In September 2025, Cheri Hampton joined the UW–Madison Cryo-EM Research Center (CEMRC) and the Midwest Center for Cryo-Electron Tomography (MCCET) as Operations and Technical Manager. Cheri is an accomplished biologist specializing in cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to uncover the molecular architecture of life. Beginning with a foundation in organismal biology and genetics at the University of Georgia’s veterinary school, Cheri explored molecular biology and gene mapping techniques. A growing fascination with molecular machines led to graduate studies in structural biology at Florida State University, where Cheri focused on actin and its associated proteins, employing innovative electron microscopy approaches to reveal the dynamic architecture of cells. This work included alternative methods such as lipid monolayer-based assembly and two-dimensional crystallization to visualize protein interactions beyond the constraints of traditional crystallography.
Building on this expertise Cheri next joined Joachim Frank’s lab at Columbia University, integrating cryo-ET with single-particle ribosome reconstructions and correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM). Subsequent roles include cellular tomography and viral infection studies with Dr. Elizabeth Wright at Emory University to inform vaccine design, followed by work with the U.S. Air Force Research Labs as a bio-materials imaging specialist, expanding into SEM, EDS, and EELS for synthetic biology and polymer characterization. Today, Cheri manages the UW-Madison world-class cryo-EM center, guiding a team of dedicated microscopists in pushing the boundaries of structural biology.