To inquire about services of the Cytometry and Imaging Shared Resource, contact Eric Wieder, Ph.D., CISR Director, at ewieder@med.miami.edu. You also may contact any of the staff in the main laboratory facility (in RMSB 7147) at 305-243-5571 or cisr@med.miami.edu.
Meet the team
The experienced and talented facility staff are responsible for all aspects of the daily operation of all flow cytometry instruments. They assist with and provide user advice on running samples on the analyzers, as well as exclusively performing cell sorting. They are also responsible for performing regular quality control, to ensure accurate operation of the instruments, including appropriate sterility testing. The staff are well qualified to perform routine instrument maintenance and minor repairs. In addition, they assist investigators with data analysis and storage, as well as the collection of information for facility usage reporting, billing users for services provided, and the purchase of supplies, as required. They provide appropriate training for investigators, students, and technical staff in the operation of the flow cytometers, use of their software, and analysis of data.
Eric D. Wieder, Ph.D., CISR Director
Dr. Wieder has over 30 years of experience in flow cytometry and has extensive experience performing high-parameter flow cytometry and T cell functional assessment. Prior to coming to University of Miami in 2008, Dr. Wieder ran flow cytometry core facilities at UCSF and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. He is available for consultation on experimental design and data analysis as well as assistance with review and letters of support for grant submission for projects that use the CISR.
Thomas Diefenbach, Ph.D., CISR Assistant Director
Dr. Diefenbach joined us in September of 2024 and brings to the CISR a background in neuroscience, cell biology and immunology as well as 36 years of imaging experience. Dr. Diefenbach completed postdoctoral research at the University Utah School of Medicine, as well as at Tufts University Medical School in Boston. He previously managed imaging facilities at Boston Children’s Hospital in Neurology through Harvard Medical School, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology through the RLE, and then at Massachusetts General Hospital in infectious disease research. His broad experience with numerous imaging platforms, modalities, experimental systems, and image analysis applications will provide for exciting future expansion of CISR imaging capabilities.
Shannon Saigh, Ph.D., Associate Scientist
Dr. Saigh received her Ph.D. in immunology from the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine in 2008. She has had six years of successfully designing and interpreting flow cytometry-based experiments in the laboratory of her mentor, Dr. Becky Adkins, which have led to several top-tier publications. She has further expanded her knowledgebase by becoming proficient with an array of flow cytometry applications that span the MAC/PC platforms. In addition to her technical knowledge, Dr. Saigh has a comprehensive understanding of biological systems, specifically, immune cell function. This has given her a broad understanding of cell surface molecules, as well as intracellular molecules, which can be used to both phenotypically and functionally characterize cell subsets; granting the CISR user maximum flexibility.
Patricia Guevara, M.A., Manager
Mrs. Guevara received her Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology and Immunology, plus a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from the University of Miami. Shortly after completing her bachelor’s degree, she began her scientific career in the laboratory of Dr. Becky Adkins at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine. She became proficient in designing, implementing and troubleshooting experiments, using biological, molecular and flow cytometry methods. During her 13-year tenure in the Adkins laboratory, she gained extensive knowledge in flow cytometry applications, which were essential to her research in neonatal immunology. Her experience encompasses use and knowledge of the analyzers, sorters, the analysis software, FlowJo and FCS Express, as well as the iLab scheduling software. She is also an expert with the facility’s monthly invoicing and reporting process.
Alain Diaz, Ph.D., Core Facility Research Specialist
Dr. Diaz came from Cuba over 15 years ago with a MSc. degree in Immunology and started his scientific career in the laboratory of Dr. Bonnie Blomberg in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Miami. His primary research focus involved evaluating the immune response and inflammation in cancer patients undergoing stress management. In addition, he participated in research projects assessing the effect of aging, inflammation and disease on B-cell responses to vaccines and experimental antigens in mice and humans. During his research career, he has developed expertise in a wide range of cellular and molecular immunological techniques, including proficiency in flow cytometry methods such as panel design and testing, cell sorting, cytometric bead array and PrimeFlow assay, as well as in-depth data analysis using FlowJo software.
Juliano Freitas, Ph.D., Core Facility Research Specialist
Dr. Freitas received a B.S. in Biology from the Federal University of Viçosa (Brazil) in 2012 and earned a Ph.D. from Florida International University in 2019, focusing on the microenvironment of melanoma tumors. In a postdoctoral position in the Dermatology Department at the University of Miami, he further investigated the immune aspects of melanoma biology and demonstrated that blockade of Notch1 reshapes the melanoma tumor microenvironment. Throughout both graduate and postdoctoral training, Dr. Freitas gained extensive experience in flow cytometry and microscopy and in 2023, he transitioned into his current role within the CISR.
Brit Chapman, B.S., Research Associate
Ms. Chapman received their B.A. in biology from Bard College located in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. While studying, Brit worked as a laboratory assistant at Bard College’s Biology Lab. As a senior, Brit studied the relationship between the Florida harvester ant and the black-legged tick. Through their work as an undergraduate, Brit gained skills in scientific communication, research, and data analysis. Although relatively new to flow cytometry, Brit has a fascination for the subject and has rapidly gained knowledge and expertise in facilitating cytometry experiments.