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Dr Periklis (Laki) Pantazis
Reader in Advanced Optical Precision Imaging
Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award Holder
Director Imperial College London and LEICA Microsystems Imaging Hub
I enjoy being able to see the processes of life unfold in real time. Much like a painting, sculpture, building or another form of art, it empowers us, as an audience, to understand and emphasise with the subject matter. Developing imaging methods across the full scale of biological organisation allows us to consciously and mindfully consume the inner workings of biology, from proteins to whole organisms.
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Postdoctoral Scholars
Dr Ferdinando Sereno
Postdoctoral Scholar
Imperial College London
Dr Ferdinando Sereno's work focuses on the engineering and characterisation of protein-based nanocompartments, and their novel applications to different fields.
He completed his EngD in Biochemical Engineering at UCL, where he developed scalable bioprocesses for encapsulin production and engineered encapsulin-based platforms for RNA delivery. His broader research interests span biomolecular engineering, synthetic biology, and bioprocessing.
He is particularly motivated by the challenge of translating fundamental biomolecular design into practical tools for imaging.
Dr Larry O'Connell
Postdoctoral Scholar
Imperial College London
Dr Larry O'Connell is developing breakthrough cancer diagnostic technology that combines Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) biosensors with novel bioharmonophore nanoprobes to detect cancer biomarkers at unprecedented sensitivity levels. This innovative approach could revolutionise early cancer detection by identifying ctDNA and other critical biomarkers at extremely low concentrations while delivering results in minutes rather than weeks. Larry brings expertise in biosensor development and microfluidics from his PhD work.
Visiting Research Fellows
Dr Konstantinos Kalyviotis
Visiting Research Fellow
Imperial College London
The intricacy of developmental processes has been getting me mesmerised throughout the years of my undergraduate studies. The innovative progress in top-notch precision live imaging techniques lights greatly the complex processes of development and disease. Revealing in depth the nature of living demands thinking with the eyes and seeing with the brain, as Daniel Mazia has suggested. But, of course, that’s the beauty and the challenge of this enchanting field.
PhD Students
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Dorian Puzovic
MB/PhD Student
Imperial College London
I study how tumour cells sense and exploit mechanical cues through Piezo1, a force-gated calcium channel linked to cancer progression. By mapping the Piezo1 interactome in breast-cancer–relevant contexts, my goal is to uncover cancer-specific, therapeutically actionable proteins.
My project brings together functional proteomics and live-cell bioimaging: I combine affinity-purification mass spectrometry with real-time imaging of Piezo1 activity using GenEPi, alongside controlled mechanical microenvironments. By linking what Piezo1 does (signalling) to who it works with (protein partners), I hope to turn mechanosensing into a vulnerability in tumours that overexpress Piezo1.
Maja Witowska
PhD Student
Imperial College London
The complexity of type 1 diabetes (T1D) pathology requires a research model that combines the immune, pancreatic, and vascular components. By developing this co-culture on a chip, we can try to uncover factors influencing autoreactive cell extravasation into the pancreatic islets. Combining the immunological experience from my MSc at the University of Oxford and my work at Novo Nordisk with the expertise in advanced imaging techniques from the Pantazis lab, I hope to find ways to limit beta cell death and treat T1D symptoms.
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Margaret Gheorghita
PhD Student
Imperial College London
I am a PhD student working on adapting biodegradable, light-responsive nanoprobes to make cancer treatment safer and more precise. By pairing second harmonic generation bioharmonophores with photosensitising drugs and targeted light delivery, my work aims to create a therapy which can be controlled in both space and time, localising cytotoxic effects and reducing damage to healthy tissue. I am motivated by the potential of truly biodegradable materials and optical control to improve the clinical impact of nanomedicine and photodynamic therapy.
Julian Boecker
MB/PhD Student
Imperial College London
Metastatic breast cancer is currently incurable due to the near inevitability that some cancer cells will become resistant during the course of treatment. As an aspiring oncologist, I am interested in how competitive interactions between cancerous and healthy cells shape tumour growth and resistance. Using advanced cell labelling and tracking techniques as well as cutting-edge microscopy, I aim to catch malignant cells in the act of killing their peaceful neighbours. Hopefully, insights into this process will expose cancer’s set of tricks and reveal potential vulnerabilities that can be exploited to drive complete responses to treatment in more women.
Master Students
Angie Tsai
MEng Student
Imperial College London
Keerati Eamsawat
MEng Student
Imperial College London
Haotong Xiong
MEng Student
Imperial College London
Moments
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