2017	Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering	Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya
	Thesis: Multiscale Image Analysis of Calcium Dynamics in Cardiac Myocytes
2009	B.Sc. in Physics	Universitat de Barcelona

Research Experience

2023 - pres.	Associate Project Scientist	Beckman Laser Institute
	Utilizing time-resolved multiphoton microscope FLAME in the context of clinical dermatology. Design and development of front-end interface to drive FLAME. Design and development of image processing tools tailored to the needs of the group using FLAME. Demonstrating FLAME capabilities in monitoring treatment (immunotherapy for melanoma and phototherapy for vitiligo).
2021 - 2023	R/D Director & Data Scientist	Arvetas Biosciences
	Developing a multiomics spatial imaging platform: Design and creation of a spatialomics image analysis pipeline. Adaptation and maintenance of imaging devices. Fluorescence probe labeling design. Contributing to writing a successful SBIR grant ($400k). Interviewing and hiring technical candidates.
2021 - 2023	Visiting Researcher	University of California, Irvine
	Actively engaged in collaborations with the BME and Pharm. Sci. departments. Invited speaker in workshops, seminars, and international conferences.
2017 - 2021	Postdoctoral Scholar	Laboratory for Fluorescence Dynamics
	Invented and patented a spatialomics method (WO 2021/102140 A1). Built two state-of-the-art microscopes: STED microscopy with Orbital Tracking. Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging and Spectral Imaging. Awarded research funding through Balsells Felowship ($100k).
2015 - 2017	Software Developer	1D3A, ERIC Sports
	Created a video tracking algorithm for tennis TV feed.
2010 - 2017	Doctoral Fellow	Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya
	Designed and patented a set of data analysis tools for Calcium Imaging. Led collaborations with 4 renowned international cardiology labs. Teaching Assistant in the School of Engineering: General Programming (freshman class). Industrial Control (junior class). Awarded Spanish Government doctoral scholarship ($50k).

Publications

Total number of peer reviewed publications and patents	Journal Articles	Patents	Conference Proceedings
	41	2	52

Journal Articles

[J1]	Label-free human skin imaging: enhanced molecular contrast via time-resolved fluorescence and advanced phasor analysis. S. Ranjit et al. Commun. Biol. Dec 2025.
[J2]	In vivo human skin imaging: distinguishing cellular and fibrillar components with fluorescence lifetime microscopy. B. Torrado et al. J. Investig. Dermatol. Nov 2025.
[J3]	Consensus guidelines for cellular label-free optical metabolic imaging: ensuring accuracy and reproducibility in metabolic profiling. I. Georgakoudi et al. Journal of Biomedical Optics Nov 2025.
[J4]	Label-free multiphoton microscopy of human skin: longitudinal studies capturing cell dynamics. A. Vallmitjana et al. Biomed. Opt. Express Sep 2025.
[J5]	GSLab: Open-Source Platform for Advanced Phasor Analysis in Fluorescence Microscopy. A. Vallmitjana et al. Bioinformatics Apr 2025.
[J6]	Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate Receptor 1 Gain-of-Function Increases the Risk for Cardiac Arrhythmias in Mice and Humans. B. Sun et al. Circ. Mar 2025.
[J7]	Intradermal Delivery of Calcium Hydroxylapatite With Fractionated Ablation. W. Driscoll et al. Lasers Surg Med Aug 2024.
[J8]	A versatile reporter system to study cell-to-cell and cell-free bovine leukemia virus infection. F. Rammauro et al. bioRxiv Feb 2024.
[J9]	Building Fluorescence Lifetime Maps Photon-by-Photon by Leveraging Spatial Correlations. M. Fazel et al. ACS Photonics Sep 2023.
[J10]	Increased Ca2+ Transient Underlies RyR2-related Left Ventricular Noncompaction. M. Ni et al. Circ. Res. Jun 2023.
[J11]	Fluorescence Lifetime: Beating the IRF and interpulse window. M. Fazel et al. Biophys J. Jan 2023.
[J12]	Spatial Distribution of Calcium Sparks Determines Their Ability to Induce Afterdepolarizations in Human Atrial Myocytes. C. Tarifa et al. JACC Basic Transl Sci. Jan 2023.
[J13]	RyR2 Serine-2030 PKA Site Governs Ca2+ Release Termination and Ca2+ Alternans. J. Wei et al. Circ. Res. Dec 2022.
[J14]	Phasor-based multi-harmonic unmixing for in-vivo hyperspectral imaging. A. Vallmitjana et al. Methods Appl. Fluoresc. Nov 2022.
[J15]	Multiscale image analysis of calcium dynamics in cardiac myocytes. A. Vallmitjana and R. Benítez. Opt. pura apl. Jun 2022.
[J16]	Visualizing the Mode of Action and Supramolecular Assembly of Teixobactin Analogues in Bacillus subtilis. M.A. Morris et al. Chem. Sci. May 2022.
[J17]	In vivo macromolecular crowding is differentially modulated by Aquaporin 0 in zebrafish lens: insights from a nano-environment sensor and spectral imaging. I. Vorontsova et al. Sci. Adv. Feb 2022.
[J18]	High resolution fluorescence lifetime maps from minimal photon counts. M. Fazel et al. ACS Photonics Feb 2022.
[J19]	Spatial transcriptomics using combinatorial fluorescence spectral and lifetime encoding, imaging and analysis. T.M. Vu et al. Nat. Commun. Jan 2022.
[J20]	Beta2-adrenergic stimulation potentiates spontaneous calcium release by increasing signal mass and co-activation of ryanodine receptor clusters. C. Nolla-Colomer et al. Acta Physiol. Nov 2021.
[J21]	Phasor-based image segmentation: machine learning clustering techniques. A. Vallmitjana et al. Biomed. Opt. Express Jun 2021.
[J22]	Ca2+-CaM Dependent Inactivation of RyR2 Underlies Ca2+ Alternans in Intact Heart. J. Wei et al. Circ. Res. Feb 2021.
[J23]	Cardiac Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Deficiency Syndrome. B. Sun et al. Sci. Transl. Med. Feb 2021.
[J24]	Mitochondria and calcium defects correlate with axonal dysfunction in GDAP1-related Charcot-Marie-Tooth mouse model. A. Civera-Tregón et al. Neurobiol. Dis. Feb 2021.
[J25]	Blind resolution of lifetime components in individual pixels of fluorescence lifetime images using the phasor approach. A. Vallmitjana et al. J. Phys. Chem. B Nov 2020.
[J26]	Resolution of 4 components in the same pixel in FLIM images using the phasor approach. A. Vallmitjana et al. Methods Appl. Fluoresc. Apr 2020.
[J27]	Nano-resolution in vivo 3D orbital tracking system to study cellular dynamics and bio-molecular processes. U.C. Coskun et al. SPIE BiOS Jan 2020.
[J28]	The 4q25 variant rs13143308T links risk of atrial fibrillation to defective calcium homoeostasis. A. Herraiz-Martínez et al. Cardiovasc. Res. Mar 2019.
[J29]	The cardiac ryanodine receptor, but not sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase, is a major determinant of Ca2+ alternans in intact mouse hearts. B. Sun et al. J. Biol. Chem. Aug 2018.
[J30]	Dynamic and Irregular Distribution of Cardiac Ryanodine Receptor Clusters in the Periphery of Live Ventricular Myocytes. F. Hiess et al. Biophys. J. Jan 2018.
[J31]	Reduced Expression of Cardiac Ryanodine Receptor Protects against Stress-induced Ventricular Tachyarrhythmia, but Increases the Susceptibility to Cardiac Alternans. X. Zhong et al. Biochem. J. Jan 2018.
[J32]	Motion estimation of subcellular structures from fluorescence microscopy images. A. Vallmitjana et al. Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. Jul 2017.
[J33]	Suppression of Ryanodine Receptor Function Prolongs Ca2+ Release Refractoriness and Promotes Cardiac Alternans in Intact Hearts. X. Zhong et al. Biochem. J. Nov 2016.
[J34]	Cardiac electrical defects in progeroid mice and Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome patients with nuclear lamina alterations. J. Rivera-Torres et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. Oct 2016.
[J35]	Prevention of adenosine A2A receptor activation diminishes beat-to-beat alternation in human atrial myocytes. C.E. Molina et al. Basic Res. Cardiol. Jan 2016.
[J36]	Distribution and Function of Cardiac Ryanodine Receptor Clusters in Live Ventricular Myocytes. F. Hiess et al. J. Biol. Chem. Aug 2015.
[J37]	Ageing is associated with deterioration of calcium homeostasis in isolated human right atrialmyocytes. A. Herraiz-Martínez et al. Cardiovasc. Res. Apr 2015.
[J38]	Phospholamban knockout breaks arrhythmogenic Ca2+ waves and suppresses catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia in mice. Y. Bai et al. Circ. Res. Aug 2013.
[J39]	Multilevel analysis of calcium dynamics in stimulated cultures of cardiomyocytes. A. Vallmitjana et al. Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. Jul 2013.
[J40]	Low Density Lipoproteins Promote Unstable Calcium Handling Accompanied by Reduced SERCA2 and Connexin-40 Expression in Cardiomyocytes. M. Barriga et al. PLoS One Mar 2013.
[J41]	Identification of intracellular calcium dynamics in stimulated cardiomyocytes. A. Vallmitjana et al. Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. Sep 2010.

