
Current Members

Prof. Dr. Jan Huisken
Principal Investigator
Georg-August-University Göttingen, Germany
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Jan is an Alexander von Humboldt Professor and head of the Multiscale Biology lab at the University of Göttingen. He co-invented light sheet microscopy and has pioneered quantitative imaging approaches in developmental biology. Besides pushing the technology and enabling novel biological applications, he works to make the technology accessible to everyone interested.





Dr. Michael Weber
Research Associate
Georg-August-University Göttingen, Germany
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Michael has an extensive background in biological light microscopy applications and likes to work at the intersection of biology and technology development. He supervises the evolution of the Flamingo and is eager to help other scientists record the best possible image data from their samples.






Joe Li
Engineering
Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, WI, USA
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Joe works as an engineer in Jan Huisken’s lab at the Morgridge Institute for Research. He designs and builds custom electronics and powerful software for the Flamingo.



Dr. Kurt Weiss
Consulting Assistant Scientist
Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, WI, USA
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Kurt was a consulting assistant scientist in Jan Huisken’s lab at the Morgridge Institute for Research. He coordinated and supported local imaging projects with Flamingo microscopes. Now, he is the director of the Biochemistry Optical Core (BOC) at the University of Madison and still entertains some collaborations in Madison and supports our efforts in Göttingen.





Dr. Mostafa Aakhte
Postdoc
Georg-August-University Göttingen, Germany
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Mostafa is interested in enhancing the resolution and speed of microscopes using a combination of novel optical techniques and smart computer-based methods. He is currently working on a high resolution cleared tissue light sheet based on the Flamingo platform.




Dr. Mette Handberg-Thorsager
Senior Postdoc
Georg-August-University Göttingen, Germany
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Mette has extensive experience working with non-model laboratory organisms such as planarians and ragworms. Fascinated by the dynamic cellular and biophysical processes during development, Mette wants to use the Flamingo microscope and the physics expertise in the Huisken lab to investigate animal body plan formation. Specifically, she wants to understand symmetry breaking events during body plan formation in the ragworm. Second, through a comparative approach, she wants to study how cleavage patterns and cell lineages develop over evolutionary time, focusing on animals with spiralian development (e.g. annelids and molluscs).





Dr. Torben Göpel
Postdoc
Georg-August-University Göttingen, Germany
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Torben is interested in the evolutionary morphology of circulatory systems in invertebrates and passionate about imaging techniques. He wants to use the Flamingo to gain novel insights into development and evolution of cardiovascular systems.




Gesine Müller
PhD Student
Georg-August-University Göttingen, Germany
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Gesine is a PhD student at Jan Huisken’s lab at the University of Göttingen and is interested in making microscopes smarter and thus, to acquire the ‘best’ dataset possible in an more automated and adaptive way. She is also collaborating with Nico Scherf from the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences.



Paul Maier
Master Student
Georg-August-University Göttingen, Germany
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Paul


Tabea Quilitz
Master Student
Georg-August-University Göttingen, Germany
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Tabea’s academic background lies in the field of biomedicine, where she developed a great interest in imaging techniques. Taking advantage of the interdisciplinary expertise in the Huisken Lab, her work will be situated at the intersection of biology and physics, with an emphasis on optical development.

Beke Lohmann
Master Student
Georg-August-University Göttingen, Germany
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Marie Kater
Bachelor Student
Georg-August-University Göttingen, Germany
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Throughout her undergraduate studies, Marie developed a great interest in early cellular development and imaging. During her time at Jan Huisken’s lab, she will focus on tracing the development of neurons in the annelid Platynereis dumerlii, with the help and under the supervision of Mette.

Darren Oram
Assistant
Georg-August-University Göttingen, Germany
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Darren is a trained legal and notary assistant and has been working at the University Medical Center in Göttingen before joining Jan Huisken’s lab. He is as an assistant to Jan and the team and sees to the administrative side of the lab and keeps track of finances.


Alumni














Sophie Haselhorst
Master Student
Georg-August-University Göttingen, Germany
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Dr. Pamela Mena
Visiting Scientist
Universidad Mayor, Chile
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Pamela


Alyssa Graves
Assistant
Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, WI, USA
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Alyssa was a research assistant in Jan Huisken’s lab at the Morgridge Institute for Research. She supported local imaging projects and tested new Flamingo microscopes.



Todd Bakken
Prototyping Engineer
Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, WI, USA
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Todd was an advanced prototyping engineer in Jan Huisken’s lab at the Morgridge Institute for Research. He developed custom parts that make the Flamingo compact and modular.




Dr. Rory Power
Optics Developer
Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, WI, USA
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Rory worked in Jan Huisken’s lab at the Morgridge Institute for Research, developing the next generation of optical imaging technology. He developed modular and compact optics for the Flamingo.




Henry He
PhD Student
Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, WI, USA

Madelyn Neufeld
Artist
Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, WI, USA

Jacky Whisenant
Artist
Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, WI, USA
more former lab members will be added soon…