Dr Christian Hacker

Dr Christian Hacker is the Senior Experimental Officer and Facility Manager of Bioimaging in the Department of Biosciences at the University of Exeter. With expertise in quantitative electron microscopy, he leads the Bioimaging Centre within the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, supported by a team of an Experimental Officer for Light Microscopy and two research technicians, as well as an administrator.

Christian began his academic journey at the University of Würzburg, Germany, where he earned a diploma in biology. He then pursued a PhD under the mentorship of Prof. Marie-Christine Dabauvalle, focusing on the formation of nuclear pore complexes post-mitosis.

In 2010, Dr Hacker commenced a postdoctoral position at the University of Dundee in Dr John Lucocq’s lab, investigating the function and biogenesis of microsporidian mitosomes. This role involved extensive use of various electron microscopic techniques and quantitative methods, which he continually honed throughout his research.

In 2012, he followed Dr Lucocq to the University of St Andrews, continuing his research on the cell biology of microsporidia and contributing to the establishment of a biological transmission electron microscope. During this period, he collaborated on numerous projects both within St Andrews and across the UK, advancing the field of quantitative electron microscopy.

Since 2013, Dr Hacker has been a teacher at the EMBO practical course for advanced electron microscopy in cell biology. In March 2015, he joined the University of Exeter as an experimental officer for electron microscopy at the Bioimaging Centre, soon assuming the role of research facility manager.