Bowman Lab 
Principal Investigator
Adam Bowman, PhD
Salk Fellow
Adam grew up in Nashville, TN and first became interested in science and optics at an astronomy summer camp. He received his undergraduate degree in physics in 2017 from Princeton University, where he performed research on ultracold atoms with Waseem Bakr and scanning tunneling microscopy of superconductors with Ali Yazdani. In 2023 he completed his Ph.D. in Applied Physics at Stanford University with Mark Kasevich. His doctoral research focused on developing quantum-optimal phase microscopy and nanosecond imaging techniques for fluorescence lifetime microscopy. He joined the Salk Institute in 2024 as a Salk Fellow. In his free time, he enjoys hiking and tinkering with old electronics.
Postdoctoral Fellows
Yvonne Hu
Postdoctoral Fellow
Yvonne earned her PhD in Photonics from National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan in 2023, where she studied imaging enhancement in two-photon temporal focusing microscopy. Before joining the Salk Institute, she was a postdoctoral researcher at UC San Diego, investigating the neural mechanisms of motor coordination. At Salk, Yvonne focuses on developing volumetric fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy for neuroscience applications to capture high-speed neural activity in 3D. Outside the lab, she enjoys traveling and exploring the coastal life of San Diego.
Pingchuan Ma
Postdoctoral Fellow
received his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Washington University in St. Louis. He studied the dynamics of neuromodulators in the brain using fluorescence lifetime imaging. He started at Salk in January 2025 and will be applying fast fluorescence lifetime imaging of voltage indicators to studying neural dynamics in cortical circuits. Outside the lab, Pingchuan likes playing basketball and video games and spending time with his partner and cat Saki.
Linghao Hu
Postdoctoral Fellow
Linghao Hu earned his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Texas A&M University in 2023, where his research focused on studying cellular metabolism using autofluorescence lifetime imaging. He joined the Salk Institute in 2024. Outside the lab, Linghao enjoys watching sports and movies, reading, and playing sports.
Research Administrative Assistant
Shelby De Leon
Research Administrative Assistant
Shelby is a research administrative professional with over seven years of experience supporting academic and federal institutions. Her background spans Caltech’s Medical and Electrical Engineering Departments, where she managed multimillion-dollar budgets, coordinated national symposia, and oversaw operations for high-profile research projects such as the Space Solar Power Project. Shelby enjoys reading sci-fi novels and building ceramics.
Student Trainees
Isha Ubale
Student Trainee
Isha is currently pursuing her undergraduate degree in Bioengineering: Biotechnology at UC San Diego. She joined Salk in August 2025 and is excited to use EO-FLIM to study neural activity in Drosophila. Outside the lab, Isha enjoys rock climbing, watching movies and drawing.