Ask me anything: Giannis Zacharakis – ‘The ability to pursue questions that genuinely interest you is a privilege’

Giannis Zacharakis, a renowned biophotonics and biomedical imaging researcher, recently shared insights into his professional life in an interview titled "Ask me anything: Giannis Zacharakis – ‘The ability to pursue questions that genuinely interest you is a privilege’." Zacharakis, who serves as the CEO of the precision photonics spin-off Kymatonics, is also a research director at the Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser (FORTH) in Greece. At FORTH, he leads the Laboratory for Biophotonics and Molecular Imaging, focusing on developing enabling technologies for imaging biological processes in living systems.

Zacharakis's career has seen him hold significant roles in the scientific community, including serving as president and vice-president of the European Society for Molecular Imaging. His dedication to the field has not gone unnoticed, as Kymatonics recently secured a highly competitive €2.1M European Innovation Council (EIC) Transition Open grant to advance the development and commercialization of their innovative wavefront-shaping objective lens.

When asked about the skills he uses every day in his job, Zacharakis emphasized the importance of both hard and soft skills. At the core of his work is the ability to ask questions and define the path to discovery through scientific knowledge and rigor. This involves breaking down complex physical and biological problems into manageable and measurable components under certain hypotheses. As a result, much of his day is spent engaged in analytical thinking and judgement, evaluating whether an observed effect is physically meaningful or an artifact of instrumentation or data processing.

Problem-solving in Zacharakis's field requires creativity and the ability to think outside the box, as experiments rarely behave exactly as planned. Patience, persistence, and the ability to stay calm when instruments misbehave or data contradict expectations are also crucial. Communication is another central skill for Zacharakis, as he regularly explains technical concepts to students, collaborators from other disciplines, and biologists or clinicians who may not share the same vocabulary. Translating physics into accessible language without oversimplifying the science is a conscious effort he makes daily.

Interestingly, project management plays a surprisingly large role in Zacharakis's work. Coordinating research efforts, managing resources, and ensuring the smooth progress of projects are all essential aspects of his job. His experience in leading the Laboratory for Biophotonics and Molecular Imaging at FORTH and serving as CEO of Kymatonics highlights his ability to balance these various responsibilities effectively.

Zacharakis's passion for his work is evident in his view that the ability to pursue questions that genuinely interest him is a privilege. His commitment to advancing biophotonics and biomedical imaging not only drives scientific progress but also has practical implications for healthcare and biology. As he continues to lead innovative research and commercial development, Giannis Zacharakis remains a key figure in the field, inspiring others with his dedication and expertise.