NUANCE Center & MSA Student Council Presents
Women in Microscopy Conference2025 Featured Speakers
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
1:40 PM (CST)
Dr. Michelle Thompson
Associate Professor, Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences; Purdue University
“From Atomic Sales to Asteroid Surfaces: Analyzing Samples Returned from across the Solar System with Electron Microscopy”
Dr. Michelle Thompson specializes in planetary geology and cosmochemistry. Her research focuses on understanding the effects of space weathering processes on airless planetary bodies, such as the Moon and asteroids, by analyzing returned samples and analog materials. Through advanced transmission electron microscopy techniques, she investigates the mineralogical and chemical changes caused by interactions with the space environment, shedding light on the evolution of planetary surfaces. Her work is directly applicable to samples returned by the Apollo, Hayabusa, Hayabusa2, and OSIRIS-REx missions.
RESEARCH TALKS
Research Talks begin at 2:35 PM (CST)
Biological Science Talks
Alexandra Pipinos, MS Microbiology Student
University of Delaware
Talk Title: Unveiling Ergothioneine Biosynthesis in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) M145 with Triticum aestivum Inoculation
Chathuddasie Amarasinghe, PhD Candidate
University of Tennessee
Talk Title: The Role of Non-Equilibrium Ribosomal Dynamics in Facilitating Nucleoid Separation
Madison Ammon, Graduate Student
The Ohio State University
Talk Title: Correlating MINFLUX nanoscopy with single channel and nanoscale patch clamp reveals unanticipated cooperative gating of cardiac sodium channels
Aikaterini Filopoulou, PhD Student
FZJ Germany
Talk Title: Cryo-STEM of biological macromolecules: visualization by integrated differential phase contrast (iDPC)
Physical Science Talks
Megha Chacko Kachappilly, PhD Student
Trinity College Dublin
Talk Title:A New Low-Cost High-Speed Electron Detector for 4D STEM Measurements
Paria Gharavi, Assistant Professor
University of Central Florida
Talk Title: Interfacial Mechanisms Enhancing Electrical Breakdown Strength in Ferroelectric Thin Films: Insights from 4D STEM Analysis
Amy McKeown-Green, PhD Student
Stanford University
Talk Title: Revealing structural and optical changes of ammonia-catalysts under realistic reactor conditions via in-situ electron microscopy
Madeline Meier, Postdoctoral Fellow
Northwestern University Center for Scientific Studies in the Arts
Talk Title: Recent Applications and Challenges of Microscopy and Spectroscopy in Cultural Heritage
PANEL DISCUSSIONS
Panel Discussions begin at 3:30 PM (CST)
Illuminating Your Path: A Conversation on Career Journey
Katherine Jungjohann
Analytical Microscopy and Imaging Sciences Group Manager
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Sonika Robertson
Mountain States Territory Sales Manager
Oxford Instruments Materials Analysis
Isabel Burgos
Full Service Microscope Engineer
Nanographs
Liz Griffin - Moderator
Committee Member / MSA Council Member
Creating Opportunities for All: Allyship, Outreach, and Accessibility Across Borders
Suzana Peripolli
Adjunct Professor in Department of Mechanical Engineering
Rio de Janeiro State University
Jennifer DiStefano
Director of Technology
Natural Resource Defense Council Industrial Division
Lori Harvey
Senior Manager STEM Outreach
Hitachi High-Tech America
Daniela Fonseca - Moderator
MSA StC Postdoc Sub-Committee Member
Level Up Your Data Toolkit: Management to Visualization
Tobin Magle
Lead Data Management Specialist
Northwestern University
Rengasayee Veeraraghavan
Assoc. Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Ohio State University
Colby Witherup
Data Science, Statistics, & Visualization Manager
Northwetsern University
Ece Gunay - Moderator
MSA Council Member / PhD Student
Carnegie Mellon University