Sr. Scientific Engineering Associate, NCEM
Biography
Niko Vlahakis graduated from UC Berkeley in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. He then completed his Ph.D. at UCLA in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry with Prof. Jose Rodriguez in 2025, where his doctoral research focused on developing low-dose 3D electron crystallography methods for determining atomic-resolution biomolecular structures. He worked as a postdoc with Prof. Peter Dahlberg at Stanford University and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory applying STEM spectroscopy methods to map elemental composition in cellular samples prepared by cryogenic FIB-milling. In 2026, he joined the Molecular Foundry staff.
Research Interests
Niko’s research interests focus on adapting (S)TEM and electron diffraction experiments for beam-sensitive samples, including soft and biological materials. He develops techniques for measuring and interpreting weak signals from low-dose TEM, with an emphasis on measurements at cryogenic temperatures, and leverages sample preparation methods applied in cryoEM such as cryo FIB-milling to interrogate in situ biological samples. He is particularly interested in applying 4D-STEM, EELS, and EDS for imaging and chemical analysis in soft materials and biology, and in developing serial and rotation electron crystallography (microED) methods for use in structural biology and chemistry.
