Archive for category: News

Chen Honored with 2024 Michael S. Feld Biophotonics Award

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By Lori, Brandt, UCI Samueli School of Engineering

March 7, 2024 – Zhongping Chen is being recognized for his pioneering research in biophotonics with the 2024 Michael S. Feld Biophotonics Award from Optica. Chen, a professor in biomedical engineering, will receive the medal at the Frontiers in Optics/Laser Science annual conference in September in Denver, Colorado.

Chen’s research integrates fundamental discoveries, technological development, biomedical studies and clinical applications. He has made groundbreaking contributions to the development of Doppler optical coherence tomography (D-OCT) and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). The phase-resolved D-OCT and Doppler variance imaging developed by Chen’s group have been widely used as powerful research tools for imaging and quantifying vascular changes in neuroscience and cancer research.

The D-OCT and OCTA  have been translated to clinical applications in ophthalmology and have had significant impacts on the diagnosis and management of retinal diseases such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. His group is also credited with the development of a multimodal intravascular imaging platform that integrates OCT with ultrasound. Chen has applied numerous optical imaging technologies for clinical uses including imaging and diagnosis of laryngeal cancer and neonatal subglottic stenosis, airway injury and lung cancer, oral cancers, obstructive sleep apnea, ocular diseases, cardiovascular diseases and brain aneurysms.

Chen has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed papers and review articles and holds over 25 patents in the fields of biomaterials, biosensors and biomedical imaging. He is a fellow of Optica, the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering, and SPIE.

“I am humbled and honored to receive this award from Optica,” said Chen “I would like to thank my former and current students, postdoctoral fellows and collaborators whose dedication and hard work made this achievement possible.”

Established in 2012, the Feld Biophotonics Award recognizes innovative and influential contributions to the field of biophotonics, regardless of career stage. It honors Michael Feld for his fundamental contributions to applications of photonics technologies to solving biomedical problems, and is endowed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Hamamatsu Photonics K.K., Coherent Inc., David Feld, Ramachandra Dasari, Adam Wax, Kyungwon An, Robert Gold, Charles Holbrow, Firooz Partovi, Manoharan Ramasamy, Rebecca Richards-Kortum and Guillermo Tearney.

Click here to read full article on the UCI Samueli School of Engineering website.

Beckman Foundation Reveals Updated Logo and Refreshed Visual Identity in Lead Up to Organization’s Semicentennial Anniversary

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NEWS PROVIDED BY
Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation
Mar 07, 2024, 11:30 ET

IRVINE, Calif., March 7, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, a 501c3 organization which has provided more than $700 million in grants to researchers in chemistry and life sciences since 1977, is debuting a new look for its brand that includes an updated logo and refreshed visual identity designed in collaboration with Nien Studios and Torchbox. The modernization represents the first major change to the organization’s branding in decades, with a rollout planned over three quarters to start in March 2024, ahead of the lead up to the Foundation’s highly anticipated 50th anniversary.

“The approaching milestone provided us with the impetus for reviewing our brand,” explained Dr. Anne Hultgren, Executive Director of the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation. “What we had was an established, reputed, and recognizable image that still needed to evolve a bit to remain modern and relevant. It was important to us that our new look maintain the original ethos and purpose, so our strategy was to introduce an up-to-date color palette, clean up the typography and adapt the iconography while preserving its initial priorities.”

  •     Distinctive icon that blends a hexagon for chemistry with a DNA strand for life sciences
  •     Modern sans-serif typeface
  •     Vibrant color palette that emphasizes deep blue and teal green with accents of yellow and coral
  •     Versatile stack options for diverse uses

The color palette was developed in coordination with Torchbox during an update of the organization’s website. The logo was designed through collaboration with Robert Nienhuis of Nien Studios as part of a series of updates planned for 2024 that will include program and commemorative designs. Elements from both projects inspired the refreshed identity currently being implemented across Beckman Foundation’s social media platforms, including Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube, as well as its monthly e-newsletter, Latest News blog, podcast, and Symposium graphics.

About the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation
Located in Irvine, California, the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation supports researchers and nonprofit research institutions in making the next generation of breakthroughs in chemistry and the life sciences. Founded in 1977 by 20th century scientific instrumentation pioneer Dr. Arnold O. Beckman, the Foundation supports United States institutions and young scientists whose creative, high-risk, and interdisciplinary research will lead to innovations and new tools and methods for scientific discovery. For more information, visit beckman-foundation.org.

