Frédérique Vanholsbeeck

Profile

Frédérique Vanholsbeeck is an internationally recognized physicist whose career spans pioneering contributions to biophotonics, major leadership roles in New Zealand’s research ecosystem and sustained advocacy for diversity and equity in STEM. She is a professor of physics at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, where she leads one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most active biophotonics groups. Her scientific work bridges fundamental optics, nonlinear fiber optics, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and biomedical imaging, with applications ranging from tissue biomechanics to bacterial detection and environmental sensing. She is the founding leader of this biophotonics platform, where her team developed versatile fiber‑based optrodes and advanced OCT systems that have been deployed across neuroscience, medical imaging, food safety and art conservation.

Beyond her scientific achievements, Vanholsbeeck has built an international reputation as a strategic research leader. Since 2023 she has served as director of Te Whai Ao – the Dodd-Walls Centre for Photonic and Quantum Technologies, one of New Zealand’s Centres of Research Excellence, overseeing a multi‑institution, multidisciplinary programme encompassing photonics, quantum science, sensing, soft matter and industry engagement. She has held governance roles across the sector, including president of the Australian and New Zealand Optical Society (ANZOS), Marsden Fund panel membership and leadership roles in major international and regional conferences.

Vanholsbeeck is equally known for her unwavering commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. She is a past Associate Dean for Diversity & Inclusion in the Faculty of Science, has chaired departmental and national committees on equity, and has been recognized with the OSA (now Optica) Diversity & Inclusion Advocacy Recognition Award. She has developed long-lasting programmes to support women and under‑represented groups in physics, established mentorship structures for early-career researchers, and consistently integrates inclusive practices into research, teaching and governance.

As a scientist from a small country with a vibrant but geographically remote research community, Vanholsbeeck has built a career on international collaboration, interdisciplinary innovation and community‑centered leadership. Her work exemplifies the power of photonics to deliver societal impact, from improving clinical diagnostics to advancing sustainable primary industries and her leadership reflects a commitment to ensuring that excellence in science is accompanied by equity of opportunity and global representation.

Election Statement

It would be an honor to serve as Director‑at‑Large for Optica. My candidacy is motivated by three pillars that have shaped my career: a deep commitment to scientific excellence, a strong record of collaborative leadership and an unwavering dedication to diversity, equity, and global representation in optics and photonics.

As director of Te Whai Ao — the Dodd-Walls Centre for Photonic and Quantum Technologies, I lead a national network of researchers working across photonics, biophotonics, quantum technologies, nonlinear optics and advanced imaging. This role has strengthened my ability to foster interdisciplinary innovation, build strategic partnerships, support early‑career researchers and advocate for science in times of constrained investment. I bring this experience to Optica at a moment when the global research community needs unified and articulate scientific leadership. Funding cuts across multiple regions threaten both fundamental discovery and the pipeline of future talent. More than ever, Optica must be a strong voice demonstrating how optics and photonics contribute to health, sustainability, security, industry and societal well-being.

As a scientist from Aotearoa New Zealand, a small nation with an active and diverse optics community, I will work to ensure global representation within Optica. Our region’s scientific voice is vibrant but often underamplified. I am committed to strengthening Optica’s engagement with the Asia–Pacific and Oceania communities, broadening opportunities for collaboration and ensuring that excellence in photonics is recognized regardless of geography.

Diversity and inclusion remain central to my leadership philosophy. Throughout my career, I have championed initiatives that support women and under‑represented groups in physics, including mentoring programmes, institutional equity reforms and national-level advocacy. My work has been recognized through Optica’s own Diversity & Inclusion Advocacy Recognition Award, and I remain deeply committed to advancing equitable participation across the global photonics community. I firmly believe that excellence and diversity are mutually reinforcing and that Optica must continue to lead the way internationally.

Finally, one of my greatest privileges has been mentoring emerging researchers. I will advocate for stronger support structures, more international mobility opportunities and environments where early-career scientists thrive and lead.

If elected, I will bring to Optica the same passion, collaborative spirit, and strategic vision that guide my work at the Dodd-Walls Centre. Together, we can ensure that our community remains a global force for scientific discovery, innovation, and equity.