Patents

[P1]	Compositions and methods for spatial profiling of biological materials using time-resolved luminescence measurements. T.M. Vu, A. Vallmitjana, J. Gu, J. Zimak, P.N. Hedde, L. Scipioni, W. Zhao and E. Gratton. WO US CN | US20230034263A1. 2019.
[P2]	Computer-implemented method for dynamic characterization of cells in cell cultures and computer programs to carry out the method. A. Vallmitjana, L. Hove-Madsen and R. Benítez. ES | ES2532746B1. 2013.

Conference Abstracts

[C1]	Identifying skin cell populations via their fluorescent signatures in label-free two-photon FLIM. A. Vallmitjana et al. SPIE Photonics West BIOS, San Francisco, CA, USA, Jan 2026.
[C2]	Characterization of the immune microenvironment of skin cancer. B. Torrado et al. SPIE Photonics West BIOS, San Francisco, CA, USA, Jan 2026.
[C3]	Label-free two-photon FLIM for clinical dermatology. A. Vallmitjana et al. 1st Carpathian Biophotonics Meeting, Sinaia, ROMANIA, Sep 2025.
[C4]	Fast large-area multiphoton exoscope for label-free in vivo imaging of immune cells in human skin. B. Torrado et al. 69th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical-Society, Los Angeles, CA, USA, Feb 2025.
[C5]	Long term in-vivo studies of human skin at cellular resolution. A. Vallmitjana et al. SPIE Photonics West BIOS, San Francisco, CA, USA, Jan 2025.
[C6]	Advancements in time-resolved detection for in-vivo multiphoton microscopy of human skin. M. Balu et al. SPIE Photonics West BIOS, San Francisco, CA, USA, Jan 2025.
[C7]	Advancements in label-free optical metabolic in vivo imaging of human skin using multiphoton microscopy. B. Torrado et al. SPIE Photonics West BIOS, San Francisco, CA, USA, Jan 2025.
[C8]	Standardizing multiphoton microscopy for clinical melanoma diagnosis: pilot study outcomes. S. Ranjit et al. SPIE Photonics West BIOS, San Francisco, CA, USA, Jan 2025.
[C9]	Longitudinal Analysis by MPM/RCM of Intradermal Deposition of Topical CaHA After Fractionated Ablation. W. Driscoll et al. American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL, USA, Oct 2024.
[C10]	Biophysical properties of the cilium that could contribute to regulate protein transport to the organelle. M. Cortabarría et al. 6th European Cilia Meeting, Dublin, IRELAND, Sep 2024.
[C11]	Label-free multiphoton microscopy of immune cells in human skin. A. Vallmitjana et al. Optica Biophotonics Congress, Fort Lauderdale, Florida USA, Apr 2024.
[C12]	Advancing optical metabolic imaging through phasor-based S-FLIM-SHG microscopy. B. Torrado et al. SPIE BiOS, San Francisco, CA, USA, Jan 2024.
[C13]	Multi-harmonic spectral phasor analysis of LAURDAN hyperspectral imaging enables the in vivo study of membrane dynamics of multiple membrane-bound organelles. A. Vallmitjana et al. 67th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical-Society, San Diego, CA, USA, Feb 2023.
[C14]	Simultaneous FLIM, harmonic generation and hyperspectral imaging using a 4-channel detector. B. Torrado et al. 67th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical-Society, San Diego, CA, USA, Feb 2023.
[C15]	Integrated lifetime and spectral phasor imaging of biomarker expression and metabolism in hormone receptor positive breast cancer models. B. Torrado et al. AACR Annual Meeting 2022, New Orleans, LA, USA, Apr 2022.
[C16]	Spectral and lifetime multiplexing with combinatorial labeling. A. Vallmitjana et al. 66th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society, San Francisco, CA, USA, Feb 2022.
[C17]	Understanding water dynamics in different subcellular environments by combining multiplexing imaging and dimethylamino naphthalene fluorescent derivatives. B. Torrado et al. 66th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society, San Francisco, CA, USA, Feb 2022.
[C18]	Automatic image segmentation based on phasor space clustering. A. Vallmitjana et al. 65th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society, Virtual, Feb 2021.
