Portrait: Kristen Harris

Camera: Leica Monochrom
Exposure: 1/500
Aperture: f/1.4
Focal Length: 35mm
ISO: 800

I had the distinct pleasure of spending some time with Kristen Harris at a recent NSF meeting (more on that later) she hosted on connectomics approaches.  I’ve long been a huge fan of Kristen’s work, and it in fact defined the requirements for our logistics on resolution for all our connectomes.  Kristen essentially demonstrated that 2nm/pixel was the absolute minimum for defining synapses, which we interpret as requiring presynaptic and postsynaptic structures as well as a ribbon or vesicle cloud associated with them.  Importantly, it is also the absolute nominal resolution required to define gap junctions.  I have taken to calling this “The Gospel of Kristen”, at least as far as connectomics goes.

At any rate, Kristen is a wonderful host, curates a great meeting, is a wonderful mentor to her students and employees, and I look forward to spending some more time with her and her group.  Thanks for everything Kristen!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *