The new core light microscope facility at the WIMM, the Wolfson Imaging Centre – Oxford, was officially opened on May 23, 2013. The establishment of this Centre has been made possible by a generous award of £1.5m from the Wolfson Foundation, and with additional funds provided by the MRC to the Director of the WIMM Prof. Doug Higgs, the Director of the MRC Human Immunology Unit Prof. Vincenzo Cerundolo and the Scientific Director of the Centre Dr. Christian Eggeling.
The official opening of the Centre was marked with a short scientific symposium. An introduction was given by Prof. Doug Higgs followed by an overview of the Centre from Dr. Christian Eggeling and the Facility Manager of the Centre Dr. Christoffer Lagerholm. Short talks providing examples of imaging work currently being undertaken were given by Dr. Lothar Schermelleh from the Micron Advanced Bioimaging Unit at Oxford University Department of Biochemistry, and by existing Imaging Centre users Drs. Jana Koth, Emily Thornton, Jakub Chojnacki and Veronica Buckle. Immediately following the presentations a small reception, sponsored by Carl Zeiss and Leica, was held in the WIMM lounge whilst groups of visitors were taken around the Imaging Centre.
Notable attendees at the event were the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Wolfson Foundation, Dame Janet Wolfson de Botton CBE, and Board of Trustees members the Honorable Mrs Laura Wolfson Townsley and Sir David Weatherall MD FRCP FRS. Also in attendance were the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford Prof. Andrew Hamilton, Nobel Laureate Sir Tim Hunt who is also a member of the External Advisory Board of the WIMM, and the Programme Manager for Stem Cells, Developmental Biology, Regenerative Medicine and Haematology for the MRC Dr. Paul Colville-Nash.