Prof. Marc van Zandvoort

 

Curriculum vitae
Prof. Marc A.M.J. van Zandvoort, PhD achieved his PhD degree in Biophysics at Utrecht University (1994) and worked as a postdoc at Universitá di Bologna and LENS institute, Florence (Italy). He returned to Utrecht University as a postdoc in 1996. In 1998 he moved to Maastricht University first as postdoc, from 2000 as assistant professor Biophysics. In 2007 he became associate professor at the department of Biomedical Engineering. In 2012 he moved to the department of Molecular Cell Biology. Currently, he is interim head of that department. In 2017 he obtained the chair “Advanced Optical Microscopy” in Maastricht. 
In 2009 he additionally became professor Biophysics of Microscopy (part-time) at the Universitätsklinikum Aachen (Germany) and scientific leader of the Two-photon core-facility in Aachen. Marc is board member of the conference series Focus on Microscopy, board member of the Dutch Society of Microscopy, and board member of the NL-BioImaging-AM initiative. He also is leader of the EuroBioImaging Node Maastricht

Current Research
His research currently zooms on the application of advanced optical microscopy (multi-photon, high-resolution 3D-STED microscopy, spectral microscopy) to biomedical research in the broadest sense. As an example, his group recently developed a method to quantify lipofuscin droplets in brain vessels using ex vivo multi-photon microscopy. He has also done a variety of studies on in vivo bimodal (e.g., optical-MRI, optical-US) imaging. In combination with the techniques used, a variety of systems can be studied, ranging from artificial systems, via cells in culture (e.g., lamin substructure, mitochondrial network and substructure), to whole tissues, organs, and animals. 

This presentation
Marc will highlight several of the advanced optical microscopy techniques currently present in Maastricht (and Aachen). Examples of these techniques are the established two-photon microscopy, but also the newer STED technique and spectral imaging. The principles behind these techniques will be briefly discussed, but focus will be on their application. He will also discuss possibilities for new techniques.