About
Electron Microscopy (EM), originally developed by Ernst Ruska and Max Knoll in the 1930s, is a high resolution imaging technique that provides key insights into the fundamental structure of all materials, both inorganic and organic. The EM Section of the RMS covers a wide range of expertise in sample preparation, imaging and analysis for scanning EM, transmission EM, STEM, volume EM, cryo EM, spatial analytical techniques and correlative imaging, with applications in the physical and life sciences. Section expertise also includes X-ray microscopy, which is often closely associated with EM analysis, sometimes as part of a multimodal workflow. These topics are the basis of various meetings and courses organised by the RMS in collaboration with the wider community and catering for all levels of user, from the beginner through to expert, and often considering emergent techniques and novel instrumentation. The Section includes representation from other EM groups and societies, including the Association of Clinical Electron Microscopists (ACEM), the Society for Electron Microscope Technology (SEMT), the Electron Microscopy and Analysis Group (EMAG), EM-UK and BioImagingUK.
Committee members represent a cross-section of electron microscopists with a remit to represent the interests of the wider EM community. Any Society member may be nominated to serve as an ordinary committee member when vacancies arise.
The RMS is committed to being a welcoming, inclusive Society and encourages diversity across all activities and in the membership of our committees and groups.
If you are interested in joining any of the committees in the future, please visit our Join a Committee page.
RMS Section Awards
Launched in 2014, the Section Awards (formerly known as the Medal Series) recognise those who have made significant contributions to the field of microscopy. The RMS Section Awards celebrate outstanding scientific achievements across all areas of microscopy and flow cytometry with each RMS Science Section able to select a winner for their own award.
Find out more
Committee
Roland Fleck
Roland is Reader and Director of the King's Centre for Ultra Structural Imaging
Chris Parmenter
I am a seasoned electron microscopist and imaging scientist. My experience ranges from cryo-Transmission Electron Microscopy (cryo-TEM) of soft matter systems (polymers, proteins, liposomes, extra cellular vesicles) to focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM), and particularly the development of cryo-FIB-SEM sample preparation approaches applied to soft matter systems. I have been developing the cryogenic lift-out technique since 2013 to enable cryo-TEM of bulk samples (polymers, cells, tissues). At the University of Nottingham, I am the manager of the Cryogenic Analytical and Transfer (CAT) Suite, a category 2 approved microscopy suite with an emphasis on cryogenic and correlative (light and electron) microscopy. In 2024 I will add confocal light microscopy to my skills and responsibilities in the lab. I believe that I have a wide range of skills and backgrounds to offer the RMS gained from my years in the lab and also developing training and organizational skills to fulfil my various roles. I have so far contributed to the running of two cryo-EM courses in conjunction with the RMS (2021, fully virtual and 2023 as a hybrid). I have a keen interest in the development and training of the next generation of microscopy professionals.
I am a board member of Journal of Microscopy and since 2022 is the Chair of the Cryo Microscopy Group. Since 2014 I have been the editor of Microscopy and Analysis, a global microscopy publication aimed at the professional microscopy community. I became Editor-in-Chief of M&A in 2020. I believe that this has given me a good appreciation of what is going on in microscopy, of new developments and where the field is headed. I enjoy observing this and trying to keep ahead of the curve.
Christopher Allen
Chris completed his MPhys undergraduate degree in physics at the University of Leeds in 2004. His master’s thesis, supervised by Prof. Chris Marrows, was on the interplay between ferromagnetism (FM) and superconductivity (SC) in FM/SC heterostructures. Chris returned to Leeds to study for his PhD under the supervision of Prof. Bryan Hickey investigating the link between the atomic structure and electronic properties of carbon nanotubes.
In June 2011 Chris joined the Department of Materials at the University of Oxford as a post-doctoral researcher focusing on the characterisation of carbon nanomaterials using aberration corrected transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
In 2016 Chris took up a role at the electron Physical Sciences Imaging Centre, a national facility for aberration corrected transmission electron microscopy based at Diamond Light Source first as Senior Electron Microscopy Scientist and then in 2019 as Principal EM Scientist. Chris’s role includes maintenance and development of the microscope, supporting users in the design, execution and analysis of experiments as well as performing his own research.
Chris’s current research is focused on low voltage STEM, TEM and diffraction studies of low dimensional and beam sensitive materials.
Martha Briceno
Martha is a Principal Scientist at Johnson Matthey Technology Centre (JMTC) with over 13 years of experience. She focuses on advanced microscopy techniques such as TEM, SEM, FIB_SEM, and cryo-SEM. Martha leads the SEM & TEM group at JMTC and applies her expertise to study the structure and properties of various materials. She earned her DPhil in Materials Science from the University of Oxford and has worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oxford and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (USA). Originally from Venezuela, Martha works to support diversity in science.
Jemima Burden
Jemima is Head of Electron Microscopy at the Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology at University College London. She received her BSc from University of Bath and her PhD from Imperial College London, where her fascination for microscopy began. Her main interests are developing Correlative Light and Electron Microscopy (CLEM) workflows and using volume EM (vEM) to investigate cell biological processes - from viruses to whole organisms.
Patricia Goggin
Patricia is a Clinical Scientist Manager and Head of the Biomedical Imaging Unit (BIU), a joint NHS and University facility offering light, electron and X-ray imaging. Her interests include diagnostic EM, in particular for Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia, serial block-face SEM and bone cell anatomy and pathology. Patricia is chair of the Association of Clinical Electron Microscopists.
