Core Facilities play a pivotal role in enabling cutting-edge research, serving as hubs of innovation, collaboration, and technical excellence. This webinar brings together experienced leaders from the core facility community to share strategic insights into the evolving role of platforms such as protocols.io in life sciences. From governance and global partnerships to reproducibility, training and open science, the session will explore how facility leaders are shaping the future of research ecosystems.
Join us for a dynamic discussion on the challenges and opportunities in managing core technologies, and how method sharing, standardized documentation, and recognition of facility staff are driving scientific impact across disciplines.
In this session, we will cover:
- Introduction to protocols.io and its role in supporting core facilities to demonstrate their impact
- Increasing visibility and recognition through authorship of diverse research outputs
- Standardized documentation practices to support reproducibility
- Aligning facility workflows with open research and FAIR principles
- Strategic perspectives on managing and scaling core facilities
- The central role of core technologies in enabling life science breakthroughs
Speakers
Dr Britta Schroth-Diez , PhD
Deputy Service Leader
Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics
Britta Schroth-Diez is the Deputy Service Leader of the Light Microscopy Core Facility at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG), where she has been a driving force in cellular imaging innovation for over 18 years. With deep expertise in microscopy, cell biology, and biophysics, she has led the implementation of advanced imaging modalities to explore dynamic cellular processes. Britta plays a key role in shaping international standards for imaging quality and reproducibility through her leadership. Fluent in German and English, and conversant in several other languages, Britta actively fosters cross-border collaboration and knowledge exchange across the global microscopy community.
Dr Ralph Palmisano, PhD
Head OICE (Optical Imaging Competence Center)
FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg
Dr. Ralph Palmisano is the Founding Head of the Optical Imaging Centre Erlangen (OICE) at FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, where he has led strategic development in advanced imaging technologies since 2013. His career spans influential academic and leadership roles in Germany and the UK. Dr. Palmisano has been instrumental in shaping the European microscopy landscape through his work with German BioImaging, the Open Microscopy Environment, and Core Technologies for Life Sciences (CTLS), where he currently serves on the Board of Directors as Vice President. He is a driving force behind major international conferences and advisory boards and actively promotes global collaboration in life science imaging. His teaching portfolio includes a wide range of advanced microscopy techniques, reflecting his commitment to scientific education and innovation.
Dr Ramiro Bravo, PhD
Research Data Manager, Technology Platforms - Core Facilities, FBMH
University of Manchester (UoM)
Dr. Ramiro Bravo is the Research Data Manager for the Core Facilities (CF) Technology Platforms within the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health (FBMH) at the University of Manchester (UoM). As a Research Data Manager, he collaborates with CF teams, Principal Investigators (PIs), and health researchers to promote best practices in research data management. With a background in both biomedical engineering and computer science, Ramiro brings a strong technical foundation to his work. Ramiro is a strong advocate for Open Research (OR) practices, emphasizing their importance in promoting data transparency, the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable), reproducibility, open access to scientific knowledge, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Julia Kurz, PhD
Associate Scientific Engagement Manager
protocols.io
Julia is our Associate Scientific Engagement Manager, based in Germany. She is involved in delivering webinars, demos, and training sessions to help users to get the most out of protocols.io. Julia is experienced working closely with scientists in both academic and commercial research settings. She has a research background herself, having completed her PhD in medicinal chemistry and structural biology. She is driven by a passion for bringing scientific innovations to life.