Jennifer C Waters

What inspires or motivates you in your role at HMS/HSDM?
Simply put, I love microscopes and I love teaching. I feel very fortunate to have found a role where I can indulge in my passions every day, in an intellectually-stimulating and exciting research environment.

What are you most proud of about your work at HMS/HSDM?
I'm very proud of the dedicated team I have the pleasure to work with: Lauren Alvarenga, Talley Lambert and Anastasha Echavarri. Each member of "Team NIC", as I like to call them, plays a critical role in the Nikon Imaging Center's core mission: enabling biomedical research at HMS by providing well-maintained, state-of-the-art instruments and excellent training in microscopy.

What is the significance of the object you brought with you to the photo shoot?
I'm holding an objective lens, the main imaging-forming lens in a microscope. I had the HMS Quad Machine Shop cut this objective lens in half, so the internal lens elements are visible. I use it as a teaching tool in my courses, and it symbolizes my goal when teaching microscopy: to demystify the microscope for my students, so they feel confident that they are using microscopes properly in their research.