Brian Abbey

Professor Brian Abbey is a Professor at La Trobe University, holding roles such as Deputy Director of the La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science (2022–present), co-founder of AlleSense (2024–present), and Research Director of the School of Molecular Science (2020–2022). He leads research in coherent optics, nanotechnology, and X-ray science, with a focus on imaging materials at atomic and cellular levels. His work combines optics, synchrotron science, and XFEL technologies for applications in biophysics and medical diagnostics.

• PhD in Physics from the University of Cambridge (2007)
• MSci from University College London
• MRes from Imperial College London
• MEng from the University of Oxford

His research interests span Optics, Nanofabrication, and X-ray Science, with breakthroughs in plasmonic biosensors and colorimetric histology. He has pioneered techniques like plasmon-enhanced phase microscopy and multi-hit serial femtosecond crystallography. Abbey has secured over $38M in external funding since 2014, including ARC and NHMRC grants, and holds five licensed patents.

His awards include the Australian Museum Eureka Prize (2022), Victoria Prize for Physical Sciences (2022), and Victorian Young Tall Poppy Science Award (2017). He has supervised 12 PhD graduates and currently mentors six students, emphasizing early-career researcher development.

Abbey’s labs, including FARLabs (online education platform), and collaborations with Stanford and Oxford focus on applications in cancer diagnostics and immune system imaging.