David Paganin received his PhD in optics from Melbourne University in 1999, and has been with Monash University since 2002. He is a theoretical physicist with a range of research interests in x-ray optics, visible-light optics, electron diffraction, neutron optics and non-linear quantum fields. He has published in coherent optics, phase retrieval, ghost imaging, Bose-Einstein condensation, tomography, medical imaging, electron microscopy, topological defects, mathematical ecology, microscopy and quantum turbulence. He always strives for original (and preferably simple) solutions to highly interesting problems of either fundamental or practical significance (preferably both!). He enjoys working closely with others, especially experimentalists, with a view to seeing the theory “made real” via tangible applications to the physical world.