Oxford microscopy facility welcomes Australian visitor through international shadowing programme

Oxford University's Micron Bioimaging Facility at the Department of Biochemistry recently welcomed an international visitor from Australia as part of the Microscopy Australia Staff Shadowing Programme. The scheme enables microscopy professionals to visit leading facilities around the world, learn from established centres and build lasting professional networks. By supporting knowledge exchange across the global imaging community, it helps facilities develop new approaches to technical operations, user support and management.

Deirdre Kavanagh and the team at Micron hosted Nadia Suarez-Bosche, Manager of the Light Microscopes at the Molecular Horizons Imaging Facility at the University of Wollongong. Established in 2020, Molecular Horizons is a new research institute, and Nadia visited Oxford to learn from one of Europe's leading imaging facilities as her team continues to develop its services.

Oxford's expertise in advanced microscopy, its reputation in super-resolution imaging and its status as a Leica Centre for Excellence made Micron a natural choice for the visit. During her time in Oxford, Nadia explored how the facility approaches user training, microscope management, cost recovery and the support structures that underpin a successful imaging service.

Nadia with Deirdre and Niloufer from the Micron team

Maximising her opportunity to establish the international networking opportunities supported by the programme, Nadia also visited imaging facilities in Heidelberg and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL).

Having now returned to Australia, Nadia reflects: "The staff shadowing programme has been a fantastic opportunity that will have a lasting impact on my career and personal development. The inspiration, ideas, collaborations and understanding that I have gained from visiting two international microscopy reference facilities is invaluable and has broadened my understanding of diverse operational models. The insights and productive discussions gained from this experience allow me to gain knowledge from facilities with diverse operational needs and approaches, which has reinforced my commitment to continuous learning and service improvement. Learning from different models has equipped me with new practices and ideas that I am keen to implement and share at the Imaging Facility and with my colleagues.

"A personal outcome from this visit is that it has strengthened and given me confidence in my ability to contribute to decision-making and strategic planning by bringing evidence-based perspectives from internationally recognised operational models."

The visit provided an opportunity for Oxford staff to learn about the development of a new imaging facility in Australia and to exchange ideas with colleagues facing similar challenges.

Deirdre said: "It was fantastic to welcome Nadia to Micron. Staff shadowing creates a unique opportunity to exchange ideas, learn from different approaches and build connections beyond our own institutions. We came away with fresh perspectives and ideas too, which is what makes these exchanges so valuable."