Hi, my name is Cesar Augusto Valades-Cruz. I am Bioimage Analyst and Associate Researcher at Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. My projects are focused on microscope development and image analysis.
My background is quite broad as I studied Mechatronics Engineering. Then, I got a MSc in Nanophotonics. Later, I completed a PhD in Biophotonics from Fresnel Institute and ICFO. My master and PhD were founded by Erasmus Mundus. My PhD was centered on quantitative nanoscale imaging of orientational order in biological filaments (actin stress fibers and microtubules), DNA and amyloid protofilaments. During my PhD, I built and optimized a dSTORM microscope with polarized detection. This is where my love for image processing and photonics began to drive my career.
In 2016, I joined Ludger Johannes as postdoc and imaging specialist in Lattice Light-Sheet microscopy (LLSM) at Curie Institute. My project was to study different modes of endocytosis, using LLSM and single particle tracking. In 2019, I joined Charles Kervrann and Jean Salamero joint team, Serpico/STED. I work in different projects including data management (BioImageIT), machine learning, image processing and big data. Also, I was responsible of LLSM projects at Curie Institute with Ludovic Leconte.
In addition, I work in close collaboration with private companies including: Myriade (Biotech startup) and Gataca Systems.
I was a founder member of the LightSheet Community "Wildsheet", aiming to bring together users of light sheet instruments to share knowledge and best practices.
Currently, I am Associate Researcher in the Algal Growth and Development team, led by Prof. Cheng-Cai Zhang at the Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Wuhan, China.
Research experience
Associate Researcher: Algal Growth and Development TEAM (Prof. Cheng-Cai Zhang)
01/2023 - Current
Research focus on the study of the growth and differentiation of cyanobacterial cells using advance microscopy and machine learning algorithms.
Postdoctoral Researcher: Serpico/STED Team
01/2022 - 01/2023 Project: Polarization Microscopy for Imaging of Membrane Organization (PoMIMO).
LabEx Cell(n)Scale collaborative project between Inria and Curie Institute. Implementation of polarization module in a STORM-TIRFM (PolarSTORM) system at Curie Institute. Developing of image analysis workflow of biomolecules tracking and estimating spatial high-resolution maps of molecular mobility.
Research engineer: Inria-Myriade Biotech
01/2021 - 12/2021 Project: Improvement of tracking and size estimation of virus and extracellular vesicles.
Collaboration between SERPICO Team and the Biotech startup Myriade. I develop mathematical models and image processing tools to improve the tracking and size estimation of virus and extracellular vesicles in their system VideoDrop.
Inria Starting Research Position: Serpico/STED Team
04/2019 - 12/2020 Project:Acquisition, analysis, and visualization of 3D Dynamic cellular imaging of endocytosis/recycling mechanisms in the membrane during cell migration using machine learning.
I work in novel machine learning methods of image processing able to detect the main regions of interest, and automatic quantification of molecular interactions and cell processes. In addition, I collaborate in the development of machine learning-driven navigation and interaction techniques for 3D+Time data enabling the analysis of localized intra-cellular events (endocytosis and exocytosis) and cell processes (migration, division, etc.).
Postdoctoral: Ludger Johannes Team
01/2016 - 03/2019 Project:Advanced cellular imaging of endocytosis.
Development of 3D image processing and quantification methods to study different modes of endocytosis, using advanced high spatio-temporal resolution imaging and single particle tracking. In addition, I was also responsible of setting up a Lattice Light Sheet Microscope on the PICT-IBiSA imaging facility at Curie Institute, which is part of the France BioImaging National Infrastructure.
Teaching, outreach and institutional activities
Teaching
01/2015 - 12/2015. University lecturer: Tec de Monterrey, Morelia, Mexico. Teaching Physics, mathematics, and differential equations.
Institutional activities
BI-IPDM - FranceBioImaging. Member of BioImage Informatics-Image Processing DATA management Node of the National Infrastructure FranceBioImaging.
Group Multiscale Light Sheet Microscopy - FranceBioImaging Member of Group Multiscale Light Sheet Microscopy of the National Infrastructure FranceBioImaging.
Outreach
Wildsheet Slack Group. I am founder member of LightSheet Community Wildsheet.
Education
2010: PhD in Biophotonics (European Grant: Erasmus Mundus Europhotonics) in Sophie Brasselet’s team (Aix-Marseille University / Fresnel Institute, France) and Pablo Loza’s team (UPC Barcelona / ICFO, Spain).
2009: MEng in Quality Systems and Productivity (Tec de Monterrey, Mexico).
2008: MSc in Biophotonics (European Grant: Erasmus Mundus Monabiphot). ENS Paris-Saclay (previously: ENS Cachan), France and Complutense University of Madrid, Spain.
2003: BSc in Mechatronics Engineering (Tec de Monterrey, Mexico). Intership: Sant’Anna School of Advances Studies, Italy.
Awards
2020-2024 Member of the Mexican National Research System (SNI 1)
2010-2014 Erasmus Mundus Fellowship for PhD
2008-2010 Mexican National Council of Science and Technology (CONACyT) fellowship for Master
2008-2010 Erasmus Mundus Fellowship for Master