James Hayden began a budding career in biocommunications by combining two independent fields of interest into a double major in Biology and Biophotography at Quinnipiac College in Hamden, CT in 1983. After graduating, it became apparent that continued education was going to be needed to round out his imaging experience. For this, he turned to the BPA where he found a new professional home, complete with meetings, workshops, and certification. Taking advantage of these opportunities, Hayden earned his RBP in 1992. With this groundwork laid, it was time to return the favor and the BPA/BCA again provided the opportunity to grow professionally through presentations and papers, as well as for the opportunity to hone leadership skills. Hayden served as Chair of the Delaware Valley Chapter, Chair of the Board of Registry, as a member of the Board of Governors, and on numerous committee assignments throughout the 90’s, and was awarded Fellowship in 1999.

Hayden started his professional career in the Pathology Department of the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in 1984, but quickly began a secondary business called Bio-Graphics to support a growing number of outside clients. In 1995, with business booming, Jamie stepped down from his university position to more fully develop Bio-Graphics. In 2002, Hayden was approached to manage the Imaging Core Facility at The Wistar Institute in Philadelphia, PA, and he has been there ever since. Although specializing in photomicrography and photomacrography, when explaining what his work entails, he simplifies the description to include everything from portraits of cells to portraits of people. In supporting the 31 research labs of Wistar, Hayden’s responsibilities include: consultation on experimental design, training for proper acquisition of images, and analysis of image sets to extract accurate, quantitative, scientific data for publication.

Hayden has lectured extensively and led workshops in both domestic and international venues. His work has appeared as cover images in such journals as Nature, Science, PNAS, and Cell. Hayden’s work has also been featured multiple times in the annual Nikon International Small World photomicrography competition, where he has also served as a judge and local curator for the traveling exhibits.

Hayden has a lifelong interest in education, with a special interest in the ethical and scientific consequences of digital manipulation in scientific images. The most meaningful lectures, from a personal standpoint, have been given to local school children, ranging from grades 3 to 12. In 2009, he was appointed an Adjunct Professor at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, where he continues to teach classes on the fundamentals of scientific photography. He has also contributed to the New Jersey Governor’s School on the Environment since 2007.

Hayden lives in Blue Bell, PA with his wife, Tam and their two children, Katie and Alex.