Flow Stars

In this episode, Peter O’Toole is joined by Andy Filby, a familiar name in the flow cytometry and core facility community.

Andy shares how he found his way into science, from choosing a degree in biochemistry with the help of a memorable open day and a few donuts, to stepping away from the traditional academic path after losing faith in research as a long-term career route.

He reflects on the moves that shaped his career, including time in commercial science, moving into core facility work, and becoming Professor of Practice at Newcastle University.

Along the way, Andy and Peter discuss the value of technical specialists, why technical staff need proper recognition and career progression, the importance of resilience, and the unexpected turns that can lead to a rewarding life in science.

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In this episode, Peter O’Toole sits down with Andreas Spittler and Derek Davies, two long-standing figures in the flow cytometry community.

Andreas and Derek look back on the unexpected routes that led them into flow cytometry and the moments that made their careers feel like the right fit. Andreas reflects on how his childhood ambition to become a teacher eventually found its place in university life, while Derek recalls how moving into a core facility opened the door to new experiments, technologies, and a wider scientific community.

They also discuss how flow cytometry has changed over the decades, the importance of supporting and training other scientists, and the challenge of stepping back from work that has shaped so much of their lives.

Along the way, Andreas shares the advice that guided his own career: find your niche, put your heart into it, and follow it with commitment.

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Today, our host Peter O’Toole sits down with Charlotte Christie Petersen, Désirée Kunkel, and Marjolijn Hameetman.

Together, they share the story behind the European Flow Core Meeting: a virtual event created to bring flow cytometry core facility staff together across countries, career stages, and facility sizes.

They reflect on why the meeting matters, from helping people share hard-won experience to giving core facility staff a stronger sense of community and recognition.

Along the way, they also share a few more personal stories: unexpected hobbies, cytometer mishaps, and how flow cytometry shaped not just a career, but a life.

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In this episode, Peter is joined by Joanne and Ray Lannigan, two much-loved figures in the flow cytometry community.

Joanne and Ray share how they found their way into flow from very different beginnings, from Joanne’s early dream of becoming a doctor to Ray’s route through electronics, the Navy, and field service engineering.

They also reflect on the risks, setbacks, and turning points that shaped their careers, including a difficult move to Maryland, financial uncertainty, and the opportunities that eventually led to UVA and Cytek.

Along the way, they discuss mentorship, community, life after retirement, working across time zones, conference adventures, family, food, music, and their ongoing work with ISAC’s Instruments for Science initiative.

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In this episode, Peter sits down with Ulf Landegren, Professor of Molecular Medicine at Uppsala University and a pioneer in DNA-based detection technologies.

Ulf shares the story behind one of his lab’s most important breakthroughs, rolling circle amplification, and how it almost didn’t happen when a student pushed ahead despite his doubts.

He also explores how this technology has evolved into powerful methods for detecting cancer mutations with extraordinary sensitivity, offering new ways to monitor disease and patient outcomes, particularly in leukemia.

Along the way, Ulf reflects on the human side of science—from the role of curiosity and persistence in discovery to lively (and very vocal) scientific debates with his son on family bike rides.

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In this episode, Peter O'Toole is joined by Virginia Litwin, the President-Elect of the International Society For Advancement of Cytometry (ISAC).

They discuss Virginia's journey from academia to industry and her pivotal role in the creation and development of CYTO Women, a committee that's having a genuine positive impact on the opportunities available for women in cytometry.

She also shares her experiences in translational science, working closely with clinical trials, and her passion for standardization in flow cytometry.

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In this episode of Flow Stars, we're joined by Anis Larbi, Medical & Scientific Affairs, Beckman Coulter Life Sciences. 

Anis chats about his experience working at the prestigious A*STAR in Singapore, where he led a dual career as both a principal investigator and the head of a core flow cytometry facility.

He also shares his advocacy of networking, explains this inspired him to make the leap from academia to industry and discusses some of the snobbery some academics have about this transition.

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In this episode, Peter O'Toole welcomes Sofie Van Gassen, a Postdoctoral Researcher from VIB-UGent. Sofie explains how a computer scientist can end up working in flow cytometry and sets out her vision for the future of data science in flow.  She also sets out her twin passions for developing algorithms and pipelines for data analysis—and gardening.

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Today, Peter O'Toole chats with Dave Novo-Lake, founder of De Novo Research, a pioneering figure in flow cytometry data analysis, and the creator of FCS Express. Dave shares his journey from developing groundbreaking software in his spare time at a Boston lab to establishing a successful business that transformed clinical flow cytometry.

He also talks about keeping his passion for science alive with special projects, his extensive health and fitness routines, and an intriguing open-source initiative to create accessible scientific tools for developing countries.

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Today, our host Peter O'Toole sits down with the distinguished Mario Roederer, ImmunoTechnology Section Chief and Acting Head of the Translational Research Program at the National Institutes of Health.

Mario shares some fascinating insights from his illustrious career, from demonstrating flow cytometry to Presidents Barack Obama and George Bush to developing the widely used FlowJo™ software.

He also shares his inspirations, starting from his family roots and early education to the pivotal mentorship of figures like Bob Murphy and Len Herzenberg. Plus, we learn about the challenges and triumphs of his career, including his critical work on medical countermeasures for infectious diseases.

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