Prof. Dr. Venera Weinhardt Lys Y. Seng

Prof. Dr. Venera Weinhardt

  • Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1
    76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen

Venera Weinhardt is a physicist by training specializing in development of innovative X-ray imaging approaches for applications in biomaterials and medicine. Her department works on the development and adaptation of advanced imaging methods — including new X-ray optics, contrast mechanisms, low-dose imaging, and novel geometries — to help improve understanding of complex systems.

 

Career Path

 

Since 10/25  

 

 Full professor (Heisenberg Programme, DFG) and head of the department X-ray Micro-Technology, Institute for Microstructure Technology (IMT), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

Since 01/20

 

 Affiliate scientist, Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA

02/19-09/25 

 

 Project Leader, Centre for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg,Germany

03/17-02/19

 

 Postdoctoral Researcher (Walter Benjamin Programme, DFG), Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA

01/16-02/17

 

 Research scientist, Institute for Photon Science and Synchrotron Radiation, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany

Education

04/2014 Dr. rer. nat in X-ray phase-contrast imaging (supervisor: Prof. Dr. Tilo Baumbach)
06/2009 M.Sc. in New methods and materials in medicine
06/2006 B.Sc. in Physics

Stays abroad in France and USA

Awards and Prizes

2025 CHS Short-term fellowship from the Chica and Heinz Schaller Foundation
2025 Scientific Editor of the Journal of Microscopy, member of the Royal Microscopy Society
2024 ERC Synergy Grant for Project „NanoX: Nanoscale X-ray tissue imaging: understanding the pathophysiology of hepatitis E infection“
2025 Heisenberg fellowship of the German Research Foundation
2023 Winner of the "WIN-Conferences 2024" from the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences
Since 2023 Invited as chair of the scientific advisory board for the Brookhaven National Laboratory, USA
2017 Walter Benjamin Fellowship of the German Research Foundation

Lectures and Courses

Summer semester: Fundamentals of Medical Technology  (T-MACH-114910)

 

