-literate physicist — who represents the future of bioscopy?

Keynotes

The following keynote themes represent the core directions of the conference. Final talk titles and speakers will be announced as the program is finalized.

Advanced Imaging & Microscopy: Engineering new windows into living systems.

Quantitative Biology: When mathematics and physics meet biological complexity.

Translational & Clinical Research: From imaging bench to patient bedside.

The Future of Bioimaging: Where instrumentation meets biology — and where you come in.

Workshops

The following workshops focus on practical skills, creative thinking, and peer‑to‑peer learning.

Advanced Image Analysis: Hands-on methods for extracting meaningful insights from complex datasets.

3D/4D Bioimage Informatics: Visualization & Quantitative Analysis – Tools and workflows for exploring multidimensional imaging data.

The Art of Scientific Storytelling: Strategies for communicating research with clarity, impact, and authenticity.

Additional researcher-led workshops will be announced as planning progresses.

Innovation Workshops

The Innovation Workshops are built on a researcher-for-researcher spirit, where early-career scientists learn directly from peers and practitioners.

Confirmed Partner: AccuRIte – Calibration slides for label-free microscopy

Additional research and industry partners will be announced soon.

Invited speakers

Colin J. R. Sheppard

University of New South Wales

Colin J. R. Sheppard is currently an Honorary Professor at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). His research focuses on optics, microscopy, and imaging. His career includes senior roles at the Italian Institute of Technology, and professorships at the National University of Singapore and the University of Sydney, alongside a long-standing fellowship at Oxford University. His professional service includes roles as president of the International Society for Optics Within Life Sciences (OWLS) and vice-president of the International Commission for Optics (ICO). Sheppard has received prestigious honors including the Alexander von Humboldt Research Award and the Institute of Physics Optics and Photonics Division Prize.

Karen Kristine Sørensen

UiT The Arctic University of Norway

Professor Karen Kristine Sørensen, DVM, PhD, is the Head of the Vascular Biology Research Group (VBRG) at the Department of Medical Biology, UiT. Her research focuses on Liver Sinusoidal Endothelial Cell (LSEC) biology, with a particular emphasis on their scavenger function in health and disease. She investigates the role of liver sinusoidal cells in virus elimination, and her work also includes comparative aspects of scavenger endothelial cell biology. In addition to her research, Professor Sørensen is an active educator, teaching medicine, odontology, and biomedicine students. Her teaching expertise includes cell biology, physiology, histology, and electron microscopy.

Peter Török

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Peter Török is Professor of Optical Physics at NTU with joint appointments in Physics and Applied Physics, the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, and  the Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCLESE), where he also serves as Director of Imaging. He founded and directs the NTU Optical Bioimaging Centre (NOBIC) and served as CoDirector of the Research Centre of Excellence, IDMxS. He is also an awardwinning educator and Fellow of the European Optical Society. His research spans optical design, electromagnetic imaging theory, confocal and compressive imaging, and spectroscopic modalities, with strong interdisciplinary applications in life and biomedical sciences. 

Matteo Bregonzio

81Watts – Multidisciplinary Science at Scale

Matteo Bregonzio is the Founder and CTO of 81Watts with over 15 years of experience in AI-driven engineering and management. His career includes serving as CTO at Datrix, where he oversaw R&D strategies, cybersecurity, and the commercialization of AI research. Previously, he worked as a Financial OTC Analyst at BNP Paribas CIB and Barclays, focusing on fixed-income products and technical process optimization. He specializes in AI deployment, containerized CI/CD, and Agile team leadership, focusing on aligning software engineering and deep-tech roadmaps with business and regulatory requirements.

Ai Ping Yow

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Ai Ping Yow is a Senior Research Engineer at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Her research focuses on developing AI-driven diagnostic and disease management tools for ocular and dermatological conditions, with particular expertise in medical image analysis and quantitative imaging biomarkers. Her works have led to multiple patents in medical image analysis and vascular detection technologies. Currently in the final year of her Ph.D., Ai Ping is extending her AI expertise into optical engineering, applying machine learning techniques to the design of microscope objective lenses. Her interdisciplinary research portfolio, spanning biomedical imaging and optical engineering, reflects her trajectory as a promising scientist contributing to next-generation diagnostic and imaging technologies.

Florian Ströhl

UiT The Arctic University of Norway

Dr Ströhl is a research professor in the photonics group at UiT. He obtained his PhD in Biotechnology from Cambridge University before becoming a Marie-Curie Fellow in Tromsø. Since then, he has worked on optical system development, production of optic elements, photolithography, optical theory, nanoscopy for use in pathology, mechanosensitive microscopy development, and volumetric imaging. Currently, his focus is split between an RCN-funded FRIPRO project on lightsheet microscopy development and an ERC Starting Grant in which he is exploring mechanosensitive microscopy in regenerative medicine. He is a strong advocate of open science and engages in educational outreach through video content.

