Lew elected Fellow of Optica
Matthew Lew was elected for his contributions to super-resolution microscopy, single-molecule imaging and developing innovative nanoscale sensing techniques
Matthew Lew, associate professor in the Preston M. Green Department of Electrical & Systems Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, has been elected to the class of 2026 Optica Fellows.
Optica, formerly known as the Optical Society of America or OSA, is an international organization at the forefront of the optics and photonics field. The title of Fellow recognizes individuals who have made significant and lasting contributions to advancing optics and photonics in areas including research, education, engineering, business and society. Fewer than 10% of the total membership can be elected a Fellow.
One of 121 newly elected members from 23 countries in the 2026 class, Lew was recognized for his pioneering contributions to super-resolution microscopy, single-molecule imaging and developing innovative nanoscale sensing techniques.
Lew’s lab builds advanced imaging systems to study biological and chemical systems at the nanoscale, leveraging innovations in applied optics, classical and quantum detection and estimation theory, optimal system design and physical chemistry. Its optical nanoscopes visualize the movements of individual molecules inside and outside living cells. New technologies developed in the Lew Lab include using tiny fluorescent molecules as sensors to visualize biomolecular “silly putty,” the architecture of amyloid aggregates and chemical environments within cellular membranes, designing new “lenses” that produce images that capture how molecules move and tumble, and using new imaging software to robustly measure the position and orientation of single molecules.
