Dr Liam Rooney revealed as Scottish Microscopist of the Year!

Huge congratulations go to RMS Early Career Section Chair, Dr Liam Rooney, who has been announced as ‘Scottish Microscopist of the Year’.

The award was bestowed for the very first time by the Scottish Microscopy Society, celebrating inspirational and outstanding contributions to the Scottish Microscopy community.  

Liam, who is based at the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences (University of Strathclyde), conducts research covering both microscopy and microbiology. He uses innovative optical imaging methods to study various microbial phenomena: how bacteria interact, form communities, contribute to disease, and how to treat infections more effectively.

In addition to his own research, Liam has been actively engaged in RMS activities for several years. He joined the Society as a PhD student in 2016, going on to become a member of the Life Sciences Section Committee in 2018, and then Chair of the Early Career Committee in 2020. He is also involved with the Microbiology Society.

Liam said: “Winning this award came as a great surprise and an honour. I'm so grateful for the support I've had from mentors, colleagues, and learned societies. I'm really lucky to have such a supportive research environment and mentors who encourage me to explore my curiosities. Professor Gail McConnell and Professor Paul Hoskisson (University of Strathclyde) have been fantastic champions and mentors, and I'm really thankful for their support.

He added: “The RMS has also been overwhelmingly supportive of my journey and afforded me the freedom to work with great teams across the society. I've had the luxury of spanning two dynamic fields - microscopy and microbiology. Having involvement with both the RMS and the Microbiology Society has been a great way to straddle the boundary and connect communities.”
 
As part of the award, Liam receives a £500 cash prize and an invitation to give a talk at the Scottish Microscopy Society’s annual symposium.