BE-LIGHT Barcelona Event: A Week of Science, Innovation and Collaboration!
From 28 September to 2 October 2026, Barcelona hosted an exciting week of scientific training, knowledge exchange and networking for the BE-LIGHT Doctoral Network. Bringing together fellows, supervisors, researchers and experts from across Europe, the event was a great success! 🎉
🔬 Hands-On Training 3 | Microscopy for Medical Diagnosis
📍 Hospital Sant Joan de Déu | 28–29 September
Led by Dr. Mònica Roldán and the Leica Microsystems team, our fellows explored advanced microscopy techniques for biomedical research through specialised lectures and hands-on laboratory sessions. From 3D and live-cell imaging to STED and LIGHTNING super-resolution microscopy, AI-assisted image analysis and diffusion models, participants gained valuable practical experience with cutting-edge technologies.
Staining samples for visualization under confocal microscopy
👁️ Hands-On Training 1 | Ophthalmic Imaging Instruments
📍 Instituto de Microcirugía Ocular | 30 September
The third day focused on advanced ophthalmic imaging technologies. Our fellows gained insights into clinical eye imaging, retinal imaging, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and corneal topography and biomechanics. Practical sessions provided a unique opportunity to experience these technologies in a clinical environment.
Visualization of eye tissue layers with OCT at IMO
💡 Workshop 3 | From Research to Impact
📍 Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Campus Nord | 1–2 October
The final two days brought together scientific research and professional development. Guided by expert Laura Escolano and Santiago Royo, CEO of Beamaging, fellows explored essential transferable skills, including technology transfer, entrepreneurship, intellectual property, funding opportunities and proposal writing.
Satiago Royo explaining how to identify an idea as an oportunity
The workshop also featured our fellows’ scientific presentations, showcasing their research progress and encouraging valuable discussions and feedback from supervisors and experts.
🌟 And that was not all! The programme also included an inspiring round table on career paths featuring Dr. Maria Duque, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Glasgow, who shared her experiences and insights into pursuing a research career. A visit to the Barcelona Supercomputing Center and a wonderful Gala Dinner provided further opportunities to exchange ideas, strengthen collaborations and build lasting connections.
Visit to the Barcelona Supercomputing Centre
❤️ A huge thank you to all the speakers, trainers, organisers, supervisors and fellows who made this week possible! Special thanks to our host institutions, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, IMO Grupo Miranza and UPC, for their warm welcome and outstanding contributions. We would also like to give special recognition to BE-LIGHT fellow Ioannis Georvasilis, who delivered a hands-on session on training neural networks for image denoising, sharing his expertise and practical insights with fellow researchers.
Five days filled with science, innovation, learning and unforgettable moments. We leave Barcelona with new knowledge, stronger connections and renewed motivation to continue advancing biomedical photonics together!
See you at the next BE-LIGHT event! 🚀
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