Books and Journal Publications


2014
Characterization of X-ray rolled prism lenses within MiQA project
Vogt, H.; Marschall, M.; Altapova, V.
2014. ANKA User Reports 2012/2013, 226–227, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT) 
2013
Increasing the field of view for X-ray phase contrast imaging by stitching of gratings: First experimental results at synchrotron and X-ray tube
Meiser, J.; Mohr, J.; Kunka, D.; Amberger, M.; Hipp, A.; Willner, M.; Altapova, V.; Chen, F.; Pfeiffer, F.; Schulz, J.; Walter, M.
2013. 2nd International Symposium on BioMedical Applications of X-Ray Phase Contrast Imaging (IMXP 2013), Garmisch-Partenkirchen, January 24-25, 2013 
2012
Refractive optical elements and opticl system for high energy X-ray microscopy
Simon, M.; Altapova, V.; Baumbach, T.; Kluge, M.; Last, A.; Marschall, F.; Mohr, J.; Nazmov, V.; Vogt, H.
2012. X-Ray Optics and Microanalysis : Proc. of the 21st Internat. Congress, Campinas, BR, September 5-9, 2011. Ed.: C.A. Perez, American Institute of Physics (AIP). doi:10.1063/1.3703354 
Fabrication and characterization of analyzer gratings with high aspect ratios for phase contrast imaging using a Talbot interferometer
Kenntner, J.; Altapova, V.; Grund, T.; Pantenburg F. J.; Meiser, J.; Baumbach, T.; Mohr, J.
2012. AIP Conference Proceedings : 21st International Congress on X-Ray Optics and Microanalysis, ICXOM21; Campinas; Brazil; 5 September 2011 - 9 September 2011, 89–93, American Institute of Physics (AIP). doi:10.1063/1.3703349 
Fabrication and characterization of analyzer gratings with high aspect rations for phase contrast imaging using a Talbot interferometer
Kenntner, J.; Altapova, V.; Grund, T.; Pantenburg, F. J.; Meiser, J.; Baumbach, T.; Mohr, J.
2012. 21st Internat.Congress on X-Ray Optics and Microanalysis (ICXOM21), Campinas, BR, September 5-8, 2011 
2011
X-ray phase-contrast radiography using a filtered white beam with a grating interferometer
Altapova, V.; Butzer, J.; Rolo, T. d. S.; Vagovic, P.; Cecilia, A.; Moosmann, J.; Kenntner, J.; Mohr, J.; Pelliccia, D.; Pichugin, V. F.; Baumbach, T.
2011. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 648 (1), 42–45. doi:10.1016/j.nima.2010.12.218 
Gratings with extreme aspect ratios for X-ray phase contrast tomography at high energies
Mohr, J.; Altapova, V.; Baumbach, T.; Grund, T.; Kenntner, J.; Zanette, I.; Weitkamp, T.
2011. 60th Annual Conf.on Applications of X-Ray Analysis : Denver X-ray Conf., Colorado Springs, Colo., August 1-5, 2011 
Characterization of X-ray gratings with extreme aspect ratios for phase contrast imaging
Kenntner, J.; Grund, T.; Mohr, J.; Altapova, V.; Zanette, I.; Rack, A.; Weitkamp, T.; Ritter, A.; Chabior, M.; Willner, M.; Baumbach, T.
2011. ESRF (European Synchrotron Radiation Facility) Users’ Meeting 2011, Grenoble, F, February 7-10, 2011 
2010
Phase-contrast imaging using hard X-ray grating interferometer
Altapova, V.; Butzer, J.; Rolo, T. d. S.; Vagovic, P.; Cecilia, A.; Moosmann, J.; Reznikova, E.; Kenntner, J.; Pelliccia, D.; Baumbach, T.
2010. 18th Internat.Synchrotron Radiation Conf. (SR-2010), Novosibirsk, Russia, July 19-22, 2010 
Grating interferometer based phase-contrast imaging as an application to the dynamic processes study
Altapova, V.; Zienicke, B.; Butzer, J.; Rolo, T. d. S.; Vagovic, P.; Cecilia, A.; Moosman, J.; Ershov, A.; Reznikova, E.; Kenntner, J.; Mohr, J.; Lamparter, T.; Baumbach, T.
2010. 10th Biennial Conf.,on High Resolution X-Ray Diffraction and Imaging (XTOP 2010), Warwick, GB, September 20-23, 2010 
Grating fabrication for phase contrast - CT
Kenntner, J.; Grund, T.; Sahlmann, L.; Börner, M.; Matthis, B.; Straus, C.; Scherer, T.; Tapfer, A.; Bech, M.; Herzen, J.; Pfeiffer, F.; Willner, M.; Weitkamp, T.; Zanette, I.; Altapova, V.; David, C.; Mohr, J.
2010. 2nd ANKA/KNMF Joint Users Meeting, Karlsruhe, October 7-8, 2010 
Phase-contrast imaging using hard X-ray grating interferometer
Altapova, V.; Butzer, J.; Rolo, T. d. S.; Vagovic, P.; Cecilia, A.; Moosmann, J.; Reznikova, E.; Kenntner, J.; Mohr, J.; Pelliccia, D.; Baumbach, T.
2010. Internat.Conference on Imaging Techniques in Subatomic Physics, Astrophysics, Medicine, Biology and Industry (Imaging 2010), Stockholm, S, June 8-11, 2010 
2009
LIGA gratings for X-ray Talbot interferometer: fabrication and X-ray characterization
Reznikova, E.; Mohr, J.; Matthis, B.; Weitkamp, T.; David, C.; Pfeiffer, F.; Pelliccia, D.; Altapova, V.; Zanette, I.
2009. 20th Internat.Congress on X-ray Optics and Microanalysis (ICXOM 20), Karlsruhe, September 14-18, 2009 Book of Abstracts