Pablo Hernández Varas been a professional microscopist for over a decade, and he currently leads the VIB BioImaging Core Leuven, a top-tier microscopy platform within the European landscape. His role focuses on enabling advanced imaging to address research questions from neurodegeneration to cancer biology, building on a career dedicated to facilitating access to complex microscopy infrastructure.

After earning a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (Complutense University, Spain), Pablo conducted postdoctoral research at Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, under Prof. S. Strömblad. There, he could dive deep into microscopy, applying then cutting edge super-resolution imaging to study integrin clustering behavior and cellular adhesion dynamics, leading to publications in JCB and Nature Communications respectively.

He then transitioned to a role as European microscopy specialist at Nikon Instruments BV, gaining broad exposure to microscopy technologies and collaborating with core facilities across Europe. After this industrial experience, Pablo joined the Weatherall Institute at Oxford University as Assistant Facility Manager, position that enabled him to learn how multiuser microscopy platforms run, and thereafter CFIM at University of Copenhagen, where he helped in shaping long-term strategies for microscopy resource deployment, engaging with stakeholders and optimizing technology use to support researchers in Denmark.

Now at VIB, Pablo applies this experience to strengthen imaging services for the community in Leuven and beyond, happily leading a team of expert light and electron microscopists, who are in fact the most important resource of the BioImaging Core.