Sage Aronson ‘04

In October 2024, Sage Aronson ‘04helped to launch a new microscope called SLICE at the Society for Neuroscience. This launch was the introduction of a new era in imaging technology, making light sheet microscopes much more affordable for researchers.  

Sage currently works as Director of Special Projects for MBF Bioscience. Before this, and while getting his PhD, he started his own company that produced imaging devices for researchers. According to Sage, the device “has been used in over 20 countries to study everything from schizophrenia, to Alzheimer's, to fundamental questions about how the brain processes information.”

In his current role, Sage leads “a very talented team of engineers and scientists” who have a seemingly simple but very important task: “Build tools to help scientists ask better questions.” The unveiling of SLICE was a key development in light sheet microscope technology. While similar microscopes can normally cost nearly $500,000, Sage’s company “developed and launched a system for 1/10th the price that is equally or more performant.”

Sage links the lessons he learned at the Country School to his ability to communicate and think about the brain. He writes, “I remember most problems I got wrong at TCS. I don't remember them because I'm ashamed -- rather, because it fundamentally changed how I looked at the world.” From these moments, Sage learned a valuable lesson: “It is important to fail. I fail every day. Science is really a procession of iterative failures marked by periodic successes. Creating an environment where failure is expected and used to learn is really important, and I think TCS did a great job at this.”

In particular, he remembers a specific activity in science class with Terrie Hartsoe, who, Sage believes, is “a large part of why I am a scientist today.” 

Sage writes, “I have a vivid memory of a class where we had a simple assignment: Write a protocol to make a PB&J sandwich. Everyone submitted their protocol and Mrs. Hartsoe followed each step. Mine was something like, ‘Put peanut butter on one piece of bread, jelly on the other, and press them together.’ So, she took the jar of peanut butter and placed it on top of the loaf of bread. Repeated with the jelly. Then smooshed them together.”

Some alumni reading this may remember that same activity, where they were taught that overlooking steps in the scientific process can lead to unexpected results. Sage writes that this lesson taught him “It is EXTREMELY difficult to communicate how to do even the simplest of things. Now imagine communicating how to record from the brain. Whenever I am writing a protocol, I think back to this lesson. What assumptions am I making? How can what I wrote be misconstrued?”

This formative experience and his comfort with failure at the Country School have led Sage to do groundbreaking work and usher in a new era of imaging technology.