X-ray Micro Computed Tomography Seminar and Workshop

Emily Cooperdock |
Assistant Professor, Department of Earth, Environmental & Planetary Sciences @ Brown University

I am interested in the role that exhumation and fluid-rock interactions have on tectonic and geochemical processes. I use (U-Th)/He thermochronology, geochemistry, and petrology to 1) date minerals that form during fluid alteration, 2) investigate the geochemical fingerprints of fluid-rock interactions and volatile cycling at different tectonic settings, and 3) constrain the thermal history of convergent and divergent plate margins. In addition, I am interested in the history of diversity in the geosciences and efforts to make the discipline more inclusive. Learn more about Emily. 

Paul Byrne | Ph.D. Student, Dinosaur Institute @ University of Southern California

Paul Byrne is a Graduate Student-in-Residence in the Dinosaur Institute, conducting research at the museum in fulfillment of his doctoral degree in Earth Sciences at the University of Southern California.

Paul was born in Ventura, California, and grew up bodysurfing, exploring the outdoors, and convincing his twin brother to help him dig up the lawn in search of fossils. Paul received a B.A. in Biological Anthropology and a minor in Geology (Paleobiology) from the University of California, Davis in addition to attending university and researching abroad at the Universidad de Complutense and the Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia in Madrid. Paul is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Southern California and a researcher at the Keck School of Medicine of USC in the Department of Integrative and Anatomical Sciences. Paleontological Fieldwork has taken Paul all across Utah and New Mexico. Paul’s research objectives seek to better understand how to reconstruct soft-tissue anatomy in extinct archosaurs through bone histology and CT scanning. Specifically, Paul’s thesis is focused on reconstructing early archosaur lung structure and the size of red blood cells. Paul wants to use the information gained from this research to better understand the early evolution of archosaur activity levels.

Dr. Mike Marsh | Director of Product Management, Dragonfly @ Object Research Systems, Inc. 

Mike Marsh earned his Ph.D. in Structural and Computational Biology from the Baylor College of Medicine. He has worked in imaging technology and solutions, with an emphasis on 3D visualization and analysis, for over 15 years. His academic training was in biological sciences, but he has been tasked to develop other areas of expertise for commercial development, including materials sciences and geosciences. This expertise has led to contributed book chapters, review articles, and invited talks spanning these multiple disciplines. His scientific imaging and image processing covers X-ray CT, TEM, SEM, and SEM-related microanalysis. For the last four years, Dr. Marsh has worked as the Dragonfly Product Manager at Object Research Systems. Connect with Mike on LinkedIn 

Dr. Aaron Celestian | Curator, Natural History Museum & Adjunct Professor @ University of Southern California

Dr. Celestian’s currently researches how minerals interact with their environments and with living things, and how those minerals can be used to solve problems like climate change, pollution, and disease.  His ongoing research in experimental design, real-time material characterization, mineral discovery & application, and the functionalization of minerals is developing novel nano-crystalline Earth materials into functional materials for a wide variety of demanding applications.  Dr. Celestian holds adjunct teaching and research faculty positions at the University of Southern California and is an Affiliate Research Scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.  In addition to research, Dr. Celestian oversees the Gem & Mineral Hall at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles and regularly develops mineral science exhibits. Connect with Aaron on LinkedIn.