We are experimental physicists in nano-optical imaging and spectroscopy, basing approaches on plasmonics and near-field scanning microscopy. Tip-enhanced near-field microscopy has emerged as a frontier in nano-imaging, probing intrinsic material properties with a few nanometers spatial resolution through optical-field enhancement, localization, and dipole-dipole interaction between the tip and sample.Our research focuses on:i) Developing advanced near-field microscopies beyond the current instrumental limits to extend nano-imaging into a wider range of optical spectroscopic modalities, including linear elastic (Rayleigh) and inelastic (Raman, photoluminescence; PL, VIS absorption, IR), nonlinear (second-harmonic generation; SHG), and ultrafast (~ps) spectroscopy, from UV to mid-IR/THz, in various interacting environments, e.g., ultra-high vacuum (UHV), cryogenic, and liquid.ii) Discovering new emerging physical properties, e.g., coupling and energy transfer, in single- and bio-molecular, quantum, optoelectronic, and multiferroic systems, as well as probing structure, field distribution, heterogeneity, and dynamics on the nanoscale.In addition, and most importantly, our research is breaking new ground in iii) active control of nanoscale light-matter interactions through the controllable nano-opto-mechanical plasmonic tip.