# Francesco Colonnese

> Engineering @ Pictor Labs

Location: Los Angeles, California, United States
Profile: https://flows.cv/francescocolonnese

Experienced software engineer with a strong foundation in deep learning and software for digital pathology applications. I specialize in transforming product visions into clear technical requirements, architecting robust designs, and driving projects seamlessly from conception to deployment.

## Work Experience
### Senior Software Engineer @ Pictor Labs Inc
Jan 2021 – Present
● Pioneered the architectural design and development of a customer-centric platform, utilizing a choreography of microservices communicating through an Apache Kafka message queue. 
● Engineered a distributed inference service for large-scale virtual staining of unlabeled tissue samples via AI using Python and Torchserve. 
● Coordinated the integration of multiple fluorescence and brightfield microscopes, including Zeiss (.czi), Akoya (.qptiff), 3DHistech (.mxrs),
Olympus (.orf) within both backend and frontend services, through the use of a unified interface.
● Embedded FDA-compliant audit trail functionalities to ensure data integrity.
● Engineered a Python service to perform Whole Slide Image registration as a service, using several image alignment algorithms such as Deep
Learning based feature matching, SIFT, and other key algorithms.
● Engineered a Python service to perform Whole Slide image dicomization (ISO12052) and storage to a DICOM server (Orthanc).
● Principal contributor to a dedicated service that monitors scan completions from microscopes and executes multi part uploads using a PyQT
client interface.
● Developed Software Design (C4) and Software Requirement Specifications, led Design Reviews, integrated design inputs and outputs within the company’s
QMS system.
● Piloted the transition of the main customer-facing API from Role-Based Access Control to Attribute-Based, using a Nest.js backend and Casl.js
● Ensured software compliance with ISO 62304, ISO 13485, ISO14971 and other key medical standards.
● Led and mentored a team of 5+ professionals, emphasizing workflow efficiency and strong quality assurance.
● Developed an open-source-integrated API for enhanced data matrix reading, achieving an 80% production read improvement and nearly 2x cost savings.
● Designed and implemented a data review tool using Rust, enabling precise identification of optimal fields of view within Whole Slide Images (WSIs)

### Founding Engineer @ Pictor Labs Inc
Jan 2020 – Jan 2021 | Los Angeles, California, United States
● Played a pivotal role in shaping the company’s tech stack, working extensively with Typescript, Python, Rust, and C++.
● Managed customer engagements and spearheaded deployments across the U.S which performed thousands of scans without interruption.
● Coordinated the deployment of a scalable Kubernetes based cloud infrastructure to serve customers across the globe.
● Created a Python framework for neural network training with Pytorch Lightning, adopted company-wide. Incorporated advanced hyperparameter tuning
using Ray and Optuna.
● Achieved a 10x speed up on proprietary research models utilizing a TensorRT based, customized build of Torchserve.
● Led the design of a framework for efficient fluorescence/brightfield whole slide image ingestion and compilation into datasets for supervised learning.
● Developed, hosted, and maintained a React website highlighting the startup's innovative achievements.

### Software Engineer @ UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science
Jan 2019 – Jan 2021 | Greater Los Angeles Area
● Conceived and executed the creation of a sophisticated framework to ensure the training and deployment of Keras models, utilizing Tensorflow Extended.
● Spearheaded the design and realization of an all-encompassing full-stack infrastructure to facilitate streamlined annotation of Whole Slide Images. This
system seamlessly integrates an Orthanc/Flask backend with a React-driven front-end visualization.
● Coordinated the deployment and maintenance of such systems on Amazon Web Services.

### Undergraduate Student Researcher @ UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science
Jan 2019 – Jan 2020 | Los Angeles
● Developed an AI model with PyTorch using Super Resolution Generative Adversarial Networks, analyzing the relationship between perceptual accuracy and metrics such as SSIM/PSNR.
● Devised a full stack solution (using React and Flask) enabling remote command of a Raspberry Pi, repurposed as a nimble, digital microscope.

### Head Of Research @ UCLA DataRes
Jan 2019 – Jan 2021 | Greater Los Angeles Area

### Student Intern @ HMRI- Huntington Medical Research Institutes
Jan 2019 – Jan 2019 | Pasadena
● Worked on AI solutions for sequence prediction of blood oxygen level dependent imaging using a Long Short Term Memory network, developed using Keras.
● Developed a full-stack visualization application using Flask and React to render the predicted time series in real time.


## Education
### Bachelor of Science - BS in Computer Science
UCLA


## Contact & Social
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/fcolonnese

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Source: https://flows.cv/francescocolonnese
JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/francescocolonnese/resume.json
Last updated: 2026-03-23