On 17 September, Nika Gvazava, from the Wagner Lab, defended his PhD thesis “Spatiotemporal imaging of development, disease and regeneration using advanced light-based techniques” at Lund University.
For more than a century, the study of thin, stained tissue sections under the microscope has been central to understanding tissue architecture, development and disease. But because tissues and organisms are inherently three-dimensional, studying them in their native spatial context can provide a more complete picture of biological processes.
In his PhD research, Nika explored advanced light-based imaging and analytical techniques covering both the visible and infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. His work aimed to study biological samples as close as possible to their native state while preserving their three-dimensional structure and molecular information and enabling integration with complementary imaging approaches.
By combining multiple imaging and analytical methods, the research contributes to a broader shift towards multidimensional and multimodal analysis of intact biological tissues, moving beyond traditional two-dimensional tissue sections and single imaging modalities.
For Nika, the dissertation and defence marked the culmination of several years of research. He describes the defence as “truly one of the best four hours of my life so far”, particularly enjoying the discussions with his opponent, Professor Charlotte Dean, and the committee about the findings, limitations and future directions of the work.
He also highlights the importance of collaboration throughout his PhD journey. Nika worked in interdisciplinary environments both at Lund University and through external collaborations, including with the Lung Bioengineering and Regeneration Lab at McGill University.
His advice to current and future PhD students is simple:
“Stay curious, be proactive and start writing your thesis as early as possible.”
Nika would like to thank his supervisor Darcy Wagner, co-supervisor Oxana Klementieva and all colleagues and collaborators who contributed to his research journey.