Dr Kristina Micheva is a Bulgarian-American neuroscientist[1] at Stanford University.[2] She is one of the inventors of Array Tomography, a technique in which proteins are detected with antibodies in ultra-thin sections of brain tissue using confocal microscopy.[3][4][5]

Kristina Micheva
Photograph of a woman wearing a purple jumper, a blue headscarf, and glasses.
Micheva in 2021
Born
Sofia, Bulgaria
EducationSofia University
University of Montreal
Known forInvention of Array Tomography
Academic career
DisciplineNeuroscience
InstitutionsStanford University

Education

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Micheva was a biology major at the University of Sofia. She received a masters in plant ecology at the University of Sofia as well.[1] After graduation, she worked in a lab at a medical university in Sofia where she learned electron microscopy and how to work with brain sections.[6] She moved to Montreal, Quebec to pursue a PhD in neuroscience (receiving the degree in 1996).[6] In 1996 she participated in the Marine Biological Laboratory Neurobiology Course,[7] in which she later taught as faculty (2006-2014).[8]

Research

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Micheva's main interest is in studying how brain structures develop and change with experience.[9] During her PhD, she studied how sensory experience affects cortical development.[9]

Invention of Array Tomography

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Micheva co-developed the Array Tomography technique with Stephen J Smith. In this technique, proteins are detected with antibodies in ultra-thin sections of brain tissue using confocal microscopy.[10][5][3] This technique can be combined with electron microscopy and is the only technique that allows a voxel-conjugate joining of fluorescence and electron microscopy methods.[11] Given the advantages of this method, it is considered an excellent choice for challenging explorations of cellular architectures in mature and developing tissues.[11]

Personal life

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In her free time, Micheva practices karate. She is a third-degree black belt as of the spring of 2021, and teaches a children's karate class.[12]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Episode 02: Kristina Micheva, PhD". Conjugate: Illustration and Science Blog. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  2. ^ "Kristina Micheva's Profile | Stanford Profiles". profiles.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  3. ^ a b "What is Immunofluorescent Array Tomography?". News-Medical.net. 2019-12-10. Retrieved 2021-05-02.
  4. ^ "Synapses on Stage". The Scientist Magazine®. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  5. ^ a b Pastrana, Erika (January 2011). "Unraveling synapse diversity". Nature Methods. 8 (1): 16. doi:10.1038/nmeth0111-16. ISSN 1548-7105. S2CID 29464084.
  6. ^ a b "Episode 02: Kristina Micheva, PhD". Conjugate: Illustration and Science Blog. Retrieved 2021-04-27.
  7. ^ "Neurobiology 1996 (Course) | History of the Marine Biological Laboratory". amphora.asu.edu. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  8. ^ "Kristina Micheva (Person) | History of the Marine Biological Laboratory". amphora.asu.edu. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  9. ^ a b "Episode 02: Kristina Micheva, PhD". Conjugate: Illustration and Science Blog. Retrieved 2021-05-02.
  10. ^ "Touring Memory Lane Inside The Brain". NPR.org. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  11. ^ a b Smith, Stephen J. (2018-09-06). "Q&A: Array tomography". BMC Biology. 16 (1): 98. doi:10.1186/s12915-018-0560-1. ISSN 1741-7007. PMC 6127925. PMID 30189863.
  12. ^ "Episode 02: Kristina Micheva, PhD". Conjugate: Illustration and Science Blog. Retrieved 2021-04-28.