Dr Jennifer Cookman chairs Liquid Phase Microscopy - Gordon Research Seminar 2026

On 24^th January 2026, the Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) on Liquid Phase Electron Microscopy (LPEM) will take place at the Four Points Sheraton in Ventura, California, USA. Assistant Professor Jennifer Cookman has been busy throughout 2024 organising this event along with co-chair Dr Andreas Hutzler of Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg and Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany.

The scientific theme for the event is “Deciphering Dynamic Processes Using Correlative In Situ and Operando Microscopy” which is divided into four topics: multimodal microscopy approaches, biological processes, operando methods and crystallisation & synthesis. This 2-day event will display the scope of excellent cutting-edge research from emerging early career researchers in the LPEM space with extensive efforts to correlate these unique experiments to traditional strategies.

This year’s GRS brings together early‑career researchers from across the globe, with a balanced and diverse cohort including 50% female representation with a mix of PhD students (54%) and postdoctoral researchers (39%). The program places special emphasis on highlighting outstanding PhD speakers, who make up 62% of the invited talks.

The GRS is recognised internationally as one of the most prestigious platforms for emerging leaders in scientific research, known for its highly selective participation and its role in shaping the future direction of advanced microscopy.

Representing the University of Limerick on this international stage is an exciting opportunity for the UL Physics Department, showcasing UL’s growing expertise in electron microscopy, crystallisation, and multimodal characterisation. Notably, Jennifer’s PhD student has also been selected as an invited speaker in the Crystallisation and Synthesis session — an exceptional platform for early‑career recognition and a valuable spotlight on the innovative research emerging from Dr Cookman’s research group, particularly in correlating LPTEM observations with traditional on‑bench experiments.

Jennifer’s leadership role at this prestigious meeting reinforces UL’s visibility within the global LPEM community and highlights the department’s expanding contributions to advanced microscopy and materials characterisation.