About Nien Studios
Nien Studios is based in Orange County, California and provides branding and digital solutions for businesses. The company specializes in app design, branding, identity development, illustration, photography, print design, and website design. Its portfolio includes work for companies such as Pixel Jar, Honey Pot Meadery, Act Medical, Mass Amplify, Novo, James David Custom Homes, Culture Buzz, Anderson Law Group, and more.

About Torchbox
Torchbox is a digital agency based out of the United Kingdom and Philippines that offers services for UX design, website development, custom web apps, PPC & SEO, Google Analytics, Wagtail development and social media marketing. The agency plans, builds, and implements digital marketing strategies “that deliver world-class, KPI-smashing results for nonprofits internationally.” Its portfolio includes work for companies such as NHS, Greenpeace, Samaritans, ShelterBox, MS Society, Action for Children, and more.

Click here to read full press release.

Taking (AI)M at Oral Cancer

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Aksel Alp of the Wilder-Smith Lab develops machine learning algorithms for oral cancer detection

On March 1-3, 2024, Dr. Petra Wilder-Smith and new team member Aksel Alp attended the annual conference of the American College of Legal Medicine in San Diego, California.

During the conference, Aksel Alp hosted a session, “Applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Medicine and Dentistry.”  During his presentation, he shared about his role in steering innovative design in biomedical equipment, utilizing his programming and analytics expertise, alongside advanced 3-D printing to enhance equipment capability and efficiency.

As a member of the Wilder-Smith Lab, Alp’s focus is on transforming complex biomedical concepts into sophisticated, functional designs, ensuring their accuracy and practicality.

“I’m truly excited to join the BLI [UCI Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic] Wilder-Smith Lab team, where innovation meets purpose,” stated Alp, “Being a part of this team means taking on challenges to merge technology with healthcare in groundbreaking ways.”

A key project of Alp’s involves developing machine learning algorithms for oral cancer detection, a venture that has yielded promising preliminary results.

“Currently, I’m working on designing and developing a wireless intra-oral camera equipped with AI capabilities aimed at early oral-cancer detection,” stated Alp, “This project not only highlights our commitment to advancing medical technology, but also showcases our dedication to making a tangible difference in people’s lives.”

“Through this endeavor, I hope to enhance our understanding of oral cancer, and provide a tool that offers early detection, potentially saving lives and improving patient outcomes,” stated Alp,  “It’s a privilege to contribute to such meaningful work alongside a team of passionate and talented individuals.”

Alp formed a solid foundation in physics from his studies at San Diego State University, where he earned both his Master’s and Bachelor’s of Science degrees.  His previous research focused on proto-neutron stars, conducted under the mentorship of Dr. Fridolin Weber.  These studies led to significant contributions, culminating in a journal publication and a book chapter.

As a devoted AI advocate and technology enthusiast, Alp enjoys sharing insights and discussing future trends in AI integration in medicine and dentistry.

“I’m looking forward to sharing more about our research and working together with the Wilder-Smith team to bring this vision to life,” stated Alp.

Click here to learn more about Dr. Petra Wilder-Smith and the Wilder-Smith Lab.

UC Irvine Researchers Secure Grants From Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

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By Iednewsdesk

Three University of California, Irvine researchers are on teams that have won Chan Zuckerberg Initiative grants to pursue the development of advanced medical and biological imaging technologies.

Awarded as part of the second phase of CZI’s deep-tissue imaging grant program, the projects will involve work under multiple disciplines. These include biomedical engineering, chemistry and materials science. The funding is intended to lead to the creation of new tools that go beyond the capabilities of magnetic resonance imaging, computerized tomography and ultrasound to help the medical community obtain a much deeper understanding of biological systems.

Stacy Copp, UCI assistant professor of materials science and engineering, is leading a $1.85-million, four-year program to develop molecular-scale emitters for deep-tissue imaging. Copp said the innovation has the potential to enable researchers and medical practitioners to see through cells and bodily tissues without ionizing radiation such as x-rays. She said she expects the results of her project to have direct applications in cancer research and therapeutics development.

“This work builds off of my laboratory’s discovery of near infrared-emitting silver nanoclusters stabilized by DNA,” said Copp. “We will be developing these into versatile bioimaging tools for deep-tissue imaging by combining approaches in nanochemistry, machine learning-guided nanomaterials design and biomolecular chemistry.”

Copp will be joined in this project by Nathan Gianneschi, a chemist and materials scientist at Northwestern University, and Petko Bogdanov, a computer scientist at the University of Albany (State University of New York).

