Mark Leake is a biophysics group-leader at Oxford University and Incoming Chair of Biological Physics at York University, heading an interdisciplinary team in live cell single molecule research using cutting-edge biophotonics and state-of-the-art genetics. His work is highly cited and presented worldwide, in addition to his chairing several international meetings. He has won many fellowships and prizes and in 2010 was the winner of the Young Investigator Award from the British Biophysical Society. He sits on three national committees including the Institute of Physics, the British Biophysical Society and the Royal Microscopical Society, aiming to nurture exceptional collaboration between life and physical sciences in the pursuit of research excellence.