A team dedicated to advancing research

Dylan is an Optical Specialist for the Live Cell Imaging Facility. He spent a decade working in allied health before completed his BSc in Cellular Molecular and Microbial Biology at the University of Calgary in 2021 and proceeded to learn the craft of microscopy. A position in the Laboratory of Dr. Raymond W Turner defined a deeper role for microscopy in answering questions pertaining to the ultrastructure of neuronal cells using superresolution microscopy techniques. In 2024, Dylan switched from user to staff, and has been busy training, supporting, and collaborating with the researchers and visionaries at the Live Cell Imaging Facility.  

Maria Polyak is a Research Scientist at the LCI. Maria develops biological models for imaging applications. She is also a medical researcher with over 20 years of experience investigating the interface between the immune response, and cancer as well as autoimmune (rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis) and infectious disease (HIV/AIDS, malaria, Cryptococcus sp., SARS-CoV2). Her research projects have been primarily aimed at the characterization of known therapeutic protein targets (CD20) or in the identification of putative biomarkers or drug targets (MS4A4A, USP15). Both avenues of experimentation have led to a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying disease. The results from these studies have been published in journals including Blood, Leukemia, and Nature Immunology. 

These publications have been highly cited, and the reported results have contributed to the study and design of better antibody-based therapies as well as of to the development of compounds for treatment of disease. Maria's recent experiences have enhanced her understanding of CAR cell therapy as well as the use of organoids in the study of disease. Her career aim is to contribute towards the understanding the pathogenesis of disease, ultimately for development of therapeutics.

Nicholas is the Prototyping Specialist for the Live Cell Imaging Lab within the Snyder Institute at the University of Calgary. He works designing prototypes and solving problems and has a passion for helping others realize their products and ideas. Using his skills in 3D printing and design, he aims to improve the workflow of researchers while helping individuals and businesses transform their ideas into functional prototypes and products.

Nick received his BSc in Health Science in 2020 before receiving his MSc in Biomedical Technology in 2021. During his MSc, he developed a passion for computer-aided design and 3D printing and went on to do a practicum at Exergy Solutions where he used his skills to develop prototypes for medical devices. In his current position, he uses his skills in computer-aided design, 3D printing, and programming to help a broad spectrum of people transform their ideas into reality.

Aysa is a research assistant in the LCI, supporting collaborative projects involving organoid and tissue preparation. She is also pursuing her Master’s degree in the Chun lab, where her research focuses on kidney disease using organoid and patient-derived models. She has hands-on expertise in tissue sectioning, immunohistochemistry (IHC), and confocal microscopy.

Glynnis has a background in Astrophysics and Photography, two fields that sparked her interest in imaging science and the ways we capture and analyze complex visual information. Her early work with telescopes to study distant systems shares a strong conceptual connection with microscopy, where similar optical principles are applied to explore structures at the cellular and subcellular level. Building on this foundation, she transitioned into the field of microscopy, where the intersection of optics, imaging, and research application is central.
Glynnis has recently started her Masters program in quantum mechanics, but she will still be around the LCI occasionally, continuing her work as an Optical Imaging Specialist, helping to manage the microscope systems and train incoming researchers on proper imaging techniques and equipment use. 

Joshua is a Masters student who is co-supervised by Dr. Tim Shutt and Dr. Pina Colarusso. His is working on an open science project focusing on mitochondria imaging. Mitochondrial nucleoids are compact structures that house mitochondrial DNA and play a crucial role in cellular energy regulation. Traditional imaging methods often fall short in labeling all nucleoids or preserving their function during live-cell observation. To overcome these limitations, researchers developed Mito HI-NESS, a genetically encoded probe that specifically targets and visualizes nucleoids without disrupting mitochondrial integrity. Joshua will continuing the work on the Mito HI-NESS project.

Charley is an undergraduate student assistant working with the LCI and Mouse Phenomics laboratories. 

Louis is an undergraduate student completing his PHYS599 senior research thesis in the LCI. His project is part of a community driven effort on benchmarking STED resolution benchmarking using Fourier Ring Correlation.