Louise Cole

A/Prof. Louise Cole is an Associate Professor and Director of the Microbial Imaging Facility at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), within the Australian Institute for Microbiology & Infection (AIMI). She holds a dual affiliation with the Faculty of Science. Previously, she served at the University of Sydney, managing microscopy facilities and conducting research in plant and fungal cell biology. Her expertise spans microscopy modalities like light-sheet, super-resolution, and electron microscopy, with a focus on specimen preparation for biological samples.

Education:

• Masters in Plant Cell Biology (Oxford University)
• PhD in Fungal Extracellular Matrices (Oxford Brookes University)
• Postdoctoral training in Fungal Vacuoles and Plant Plasmodesmata (University of Sydney)

Research Interests:

• Development and application of advanced imaging techniques
• Host-pathogen interactions in plant systems
• Cellular communication mechanisms in plants and fungi
• 3D tissue modeling for reproductive and cardiovascular health research

Awards and Recognition:

• 2022 Travel Grant

Advising & Grants:

• Joint supervisor for projects on mitochondrial recruitment, placental models, and air pollution effects
• Lead investigator on ARC Discovery Project (DP250101026) and UTS Collaboration grants

Labs & Teams:

• Director of UTS Microbial Imaging Facility
• Past leadership roles in Advanced Microscopy Facility (University of Sydney)