Speaker
Description
Imaging technologies are at the core of modern science, revealing the invisible—from cellular dynamics to the structure of materials. Yet those who make this possible—imaging scientists and core facility staff—often remain unseen within academic hierarchies. These professionals enable discovery across disciplines, but global inequalities still determine who has access to advanced imaging, who is recognised, and who truly belongs in scientific conversations.
Global BioImaging (GBI), an international network spanning more than sixty-five countries, addresses these disparities by building an inclusive platform where imaging scientists, facility operators, and managers learn from and support one another. Coordinated under EMBL’s hosting umbrella, GBI promotes equitable access, mutual learning, and recognition through initiatives that redefine inclusion in global science.
At the heart of this effort is imaging4All, an initiative to democratize imaging by strengthening local expertise and fostering equitable regional engagement—particularly across Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. GBI defines inclusion as an active practice of co-creation rather than outreach, recognising that every imaging community, regardless of resources, contributes essential expertise and context. This principle is exemplified by translating the Royal Microscopical Society (RMS) Facility Recognition Guidelines into multiple languages by local experts who adapted the text to their regional realities.
Complementing this work, the Career Paths for Imaging Scientists Working Group unites ca.100 experts from 28 countries and 14 time zones to address inequities in how imaging professionals are recognised and supported. By pooling global experience, the group is shaping shared guidelines for fair and sustainable career frameworks—advocating institutional change that values imaging scientists’ essential role in research.
To foster continuous exchange, GBI launched the Spotlight Series in 2024: monthly online seminars connecting imaging communities across continents. With dual sessions timed for both the Americas and Asia-Pacific, the series highlights global voices, local innovations, and shared purpose—ensuring engagement remains accessible, inclusive, and globally relevant.
This presentation explores how GBI’s approach—grounded in equity, reciprocity, and distributed leadership—reimagines belonging in scientific infrastructures. Through examples from imaging4All, the Career Paths initiative, and the Spotlight Series, it shows that equity in science communication must go beyond participation toward shared authorship, co-created knowledge, and a truly global research community where everyone can contribute and lead.
Acknowledgements
Global BioImaging is supported by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) and the Wellcome Trust. This work is made possible by the voluntary contributions of our national and regional partner networks and Working Group members.
