Skip to main content

Staff Profile

Dr Alex Laude

Senior Experimental Scientific Officer

  • Email: alex.laude@ncl.ac.uk
  • Telephone: 44 (0) 191 208 4860
  • Address: The BioImaging Unit
    Second Floor William Leech Building
    Medical School
    Framlington Place
    Newcastle
    NE2 4HH
Background

I took up the position of facility manager in Newcastle ten years ago and in doing so my work and interests changed focus from biomedical science to techniques and technologies centred around bio-microscopy.   I draw upon my broad imaging background to advise on experimental design and image analysis.  However, my primary responsibility now is to manage the Faculty’s microscopy facilities this includes overseeing their: maintenance; user training and quality control to ensure that they are fit for purpose.  I have secured over £3.3m investment for the facility and have grown it from two microscopes and two members of staff to now 34 microscope systems spread across three campus locations.  As a facility, we have grown to 6.5 members of staff and now cover a diverse array of imaging techniques and technologies ranging from: high-content imaging through to super resolution and multi-photon small animal microscopy.  The facility has a user-base of over 100 researcher groups and around 450 scientists.  We also provide a microscopy service throughout the campus and regionally to other higher education establishments and SMEs.

Research

Academic Career: As part of my PhD studies I developed a microscope-based laser photoablation system and applied it to investigate calcium signalling dynamics in live cells.  Further postdoctoral research projects have all used microscopy in various forms to image and track cells in both fixed and live environments.  My research has contributed towards publications in the fields of Calcium Signalling, Cancer (RAS proteins) and more recently, microscopy, where I have helped to develop novel fluorescence-based imaging techniques and preparatory methods.

Technical career: As manager of the BioImaging Unit, I am currently responsible for the organisation, maintenance, user training and development of high-end microscopy resources in the Faculty these include: automated wide field, confocal, super resolution, live-cell imaging systems and data analysis software. In addition to this, I have a track record in assisting the development, validation and application of novel preparatory and imaging methods used to study cellular processes in both three dimensional tissues and individual cells.

Microscopy community: I am an active participant in the UK bioimaging community and was chosen to host their annual meeting in 2012. I am leading the UK’s efforts to improve microscope quality control procedures and was invited to set-up The Royal Microscopical Society’s ‘Quality Control Focused Interest Group’ to drive the subject nationally.  I am also closely linked with other international communities with similar aims.

 

Teaching

PSC2002 - Fluorescent-based techniques to study intracellular signalling in living cells

UG / PG - Fluorescence imaging techniques theory and hands-on

Microscopy workshop - three-day microscopy- and techniques focussed workshop

Small-group microscopy tutorials


Publications