Two of the very first AMBER postdocs have recently started their positions at Lund University. Bo He and Ceren Mutgan Redolfi explain what attracted them to AMBER, and what they will explore during their postdoctorate.

A man, Bo He. Photo. — Bo He is a postdoctoral fellow at Medical Radiation Physics at Lund University.

– The AMBER programme immediately piqued my interest. My previous research has focused on nano-CT techniques, primarily utilizing synchrotron like coherent diffraction imaging to study cellular structures, says Bo He, postdoctoral fellow at Medical Radiation Physics at Lund University.

He explains that his career aspirations involve advancing multiscale and multimodal imaging research, bridging the gap from cellular imaging to whole-body visualization.

– Currently, my postdoctoral project combines MRI and X-ray imaging to study prostate cancer. I see the AMBER programme as an exceptional opportunity to enhance my expertise in tissue multimodal imaging. And AMBER provides advanced synchrotron facilities like MAX IV, and other cutting-edge infrastructures for researchers. I am confident that the resources and interdisciplinary expertise offered by AMBER will be instrumental in achieving my future research goals.

He completed is PhD at ShanghaiTech University from September 2018 to July 2024, with a major in Physics for X-ray imaging.

– During my PhD, I focused on high-precision three-dimensional synchrotron X-ray imaging studies in biological samples at the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility and the Canadian Light Source. Additionally, I spent about a year as a visiting student in the group of Pierre Thibault at the Elettra Synchrotron Radiation Facility, from August 2023 to May 2024.

– Those experiences in synchrotron-based imaging have provided me with valuable insights into the possibilities and current limitations of the technology. My curiosity about the world drives me in both my professional and personal life, says Bo He.

Ceren Mutgan Redolfi, in turn, says that she was attracted to apply for the AMBER position because it is a unique opportunity to conduct research in multiscale biological imaging.

– Its multidisciplinary, intersectoral, and international approach allows young researchers at the beginning of their careers to broaden their horizons, which I believe is an invaluable opportunity, says Ceren Mutgan Redolfi, a postdoctoral fellow at Vessel Wall Biology at Lund University.

Ceren Mutgan Redolfi is a postdoctoral fellow at Vessel Wall Biology at Lund University.

In her postdoc, she will focus on 3D imaging of vascular and parenchymal remodeling in pulmonary fibrosis (PF). PF is a progressive lung characterized by aberrant extracellular matrix deposition leading to excessive tissue remodeling. PF is often lethal. During disease progression, both lung tissue and lung vasculature undergo remodeling. The latter is associated with a worse prognosis and increased mortality.

– Current medications only slow down the progression of the fibrosis process and have no effect on vascular remodeling. This highlights the need for a better understanding of the disease. By utilizing synchrotron-based micro-computed tomography imaging, we aim to delineate the 3D microanatomy of the disease and gain further insights into tissue remodeling.

She has a PhD in Molecular Medicine, which focused on vascular remodeling in lung diseases associated with pulmonary hypertension in Austria.

In her work, Ceren Mutgan Redolfi is motivated by curiosity.

– I see every day as a new adventure, and this motivates me always. Curiosity is the core value that drives me in my professional and private life; I can say I am curious about knowledge, people, cultures, places, and food.

About AMBER

The EU-funded research project AMBER, Advanced Multiscale Biological imaging using European Research infrastructures, will address scientific and sectoral gaps in biological imaging ranging from molecular, through cellular, to tissue, organ and organism levels of organisation.

AMBER’s partner organisations are: Lund University/MAX IV, Sweden, the European Spallation Source (ESS), Sweden, the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL), France, the International Institute of Molecular Mechanisms and Machines, (IMOL), Poland, and the Leicester Institute of Structural and Chemical Biology, United Kingdom.

AMBER is coordinated by LINXS Institute of advanced Neutron and X-ray Science.