Microscopy Facility

Microscopy Specialist

Dr Emma Faulkner

Emma is a Microscopy Specialist with expertise in advanced imaging techniques. She earned her PhD from the University of Birmingham in 2021, validating expansion microscopy for studying nuclear processes via DNA damage response proteins. She then worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, using multi-dimensional imaging to analyse platelet aggregations. Now, she supports users at the Institute of Biomedical Research’s microscopy facility, assisting with imaging workflows and data acquisition.

Email: e.l.faulkner@bham.ac.uk

Microscopy Specialist Technician

Jacob Ballard

Jacob joined the Microscopy Facility in 2025. He was awarded a BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry from the University of Worcester in 2019 and has subsequently held research technician posts across a range of academic departments, including the Healthcare Technologies Institute. He has also worked within University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust, where he was responsible for the sectioning and staining of patient tissue specimens to support the diagnosis of cancer and other diseases. His technical expertise encompasses confocal microscopy, slide scanning, and a broad range of sample preparation methodologies.

Email: j.ballard.1@bham.ac.uk

Research Facilities Manager

Adriana Flores-Langarica

Email: A.FloresLangarica@bham.ac.uk

Microscopy Facility Academic Lead

Professor Steve Thomas

Email: s.thomas@bham.ac.uk

We provide training and support for users to independently use all our available equipment available in Stratocore. Currently, our training programmes are divided in two sections. Firstly, the CANVAS Module which can be completed at the user’s pace and once that is completed, we deliver an in-person training session at the equipment. If you require training, you can request it in Stratocore. We deliver sessions regularly.

If you are unsure about which imaging approach to use, or would like to discuss our bespoke services, please reach out to us to discuss your project and how we can help you.

External users are encouraged to contact us via email in the first instance, however, all internal prospective users will need to request an account on the core facilities booking system Stratocore (unless you already have one). Please ensure you use your UoB email address to register your Stratocore account

As part of your account, you will need a valid finance/grant code. We need this to be able to charge you for your use of the equipment.

Your code will either be a project or a general ledger. Guidance on finance/grant codes is here:

Project Ledger. (Project Finance Number begins with a ‘1’ or ‘2’). Project Ledger codes require 3 components in the format:

Project Ledger

General Ledger. (Project Finance Number begins with a ‘6’). General Ledgers require 2 components in the format:

If you are unsure about any of your Finance code, contact techubfinance@contacts.bham.ac.uk who will be able to assist you.

For any Stratocore or finance relation queries please contact techubfinance@contacts.bham.ac.uk

To view the equipment specifications for confocal microscopes, widefield microscopes and high-throughput microscopes, please view our Equipment page. 

In recognition of the essential support provided by the Technology Hub Facilities and in alignment with the values of The Technician Commitment and UKRI guidance on the recognition of specialist staff, we kindly request that all users acknowledge the contribution of the Technology Hub in any resulting publications, presentations, or grant applications. This helps ensure continued support and visibility for the facilities and the staff who make this work possible. Please include one of the following acknowledgment statements in your manuscripts or outputs:

1. General Acknowledgment (for use of equipment and/or technical support):

   “We acknowledge the support of the [Facility] Technology Hub Facilities at the College of Medicine and Health, University of Birmingham, for providing access to equipment and technical expertise.”

2. Specialist Staff Contribution (if staff provided significant input):

   “We thank [Staff Member’s Name] from the [Facility], Technology Hub Facilities, College of Medicine and Health, University of Birmingham, for their valuable technical assistance and input during this work.”

3. Co-authorship:

   If a member of the Technology Hub staff has made a substantial intellectual or technical contribution to the research, we strongly encourage including them as a co-author, in line with standard authorship guidelines.

We appreciate your support in helping to raise the visibility and recognition of the essential contributions made by technical staff and facilities. If you are unsure how best to acknowledge the support received, please contact the Technology Hub team for guidance.

microscopyfacility@contacts.bham.ac.uk

techubfinance@contacts.bham.ac.uk

Research Facilities Manager

Dr Adriana Flores-Langarica
Email: A.FloresLangarica@bham.ac.uk

Microscopy Facility Academic Lead

Professor Steve Thomas
Email: s.thomas@bham.ac.uk