Ines Nearchou
Senior Imaging Scientist – Pharma Services, Indica Labs

Where did you first learn about Indica Labs and what led you to join the company? 
I first heard about Indica Labs when applying for my PhD studentship which was a collaboration between academia and industry. Working with HALO, HALO AI and the Indica Labs team throughout my doctoral studies was a great opportunity for me to understand what joining the company would look like. I loved how passionate everyone was about image analysis. Working with like-minded people was (and still is!) very important to me so I knew joining the company was the next step in my career!

You were a HALO user during both your doctoral and postdoctoral research—how does that experience influence what you do at Indica Labs today? 
My prior experience in HALO was extremely valuable to my current role. Throughout my doctoral and postdoctoral research, I used HALO and HALO AI to identify a variety of features on multiple types of pathology images such H&E, immunohistochemistry and multiplex immunofluorescence images. A lot of these applications are in fact present in the studies that I perform within Pharma Services here at Indica Labs, which gives me a head start on these.

Tell us about your role at Indica Labs and how it has evolved since you joined.
I am a Senior Imaging Scientist at Pharma Services. When I first joined the team, I was more focused on performing end-to-end histo-pathology image analysis studies for pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Currently, in addition to executing studies, I am responsible for project management activities as well as the scientific development and expertise of our group. I also work with other groups at Indica Labs, such as the Marketing team, to identify opportunities for our team, and work on collaborative studies with other companies.

How does your image analysis work at Indica Labs compare to your prior experiences in the lab?
Prior to joining Indica Labs I mainly worked on developing AI algorithms for cancer-focused applications. Within Pharma Services, I have the opportunity to work on diverse projects which allows me to widen my knowledge and learn new skills. I also really enjoy the team aspect of bringing a project to completion. 

What do you appreciate most about working at Indica Labs?
The positive working environment! Being surrounded by encouraging, supportive and motivated colleagues really does make a difference.

How do you spend your time outside of work?
I love spending time with my family. I also really enjoy dancing and swimming.