Rachael Walker, PhD profile page

Rachael Walker has over 25 years of experience in flow cytometry and cell sorting, including 20 years working in and leading flow cytometry core facilities. She was introduced to flow cytometry during her PhD in Clinical Engineering at the University of Liverpool, where she established and operated a MoFlo cell sorter, initiating a career focused on cytometry expertise and shared resource laboratory leadership.

Rachael joined the Babraham Institute Flow Cytometry Core Facility in 2012, following seven years running flow cytometry core facilities at the University of Cambridge. At Babraham, she has grown the facility to support world class academic research and more than 50 biotech companies, transforming it into a hub for innovation with advanced spectral and imaging cytometry platforms.

Her expertise spans experimental design, instrument optimisation, high parameter analysis, and cell sorting across diverse applications, including immunology, stem cell biology, large and fragile cells, and subcellular targets. Rachael is widely recognised for her contributions to training and community leadership, having trained over 2,000 scientists through flow cytometry courses and founding the annual Babraham Institute Spectral Flow Cytometry Symposium.

Rachael has held numerous leadership roles within the flow cytometry community, including Chair of the Cambridge Cytometry Club and Council Member of the International Society for the Advancement of Cytometry (ISAC, 2022–2026) and Council member of the Royal Microscopical Society (RMS, 2025-2028). Her contributions have been recognised with multiple awards, including the Papin Prize for Knowledge Exchange (2023) and Highly Commended as Researcher of the Year, Cambridge Independent Science and Technology Awards (2025).