[C19]	Spatial profiling of mRNA transcripts with spectral and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy. J. Flores et al. 65th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society, Virtual, Feb 2021.
[C20]	Pathological phosphorylation of the ryanodine receptor at s2808 increases the number of individual clusters activated per calcium spark and the calcium released per cluster. C. Nolla-Colomer et al. European Society of Cardiology Congress, Virtual, Nov 2020.
[C21]	Highly Multiplexed Molecular Profiling Platform Using Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy (FLIM). H.V. Patel et al. Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA, USA, Oct 2020.
[C22]	Aquaporin 0a is required for water homeostasis in the zebrafish lens in vivo. I. Vorontsova et al. 64th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical-Society, San Diego, CA, USA, Feb 2020.
[C23]	Detection of Calcium release from individual RyR2 clusters in cardiomyocites. C. Nolla-Colomer et al. 64th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical-Society, San Diego, CA, USA, Feb 2020.
[C24]	A Nanocamera system for fast spectral FLIM in living cells. L. Scipioni et al. 64th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical-Society, San Diego, CA, USA, Feb 2020.
[C25]	Solvatochromic properties of ACDAN and spectral phasor analysis reveal the role of Aquaporin 0a in regulating macromolecular crowding in the zebrafish lens in vivo. L. Malacrida et al. 64th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical-Society, San Diego, CA, USA, Feb 2020.
[C26]	Measuring the spatial distribution of dipolar relaxation in live zebrafish eye lenses during development. A. Vallmitjana et al. 64th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society, San Diego, CA, USA, Feb 2020.
[C27]	Aquaporin 0a is required for water homeostasis in the zebrafish lens in vivo. I. Vorontsova et al. 6th International Conference on the Lens 2019 (NFER), Hilo, HI, USA, Dec 2019.
[C28]	Role of Aqp0 in water homeostasis and macromolecular crowding modulation on in vivo zebrafish lens. I. Vorontsova et al. II Congreso Nacional Sociedad Uruguaya de Biociencias, Montevideo, URUGUAY, Sep 2019.
[C29]	3D orbital tracking under STED microscopy. A. Vallmitjana and E. Gratton. 63rd Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society, Baltimore, MD, USA, Mar 2019.
[C30]	Inhibition of PDE3 but not PDE4 phosphodiesterases stimulate ryanodine receptor phosphorylation at Ser2808. V. Jiménez-Sábado et al. Congress of the European Society of Cardiology, Munich, GERMANY, Aug 2018.
[C31]	Characterization of Mitochondrial Transport Using Probabilistic Feature-Based Tracking. C. Serrano et al. 40th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC), Honolulu, HI, USA, Jul 2018.
[C32]	Excessive activation of beta-2 adrenergic receptors induces arrhythmic calcium oscillations and ryanodine receptor phosphorylation at ser2809 but not at ser2815. V. Jiménez-Sábado et al. Congress of the European Society of Cardiology, Barcelona, SPAIN, Aug 2017.
[C33]	Automatic segmentation of z-lines in cardiac cells from microscope fluorescence images. C. Nolla-Colomer et al. 39th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC), Jeju, KOREA, Jul 2017.
[C34]	Detection and characterization of spontaneous calcium release events in cardiac myocytes. A. Vallmitjana et al. Single-Cell Biophysics Congress on Measurement, Modulation and Modeling, Biophysical Society, Taipei, TAIWAN, Jun 2017.
[C35]	Effects of atrial fibrillation on the distribution and phosphorylation of ryanodine receptor clusters at the sites ser2808 and ser2814 in human atrial myocytes. V. Jiménez-Sábado et al. Copenhagen Meeting on Cardiac Arrhythmia, Copenhagen, DENMARK, Jun 2017.
[C36]	Atrial specific pitx2 insufficiency increases the frequency of calcium sparks, waves and after-depolarisations in mouse atrial myocytes. C. Tarifa et al. 61st Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society, New Orleans, LA, USA, Feb 2017.