Louise Hughes
Louise is the Business Manager for EBSD, FIB and Life Sciences at Oxford Instruments NanoAnalysis. Prior to this she was the facility manager of the Oxford Brookes University Bioimaging unit. Louise specialises in 3D electron microscopy and has been a biological electron microscopist since 2000. Her research focus has been on optimising biological sample preparation, methodology and imaging techniques across a wide range of sample types. She has extensive experience in SBFSEM, array tomography, electron tomography and 3D data reconstruction. Her current work involves applying EDS to biological samples and working with correlative data analysis.
Mark Jepson
Mark is currently a senior lecturer in metallurgy and microscopy at the Department of Materials, Loughborough University. In addition, alongside this he is the Academic Director of the Loughborough Materials Characterisation Centre (LMCC). With interests mostly in metallurgy, his research work is all linked through a shared application of electron microscopy-based analysis. He has previously held roles at the University of Sheffield as a research associate studying secondary electron dopant contrast for semiconductor analysis and as a research associate at Loughborough where he studied steels and superalloys for power generation applications. His love of electron microscopy began during his PhD (Loughborough, 2008) when he had opportunity to explore the world of oxide microstructures using SEM and the new generation of revolutionary focused ion beam systems.
Kirsty Maclellan-Gibson
Kirsty is the Deputy Facility Manager at the Imaging Facility of the Babraham Institute. She earned her PhD in Structural Virology from the University of Glasgow and gained further experience through postdoctoral roles in Lausanne, Switzerland, and Paris, France. Prior to joining the Babraham Institute in 2022, she worked as an electron microscopist and facility manager at the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC), where she specialized in high-resolution imaging techniques to ensure the safety of biological medicines. At the Babraham Institute, she focuses on VolumeEM and CLEM methodologies to study cellular and molecular biology, with an emphasis on healthy ageing.
Judith Mantell
Judith discovered her passion for EM after a Bristol Physics degree and some materials research led to her becoming a TEM Application specialist for Philips Electron Optics, in the Netherlands and later for Oxford Instruments. Judith returned to Bristol University in 2008 and has supported the research of Paul Verkade’s Group as well as working in the Wolfson Bioimaging Facility. This support role was rewarded in 2021 with the RMS Vice Presidents Medal. Her current project is the installation of a Cryo- Plasma FIBSEM in the Faculty of Life and Health Sciences as well as direct support for the Verkade and Sharp labs. Judith is also now Secretary of the Cryo Microscopy User Group and as such has been co-opted to the RMS EM section.
Jake Richardson
Jake Richardson is Head of the Bioimaging Platform at the John Innes Centre, specialising in electron microscopy of plants and microbes, with a focus on cryo-EM workflows. He is committed to high-quality imaging, user training, and collaborative research. Beyond his technical contributions, he is a passionate advocate for research support staff, regularly participating in initiatives and conferences aimed at promoting inclusivity, recognition, and professional development in core facilities.
Jennifer Simpson
Jennifer is a Senior Microscopist at The Pirbright Institute. She studied for a BSc Hons in Biology at the University of Portsmouth and joined The Pirbright Institute Bioimaging group in 2002. After leaving to work in an NHS histopathology laboratory for two years, she returned to The Pirbright Institute in 2012. She collaborates on a variety of research projects using confocal microscopy and electron microscopy including STED, CLEM and tomography. She was recently awarded the RMS Diploma for her project researching Marek’s disease virus in chicken feather follicle epithelium.
Rebecca Thompson
Rebecca is Facility Manager and senior cryo-electron microscopy (EM) support scientist at the Astbury Biostructure Laboratory, University of Leeds. Her research interests include imaging a broad range of biological specimens, from whole cells to macromolecular complexes, to high resolution using cryo-EM, and integrating data from EM with other microscopy techniques.
Lore Troalen
Lore is an Analytical Scientist at National Museums Scotland. She holds a PhD in analytical chemistry from the University of Edinburgh and previously studied chemistry and archaeological science in France where she gained MSc qualifications from the Universities of Paris XI and Bordeaux III. She joined National Museums Scotland in 2005, where her research interests include the use of X-ray based and microscopic techniques for the study of ancient gold jewellery.
Gea van de Kerkhof
Gea is a microscopist focused on technique development for correlative/multi-modal imaging in the Life Sciences. She has experience with light, electron and X-ray imaging and spectroscopy. During her PhD she investigated the optics of structurally coloured bacteria and plants. Afterwards she worked at Diamond Light Source in a combined industrial role with Johnson Matthey. There, she developed techniques and workflows for in-situ liquid microscopy across the I14 nanoprobe beamline and a Cs corrected TEM. Now, she develops cryogenic correlative light and electron microscopy at the Central Laser Facility, in the Octopus imaging cluster. Here, she works on cryo-FIB lift-outs, with lamella to use correlatively between super-resolution fluorescence and transmission electron microscopy.
Thomas Walther
Thomas is Reader in Advanced Electron Microscopy at the University of Sheffield and Director of the Kroto Centre for High Resolution Imaging and Analysis.
His research areas include electron microscopy method development and instrumentation, in particular HREM, EFTEM, ADF-STEM, EELS, ELNES, EDX.
A focus is on quantitative analysis of semiconductor quantum wells and quantum dots, but also the study of interdiffusion and segregation at grain boundaries and within metal nano-particles.
He runs the Microscopy of Semiconducting Materials conference series which is alternatingly held in Oxford and Cambridge, always in odd years.
AGM
The 2025 Annual General Meeting of the Electron Microscopy Section of the Royal Microscopical Society will take place at 4:45pm on Wednesday 2 July 2025 during mmc2025 incorporating EMAG 2025.
All the Society’s AGMs are free to attend for both members and non-members.