معرفی
Valentina Emiliani is Director of the Photonics Department at the Vision Institute in Paris, France, where she leads the Wave front engineering microscopy group. Previously, she served as Director of the Neurophotonics Department at University Paris Descartes and held research positions at CNRS. With over 70 publications and 80+ invited seminars, Dr. Emiliani has established herself as a leader in neurophotonics. Her work bridges physics, engineering, and neuroscience to develop advanced optical techniques for brain circuit investigation.
Dr. Emiliani's educational background includes:
- PhD in Physics from University 'La Sapienza' (Rome, Italy) in 1997, focusing on tunneling effect in quantum wells
- Postdoctoral research at Max Born Institute, Berlin, working on carrier transport in quantum wires
- Postdoctoral work at European Laboratory for Nonlinear Spectroscopy in Florence, Italy
Her research spans optical wave front shaping, optogenetics, and two-photon imaging, with particular focus on creating tools for 'all-optical' investigation of brain circuits. She has pioneered methods for three-dimensional spatiotemporal focusing of light, enabling precise neural stimulation even in scattering brain tissue. Her laboratory develops holographic light patterning techniques that provide unprecedented spatial and temporal control for both imaging and stimulating neural activity.
Dr. Emiliani's publication record demonstrates a clear progression from fundamental optical physics to sophisticated neuroscience applications. Her research consistently focuses on developing holographic methods that enable precise spatial and temporal light control, with recent work emphasizing optogenetics applications. This work represents a major advance toward all-optical electrophysiology, where both neural activity recording and stimulation can be achieved with light alone, eliminating the need for electrical electrodes.
Her scientific achievements have been recognized with several prestigious awards:
- 2019: Invited Presidential Speaker at the SfN annual meeting
- 2018: Axa-Chair award for 'Investigation of visual circuits by optical wave front shaping'
- 2015: Prix 'Coups d'élan pour la recherche française' from Bettencourt-Shueller foundation
- 2009: Human Frontier Research Program – Coordinator Research Grant
- 2005: European Young Investigator Award (EURYI)
Dr. Emiliani has successfully secured significant research funding, including the European Young Investigator grant that enabled her to establish her research group. Her leadership of research teams since 2005 demonstrates extensive mentoring experience. Her laboratory has produced numerous high-impact publications in top journals including Nature Neuroscience and Nature Methods, indicating a productive research environment that trains students in cutting-edge neurophotonics techniques.
Dr. Emiliani leads the Wave front engineering microscopy group at the Vision Institute, specializing in developing optical techniques for neuroscience research. Her laboratory bridges physics, engineering, and neuroscience to create tools that enable researchers to observe and manipulate neural activity with unprecedented precision. This work has significant implications for understanding brain function and developing new approaches to treat neurological disorders.
