The research of Sara Bals focuses on electron tomography of nanostructures, even with atomic resolution. She is a Full Professor at the University of Antwerp and she received her PhD degree (2003) from the same University. She did post-doctoral work at the National Centre for Electron Microscopy at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California. She is the author of more than 300 ISI contributions, including Nature or Science type contributions. She gave more than 40 invited presentations at international conferences and workshops. She has organized several workshops and symposia and chaired several sessions at international microscopy conferences. In 2013, she received an ERC Starting Grant concerning 3D characterisation of nanostructures (Colouratom). In 2016, she became "Laureate of the Academy for Natural Sciences" awarded by the Royal Flemish Academy of Science. In 2017, she received the title of “Francqui Research Professor”. Her ERC Consolidator Grant “Realnano” started in 2019. In 2020, she was granted with the European Microscopy Society Award for advances in tomography. She received the ACS Nano Lectureship award in 2021.