Volume EM Group

Kedar Narayan, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist, Group Leader
narayank@mail.nih.govKedar Narayan is the group leader for the volume EM group at the CMM. He earned a Ph.D. in immunology, and has a research background in chemistry, pathology, and biophysics. Kedar’s work focuses on the use of emerging technologies for cellular imaging. At CMM, he is responsible for FIB-SEM and array tomography, technology development and for driving collaborative projects that use volume EM and correlative imaging approaches to explore cellular mechanisms.

Valentina Baena, Ph.D.
Scientist
baenaecheverrv2@nih.govValentina Baena acquired her Ph.D. in biomedical science from the University of Connecticut with an emphasis in cell biology. She specialized in using 3D EM techniques to study a variety of mesoscale structures in developmental biology, neurobiology, immunology and gastrointestinal biology projects. At CMM, she focuses on developing and implementing enhanced protocols for a variety of volume EM studies of cells and tissues.

Adam Harned
Research Associate
adam.harned@nih.govAdam Harned is an electron microscopist with extensive industry and research experience concerning the applications of VP-SEM, FE-SEM and TEM technologies for both biological and materials samples. His main role will be assisting in the collection of FIB-SEM data.

Kunio Nagashima
Scientist
nagashimak@nih.govKunio Nagashima has extensive experience developing techniques for preparation of tissue and cellular samples for transmission and scanning electron microscopy. He specializes in the analysis of biological samples by EM and related technologies..

Ryan Conrad
Research Associate
ryan.conrad@nih.govRyan Conrad works as a research associate and image analyst for the volume EM group at the CMM. Ryan earned his B.Sc. in physics from Boston College with a focus on spectroscopy and optics. His work at the CMM focuses on developing computational tools that accelerate and enhance the segmentation, analysis and visualization of FIB-SEM data.

Heather Rose Berensmann
Research Associate
berensmannhr@nih.govHeather Rose Berensmann is a Research Associate at CMM-volumeEM. She has an MS and BS in Materials Science and Engineering from Drexel University, and uses her engineering background to develop and execute methods to streamline sample preparation and imaging at our microscopes.

Patrick Friday
Research Associate
patrick.friday@nih.govPatrick Friday is a post-baccalaureate in the volume EM lab at CMM. He recently graduated from UMD with a BS in Information Science and Anthropology. Funded by a LDER grant, Patrick’s work centers on computational approaches to image processing and analysis specifically as it pertains to ultrastructural changes in cancer cells.

Taeeun (Hannah) Kim
Volunteer
taeeun.kim@nih.govTaeeun (Hannah) Kim is currently a senior at Tuscarora High School, MD and a WHK-SIP intern in the lab. She is the other half of our student team working on segmentation and visualization of high-resolution 3D image volumes generated by FIB-SEM imaging.

Ella Fitzgerald
Volunteer
ella.fitzgerald@nih.govElla Fitzgerald is currently a senior at Brunswick High School, MD and a WHK-SIP intern in the lab. She is one half of our student team working on segmentation strategies to visualize a variety of biological events captured in 3D and at high resolutions by FIB-SEM imaging.