Welcome to my landing page and thank you for visiting!

I am an experienced structural and cell biologist with over a decade of expertise in electron microscopy, particularly in the realm of cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). My passion lies in solving complex biological problems through the application of state-of-the-art high-resolution cryo-EM techniques. With extensive hands-on experience spanning cryo-EM, cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET), and microcrystal electron diffraction (microED), I am an expert in all facets of the process, from sample preparation to data processing.

I completed my PhD (2013-2016) at the University of Bordeaux under the guidance of Emmanuelle Bayer and Lysiane Brocard, where I explored the ultrastructure of nanopores known as plasmodesmata, which facilitate intercellular communication in plants.
Building upon this foundation, my postdoctoral research (2018-2022) at the California Institute of Technology (Pasadena) under the mentorship of Grant Jensen and Elliot Meyerowitz focused on pioneering methods for vitrifying plant tissues and bacteria, enabling high-resolution cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) studies. Throughout these endeavors, I honed my expertise in cryo-correlated light electron microscopy (cryo-CLEM), focused ion beam milling (FIB milling), cryo-sectioning, and cryo-ET methodologies.

Building on this strong cryo-EM foundation and curious to branch out in a pioneering cryo-EM technic called microcrystal electron diffraction (microED), I became cryo-EM facility manager in the Gonen Lab at UCLA. My projects involved the structural study of membrane proteins, GPCRs and Tetraspanins and methods development, mainly fluorescent targeted FIB milling and high-throughput data acquisition and processing, by leveraging machine learning and microscope APIs.

I made a big jump in my career by accepting a position as Senior Scientist, cryo-EM lead at Exelixis (Alameda - bay area), a mid-sized publicly traded pharma company leveraging Structure Based Drug Discovery to fight cancer. The company invested in a state-of-the-art cryo-EM facility that I have the pleasure of managing.

Aside from work, I am an avid rock climber who enjoys going to the Sierras, Joshua Tree and Idyllwild to practice the art of traditional climbing. I also enjoy everything that comes with climbing such as camping, car camping, hiking, running. As long as it’s outside, I’m game!