A Practical Guide to Optical Microscopy (PDF)

John Girkin is professor of Biophysics at Durham University and Director of the Biophysical Sciences Institute in Durham. He moved to Durham in 2009 to take up this role having previously founded the Centre for Biophotonics at Strathclyde University, Glasgow where he was one of the first leaders at the Institute of Photonics. Originally trained as a physicist at Oxford and with a PhD from Southampton University (in Laser Spectroscopy of Atomic Hydrogen) he worked for ten years in industry including developing the world's first diode laser retinal photocoagulator and diode pumped Nd:Yag laser. He moved back into academia in 1996 as one of the original Research Team Leaders at the Institute of Photonics, Strathclyde University.

His research focuses on the development of novel optical instrumentation to help solve challenges within the life sciences. His research covers a very broad range of activities from dental imaging in the near infrared through to rapid-genomic screening but an ongoing theme has been in developing and applying optical microscopy methods to life science challenges. His initial focus was in non-linear microscopy and he was one of the first pioneers in the use of adaptive optics in microscopy and has more recently been developing advanced forms of single plane illumination microscope for in vivo zebra fish imaging. A constant within his research has been to select the most suitable method for a specific task.

He has published over 100 peer-reviewed publications, is a Fellow of both the Institute of Physics and the Optical Society of America serving on both national and international review panels in the area of biophotonics and microscopy.