[C37]	A New User-Friendly Tool for Localizing Spots in Fluorescence Microscopy Images. X. Marimon et al. 37th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC), Milan, ITALY, Aug 2015.
[C38]	Spatial localization of ryanodine receptors in human cardiac cells. A. Vallmitjana et al. 37th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC), Milan, ITALY, Aug 2015.
[C39]	Multiscale Detection of Intracellular Protein Structures from Microscope Fluorescence Images. A. Vallmitjana et al. IEEE International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging (ISBI), New York, NY, USA, Apr 2015.
[C40]	Simultaneous Detection and Colocalization of Calcium Sparks and Ryanodine Receptor Clusters in Cardiac Myocytes. A. Vallmitjana et al. 59th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society, Baltimore, MD, USA, Jan 2015.
[C41]	A higher frequency and proximity of calcium sparks to the cell membrane may potentiate arrhythmogenic afterdepolarizations in atrial myocytes from patients with atrial fibrillation. C. Tarifa et al. Congress of the European Society of Cardiology, Barcelona, SPAIN, Sep 2014.
[C42]	Detection, quantification and visualization of ryanodine receptor phosphorylation in human atrial myocytes using a novel ratiometric immunofluorescent analysis. A. Vallmitjana et al. 3rd Congress of the ESC-Council-on-Basic-Cardiovascular-Science on Frontiers in Cardiovascular Biology, Barcelona, SPAIN, Jul 2014.
[C43]	Superresolution Imaging of RYR2 Clusters in GFP RYR2 Knock in Mouse Cardiomyocytes. F. Hiess et al. 58th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society, San Francisco, CA, USA, Jan 2014.
[C44]	Abnormal calcium handling in the progeric mouse model Zmpste24-/- is linked to reduced sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium loading and depression of SERCA2 and calsequestrin-2 expression. A. Llach et al. Congress of the European Society of Cardiology, Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS, Aug 2013.
[C45]	A Method to Characterize Calcium Activity in Stimulated Cultures of Cardiac Myocytes. R. Benítez et al. 57th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society, Philadelphia, PA, USA, Jan 2013.
[C46]	Disrupting Ca2+ waves, but not Ca2+ leak, protects against cardiac arrhythmia. P.P. Jones et al. 60th Annual scientific meeting of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ), Brisbane, QLD, AUSTRALIA, Aug 2012.
[C47]	Automatic method for the detection and characterization of calcium activity in cardiac cells. A. Vallmitjana et al. IEEE International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging (ISBI), Barcelona, SPAIN, May 2012.
[C48]	Adenosine A2A receptor activation decreases beat-to-beat stability of intracellular calcium transients and their propagation in atrial myocytes. M. Barriga et al. 56th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society, San Diego, CA, USA, Feb 2012.
[C49]	Detection and classification of spontaneous calcium release events in cardiac myocytes. R. Benítez et al. 56th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society, San Diego, CA, USA, Feb 2012.
[C50]	Effects of atrial fibrillation on the distribution, dimensions, and frequency of calcium sparks in human atrial myocytes. M. Barriga et al. European Society of Cardiology Congress, Paris, FRANCE, Aug 2011.
[C51]	Efecto del potencial de membrana sobre las dimensiones, la cinetica y la frecuencia de la liberacion local de calcio en miocitos auriculares humanos. M. Barriga et al. Congreso de la Sociedad Española de Cardiología, Valencia, SPAIN, Oct 2010.
[C52]	Effect of the resting membrane potential on the distribution, dimensions, and frequency of calcium sparks in human atrial myocytes. M. Barriga et al. Congress of the European Society of Cardiology, Stockholm, SWEDEN, Sep 2010.