Our People
Our multidisciplinary team comprises researchers and professional staff with expertise in various imaging techniques. We provide equipment training and offer advice on project planning, basic and advanced microscopy techniques and digital image analysis.
Chad Johnson - Optical Microscopy and Image Specialist
Chad Johnson completed a master’s degree at Massey University (NZ) studying the effects of nuclear weapon radiation on New Zealand Naval Veterans. After graduating, he worked in the field of cytoskeleton and mitochondrial dynamics studying the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, after taking an interest in Microscopy he started working in the university's optical facility in 2004.
After leaving New Zealand in 2008, Chad has been employed at several other facilities at Monash University, Oxford University, Peter Macallum Cancer Centre, and Alfred Research Alliance. The variety of research programs at each location has allowed him to gain experience in many microscopy techniques over this time. In 2021, he was appointed as the manager of optical microscopy capabilities at the La Trobe University Bioimaging Platform.
Chad has also become an expert in the field of image analysis and is proficient in the use of several software packages such as ImageJ, Imaris, and QuPath. He has also developed his programming skills to create bespoke automated scripts to allow researchers to mine data in more efficient ways.
Dr Boyin Liu - Electron Microscopist
Boyin obtained his PhD in Engineering before completing a post-doctoral role at Bio21 focusing on understanding the ultrastructures of malaria parasites using electron and optical microscopy. Boyin most recently worked at Thermo Fisher Scientific as the application specialist for electron microscopy across the Asia-Pacific region.
Boyin has a wealth of experience in the use of a range of electron imaging instruments and their applications across diverse disciplines.
Dr Jacqueline Orian - Histology Specialist
E: j.orian@latrobe.edu.au, Profile: La Trobe Scholar
Jacqueline Orian completed a PhD at Monash University and post-doctoral fellowships at The University of Melbourne and Imperial College (UK) where she developed her interest in myelin biology. She then joined La Trobe University and was appointed head of the Neuroimmunology group in 2005, to focus on neuroinflammation and multiple sclerosis (MS).
Jacquie's current major research areas include the elucidation of mechanisms underlying neuronal loss and the effects of neuroinflammation on emotional behavior, using the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model. Recently, she identified platelets as key players in the development of neuroinflammation and demonstrated the efficacy of platelet targeting on modification of disease course and on anxiety-like behavior. An additional major interest of the group is the pre-clinical evaluation of candidate MS therapeutics.
Dr Margaret Veale - Flow Cytometry Specialist
Margaret obtained her PhD from the University of Sydney and completed postdoctoral studies at the Dana Faber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston and The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Department of Immunology, Melbourne. She has many years of research experience in flow cytometry and facility management, including in industry.
She is responsible for providing expertise, training and advice for the operation of flow cytometers, including sample preparation, experimental design and support for flow cytometry analysis.
Professor Ivan Poon - Director, Bioimaging Platform
E: i.poon@latrobe.edu.au, Profile: La Trobe Scholar, Google Scholar
Prof Ivan Poon completed his PhD at the John Curtin School of Medical Research (Australian National University) and joined La Trobe University in 2009 as a Postdoctoral Fellow. In 2011, he joined the Center for Cell Clearance (University of Virginia) as a visiting Assistant Professor and returned to La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science in 2014 to establish his independent laboratory. Prof Poon is currently a NHMRC L1 Investigator Fellow, Director of the Bioimaging Platform and Director of the Research Centre for Extracellular Vesicles.
Prof Poon’s laboratory (Apoptotic Cell Disassembly and Clearance laboratory) studies how and why dying cells fragment into smaller particles during apoptosis. Prof Poon’s team has defined (i) key aspects in the molecular machinery that regulate this disassembly process during cell death, (ii) the importance of this process in disease settings, and (iii) identified novel drugs that target this process.