Bioscopy Conference

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.

Krishna Agarwal is a Professor in the Department of Physics and Technology at UiT The Arctic University of Norway and serves as an Associate Editor for IEEE TGRS. She leads several high-profile EU and RCN projects as a Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator, including the FET Open RIA project OrganVision, the EIC Transition project Spemotile, and the international collaboration Bioscopy (funded by INCP2 and HKDIR). Deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of scientists, she actively supports initiatives led by young researchers, such as the Cymoplive and MarGel projects supported by UiT and MABIT. Her current research interests focus on computational nanoscopy, super-resolution imaging, and inverse problems.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Åsa B. Birgisdottir is an Associate Professor and Head of the Cardiovascular Research Group at the Department of Clinical Medicine. She leads the group’s experimental molecular biology activities. Her research aims to uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying cardiovascular diseases, with a current focus on advanced imaging of mitochondria quality control in cardiac cells. A key highlight of her work is the establishment of human Engineered Heart Tissue (EHT) using iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes as a robust 3D model for investigating disease relevant mechanisms in the human heart.

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.

Dr. Dipanjan Bhattacharya is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Southampton. An expert in biophysics, quantitative image analysis and development of innovative microscopy techniques for biological applications. He spearheads several major multidisciplinary and international consortia. He leads a work package in the TIQBio partnership project, focused on developing label-free techniques for drug discovery through 3D imaging and high-end automated computational image analysis. Dr. Bhattacharya coordinates research across multiple European nations focused on real-time engineered heart tissue (EHT) imaging to advance understanding of cardiovascular disease and recovery. He is a principal investigator and a work-package leader from the University of Southampton in the EU-funded OrganVision consortium project and the recently awarded EU-funded HeartVision consortium project. He is also developing advanced computational imaging methodologies for resolution enhancement and deeper tissue penetration in multiphoton autofluorescence imaging, coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS), and second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy, with applications toward understanding neurodegenerative diseases. His distinguished career includes research and leadership roles at SMART Singapore, IFOM Milan, and MIT, where he pioneered innovative imaging architectures for cancer biology and mechanobiology.