Marti Duocastella Sola

Universitat de Barcelona

Martí Duocastella is a full professor in the Department of Applied Physics, Universitat de Barcelona (UB) and a deputy director of the Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB). He obtained his PhD in physics from the UB, followed by postdoctoral research at the Princeton University, and later served as a senior researcher at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia. His research focuses on developing novel optical methods for three-dimensional light engineering, with applications in material science, sensing, and biology. He is the founder of SynPix SL and an ERC awardee.

Peter McCourt

UiT The Arctic University of Norway

Peter McCourt is a researcher specializing in liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSEC) and their role in clearing connective tissue waste molecules from circulation. He also investigates bone tissue waste molecules from circulation. He also investigates bone marrow sinusoidal endothelial cells (BMSEC) in transplant-related studies with collaborators in Melbourne, and examines how ageing alters LSEC morphology in partnership with the ANZAC Research Institute in Sydney. Using electron microscopy and superresolution methods (SIM and dSTORM), he analyses LSEC fenestrations throughout the ageing process. He is actively engaged in teaching Biochemistry to Medical Laboratory Science and Dental Nursing students, and in supervising MSc and PhD candidates across vascular biology research.

Dilip K. Prasad

UiT The Arctic University of Norway

Dilip K. Prasad is a professor at Department of Computer Science. He was a senior research fellow at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore from 2015-2019 and research Fellow at National University of Singapore from 2012-2015. Prior to Ph.D, he worked for 5 years with IBM, Infosys, Mediatek and Philips. He was selected as fellow for Kauffman Global Scholarship in 2011, in which he was trained in entrepreneurship at Harvard University, MIT, Stanford University and Kauffman Foundation. He is a co-author of book titled “Interpretability in Deep Learning”, Springer, 2023. He has secured research and innovation grant from EU, RCN as a PI/co-PI of about ~28 million Euros. He has published 160+ internationally peer-reviewed research articles and patents. His research interests include image processing, pattern recognition and artificial intelligence. He is founder of Spermotile and Finiac.

Organizers

The Bioscopy Conference is organized by young researchers at UiT The Arctic University of Norway. The organization committee consists of:

Yi Huang

Ph.D. Student

Mireia Nager

Researcher/Senior Engineer

Rohit Agrwal

Researcher

Advisory Panel

The organization of this conference is advised by professors and senior researchers at UiT The Arctic University of Norway. The Advisor panel consists of:

Krishna Agarwal

Professor

Åsa Birna Birgisdottir

Associate professor

Biswajoy Ghosh

Researcher

Komal Agarwal

Researcher

Discover Tromsø – Where Science Meets the Arctic

Located at 69° North, Tromsø is a vibrant Arctic city of approximately 80,000 residents — a place where dramatic landscapes, rich culture, and unforgettable natural phenomena come together. Often called the Gateway to the Arctic, Tromsø is world-famous for the aurora borealis, drawing visitors from across the globe each year to witness the northern lights dancing across the polar sky.

During the Bioscopy Conference in June, you will instead experience another extraordinary Arctic phenomenon: the Midnight Sun. From late May to July, the sun never sets — bathing the city in golden light around the clock. This rare experience is possible only north of the Arctic Circle (and south of the Antarctic Circle), making your conference visit scientifically inspiring and naturally spectacular.

Midnight Sun Marathon: A unique experience

On 20 June, just after the conference, Tromsø hosts the world-renowned Midnight Sun Marathon — a truly unforgettable race under the never-setting sun. Whether you run or cheer from the sidelines, it’s an experience worth planning for. You can find more information here.

cc: Zoltan Tot

When visiting Tromsø, you’ll find plenty to explore — from scenic hikes in the surrounding mountains and breathtaking Arctic landscapes to engaging museums, local boutiques, and a vibrant cultural scene. Please have a look here to find your next adventure! Also check out the beautiful restaurants, cafés, and nightlife in Tromsø.

Sponsors

We are accepting sponsorships. For interest, please contact us at bioscopy@uit.no.

Code of Conduct

Bioscopy Conference is committed to providing a respectful, inclusive, and harassment-free environment that promotes open scientific exchange. All participants, including attendees, speakers, sponsors, and organisers, are expected to behave professionally and treat others with respect. Bullying, discrimination, harassment (including sexual harassment), intimidation, and retaliation of any kind will not be tolerated. Constructive scientific discussion is encouraged, but personal attacks or inappropriate behaviour are unacceptable. If you experience or witness inappropriate behaviour, please report it to the conference organisers. All reports will be handled seriously and confidentially. The Bioscopy organising committee reserves the right to take appropriate action in response to violations, including removal from the conference. By attending the Bioscopy Conference, participants agree to follow this Code of Conduct and help maintain a positive scientific environment.

Contact

For questions or inquiries, please contact us at bioscopy@uit.no.