Dr Kerry Thompson

Kerry Thompson is a Chan Zuckerberg Initiative funded Imaging Scientist Fellow in the Anatomy Imaging and Microscopy Facility (AIM) and a Lecturer in Anatomy, School of Medicine. In 2021, she was awarded 3.3m by Science Foundation Ireland to develop a Centre of Excellence in Multimodal Microscopy using high end imaging systems, including bringing volume electron microscopy technology to Ireland for the first time.

Her current work focuses on the establishment of digital pathology and histology workflows and AI led analysis, along with the implementation of correlative and multimodal microscopy and imaging techniques and technology development to assist multidisciplinary teams. To complement this, she assists with the development and provision of graduate training programmes in Microscopy and Imaging. Kerry serves as a co-chair for the Global Bioimaging Working group on Career Paths for Imaging Scientists. The group recently published a white paper on career development, pathways and progression for Imaging Scientists and Core Facility Staff.  

In 2010 she was awarded her PhD for a microscopy heavy research project which focused on structure function relations in the human endometrium. In 2011 she began work as a Postdoctoral Microscopy Facility Scientist in the Centre for Microscopy and Imaging (CMI) in University of Galway and was a key member in its establishment. In the 2014/2015 academic year Kerry acted as a project lead in the Under the Microscope Programme, which brought Microscope Activity Kits from the Royal Microscopical Society (RMS) into Irish Primary Schools for the first time. Following this Kerry was elected on the Outreach & Education Committee of the RMS. With the support of both the RMS and the Microscopy Society of Ireland, the team continue to visit schools all over Ireland and partake in outreach events. In 2018 she was elected as Honorary Secretary of Outreach and Education of the RMS. In 2020, she was awarded funding by CZI to work as a dedicated Imaging Scientist and Research Fellow to Develop a National Centre for Doctoral Training in Microscopy.