Leong became the director of the Center for Advanced Microscopy at Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University in 2002, and led the facility to be recognized as one of the few selected Nikon Imaging Centers in the world. At the same time, his lab began devising methods to engineer three-dimensional, lumenized vascular network capable of dynamic signaling read-out. This approach ultimately allowed Leong and his team to dissect the regulatory signals in the opposing endothelial cells during cancer diapedesis. In 2009, he was further appointed to the position of Director for University Imaging Resources at Northwestern, overseeing the institutional strategy in building integrated imaging infrastructure across all seven imaging centers within the university.

Leong joined Janelia in 2014 to serve as the Director for the Advanced Imaging Center. Here, he leads the effort in building the unique collaborative imaging center that serves as the gateway through which the wider scientific world can access Janelia’s cutting-edge microscopy capabilities.

Jesse joined the Advanced Imaging Center in 2014, and has nearly 20 years’ experience in microscope design, development, and application across a wide range of biological models.  He previously was Senior Engineer at Vutara, Inc., where he helped to successfully commercialize 3D super-resolution microscopy systems.  Jesse performed postdoctoral work at Sandia National Laboratories, where he implemented several high-resolution optical imaging systems, including TIRF, STORM, hyperspectral, and STED microscopies, with biological applications ranging widely from cell surface receptor tracking and innate immune response, to algal biofuels research.  Jesse received his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.

Nicolas obtained his PhD from the University of Strasbourg, France, studying how vertebrates regulate their size and vertebrae number. He then moved on to a first post-doc at Stanford University to study how cells, within organs, communicate with each other over long distances. He finally moved to the Stowers Institute for Medical Research where he discovered how immune cells control organ regeneration in zebrafish. At Janelia, Nicolas will use his problem solving skills and microscopy knowledge to help researchers tackling some of the most challenging questions in biology.

Michael received a B.S. in physics and biophysics from Brandeis University before earning A.M. and Ph.D. degrees in physics from Washington University in St. Louis. As a graduate student, he developed image deconvolution techniques and particle tracking algorithms for single molecule fluorescence studies with high spatiotemporal resolution. Afterwards, he pursued postdoctoral research at the University of Michigan studying the real-time infection of individually characterized HIV-1 virions using a novel platform that combined optical trapping, two-photon excitation microscopy, and back-focal-plane interferometry. He was awarded a Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA individual postdoctoral fellowship from the NIH to advance his training in virology and fluorescence imaging systems.
Michael joined Janelia’s Light Microscopy facility as a research specialist, where he helps maintain a full complement of state-of-the-art instruments. Working closely with researchers, he provides microscope training as well as technical assistance for fluorescence imaging and image analysis techniques including organized workshops. He enjoys playing ultimate frisbee, traveling abroad, reading 19th century European literature, and dancing Argentine Tango.

Leanna joined the AIC in November 2021 as a Research Technician.  She provides support in cell culture and sample preparation for the AIC.  Prior to joining the AIC, she worked at the University of Pittsburgh’s Neurobiology Department.

Chad joined the AIC as a recent PhD graduate from the department of physics and astronomy the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His PhD research in Rich Superfine's lab focused on combining atomic force microscopy and single-objective light-sheet microscopy to study the mechanical properties of cell nuclei. At the AIC, Chad works primarily on the various light-sheet microscopy systems, assisting visitors from consultation to publication. Prior to graduate school, Chad received his BS in both physics and mathematics at the University of Lynchburg, where he developed models of the Tour de France and soccer ball aerodynamics.

Eleni’s Ph.D. research focused on the kinetics of multicomponent polymer phase separation and included extensive use of imaging and optical characterization techniques. Work during her thesis on developing polymer-based therapeutic nanoparticles for the treatment of acute kidney injury led her to postdoctoral research at the Georgetown University Medical Center where she specialized in applying advanced imaging techniques to biomedical research on aging and metabolic diseases in mouse and cell culture models. Eleni joined the AIC as a Bioimage Analyst in 2025.

Satya has more than 30 years of cell biology experience. Combining her extensive cell biological sample prep know-how and her acumen in microscopy, Satya's work has been featured on covers of various textbooks and journals. Satya has pioneered the tissue engineering technique to create 3D, lumenized blood vessel network with FRET biosensors for the study of cancer invasion. 

​

After serving at the Center for Advanced Microscopy at Northwestern University, she joined Janelia in 2015 as technical coordinator to provide crucial support to AIC visitors in sample receiving, cell culture, specimen preparation, and also logistical consultation on experimental set-up.   

Prior to joining the AIC, Rachel was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, where she studied breast cancer metastasis. During her PhD in physics at the University of Maryland College Park, she focused on the nonlinear dynamics of collective cell migration. Across her multidisciplinary research career, Rachel has developed image analysis workflows for diverse groups of collaborators studying cell migration, cytoskeletal dynamics, calcium signaling, and more. In 2021, Rachel joined the AIC, where she works with visitors to develop approaches for exploring and quantifying their microscopy data.

Owen joined Janelia in August 2023 as a BioImage Data Analyst after completing his PhD in Physics at the University of Michigan. In his graduate school research, he examined how cells communicate information over large distances by studying the propagation and behavior of mitotic waves in Xenopus laevis egg extracts. Throughout his research career, Owen’s work touched on a diverse set of physical questions: from the mechanics of disordered spring networks to novel topological interactions of colloids in nematic liquid crystals. In his new role as part of Integrative Imaging at Janelia, Owen works collaboratively with researchers to develop new microscopy analysis pipelines for visualizing and characterizing complex biological phenomena.

Before joining Integrative Imaging in 2023, Ellen was an Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan. She taught the Cellular and Molecular Biology of Aging, and worked on characterization of and role of polyphosphate in C. elegans. Ellen's Ph.D. rsearch focused on the long-term benefits of short-term rapamycin delivery in mice. She tracked cardiovascular health from multiple levels: whole animal to molecular biology in proteomics and metabolomics.
​
At Integrative Imaging, Ellen guides Janelian scientists through complex problems in experiment design, sample preparation, imaging pipelines, and development of novel methods and workflows to help accelerate science at Janelia.

Prior to joining Janelia in December 2025, Alyssa worked in non-clinical toxicology research and in clinical research supporting studies on ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease treatments. In addition to her research background, she has experience in the non-profit animal welfare sector with a focus on animal behavior. She now supports scientists and collaborative research efforts at the AIC.

​Anja joined the AIC in January 2024. Prior to joining the AIC she was a Research Specialist at the Janelia Light Microscopy Core gaining further experience especially in confocal and light sheet microscopy. She has a Cell Biology and Developmental Biology background as a graduate from Georg-August-University in Goettingen/Germany where she also obtained her PhD. There she worked on the cytoskeleton and establishment of cell polarity using Drosophila embryos as model organism. For her postdoc, she moved to UNC Chapel Hill to work on cell-cell adhesion during Drosophila embryogenesis.