Kristen M. Flatt

Kristen M. Flatt is a Senior Research Scientist at the Materials Research Laboratory (MRL) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). She holds a B.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience, both from UIUC. Her academic positions at MRL include Senior Research Scientist (2024–present), Research Scientist (2021–2024), and Post-Doctoral Research Associate (2019–2021). Prior roles include Pre-Doctoral Fellow in Neuroscience and Graduate Research Assistant in the Department of Crop Sciences.

Her research focuses on microscopy techniques, including cryogenic electron microscopy (Cryo-EM), optical microscopy, and advanced sample preparation methods. She specializes in imaging biological and soft materials, with expertise in electron microscopy (TEM/SEM), cryogenic vitrification, and array tomography. Her work bridges molecular biology, materials science, and microscopy, with applications in cancer research, nanoparticle characterization, and structural biology.

Key research themes include:

• Development of cryogenic sample preparation methods for TEM
• Optimization of light and electron microscopy workflows
• Imaging of biological tissues and synthetic nanoparticles

Recent publications highlight her contributions to breast cancer drug resistance mechanisms, nanoparticle-based cancer diagnostics, and structural analysis of biological macromolecules. She collaborates across disciplines, integrating microscopy with molecular biology and nanotechnology.

Flatt’s lab is part of the MRL’s Electron Microscopy Core facility, where she supports cutting-edge imaging projects. Her work emphasizes both scientific rigor and the aesthetic aspects of microscopy, viewing it as an intersection of science and art.