Michelle Digman, UCI associate professor of biomedical engineering, and Jennifer Prescher, UCI professor of chemistry, are part of a $2.5-million, four-year project to create new bioluminescent probes and platforms for imaging hard-to-access tissues.

“This work leverages our group’s expertise in small molecule luciferin design, computational enzyme engineering and multi-spectral visualization,” said Prescher. “We hope that the collection of new tools and methods will be enabling for the community at large.”

Digman said, “We will work to create far-red and near-infrared luminescent probes by using artificial intelligence-driven protein design to revolutionize molecular imaging in deep tissue and enable functional monitoring of cell-based therapeutics.”

Other collaborators on this project are UC Santa Cruz biomedical engineer Andy Yeh and Ming-Ru Wu of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School.

Stephen Jett, CZI’s Imaging Program manager, said, “These projects led by Dr. Copp, Dr. Digman and Dr. Prescher at UCI bring together interdisciplinary expertise to drive important progress towards creating new tools that could have a significant impact on the clinical applications of deep tissue imaging.”

Read more on India Education Diary.

UC Irvine Researchers Awarded Grants by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

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Funding supports research into advanced biological tissue imaging technologies

By Brian Bell

Three University of California, Irvine researchers are on teams that have won Chan Zuckerberg Initiative grants to pursue the development of advanced medical and biological imaging technologies.

Awarded as part of the second phase of CZI’s deep-tissue imaging program, the projects will involve work under multiple disciplines. These include biomedical engineering, chemistry and materials science. The funding is intended to lead to the creation of new tools that go beyond the capabilities of magnetic resonance imaging, computerized tomography and ultrasound to help the medical community obtain a much deeper understanding of biological systems.

Stacy Copp, UCI assistant professor of materials science and engineering, is leading a $1.85-million, four-year program to develop molecular-scale emitters for deep-tissue imaging. Copp said the innovation has the potential to enable researchers and medical practitioners to see through cells and bodily tissues without ionizing radiation such as x-rays. She said she expects the results of her project to have direct applications in cancer research and therapeutics development.

“This work builds off of my laboratory’s discovery of near infrared-emitting silver nanoclusters stabilized by DNA,” said Copp. “We will be developing these into versatile bioimaging tools for deep-tissue imaging by combining approaches in nanochemistry, machine learning-guided nanomaterials design and biomolecular chemistry.”

Copp will be joined in this project by Nathan Gianneschi, a chemist and materials scientist at Northwestern University, and Petko Bogdanov, a computer scientist at the University of Albany (State University of New York).

Michelle Digman, UCI associate professor of biomedical engineering, and Jennifer Prescher, UCI professor of chemistry, are part of a $2.5-million, four-year project to create new bioluminescent probes and platforms for imaging hard-to-access tissues.

“This work leverages our group’s expertise in small molecule luciferin design, computational enzyme engineering and multi-spectral visualization,” said Prescher. “We hope that the collection of new tools and methods will be enabling for the community at large.”

Digman said, “We will work to create far-red and near-infrared luminescent probes by using artificial intelligence-driven protein design to revolutionize molecular imaging in deep tissue and enable functional monitoring of cell-based therapeutics.”

Other collaborators on this project are UC Santa Cruz biomedical engineer Andy Yeh and Ming-Ru Wu of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School.

Stephen Jett, CZI’s Imaging Program manager, said, “These projects led by Dr. Copp, Dr. Digman and Dr. Prescher at UCI bring together interdisciplinary expertise to drive important progress towards creating new tools that could have a significant impact on the clinical applications of deep tissue imaging.”

Read more on the UCI Samueli School of Engineering website.

UCI Beall Applied Innovation Proof of Product Fall 2023 Awards Announced

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Proof of Product calibrates and accelerates the pathway to market for promising UCI discoveries – driven by expert review from industry partners, critical funding for assessing commercial potential and strengthens potential for future funding and impact.

The Fall 2023 round received 44 proposals from nine different Schools/Units across campus.

Congratulations UCI Beckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic general track awardee:

Petra Wilder-Smith, Beckman Laser Institute/School of Medicine

Project: Integrated Intelligent Intraoral Camera for Oral and Oropharyngeal Cancer Screening and Management to Achieve Early Detection and Better Outcomes

“The Proof of Product Award will allow us to move forward quickly and effectively with commercializing our oral cancer probe for the United States market as a user-friendly dental intraoral camera,” stated Dr. Wilder-Smith.

Click here to learn more about Dr. Wilder-Smith and her visionary leadership in the pioneering use of optics and photonics technologies for improving oral health, saving thousands of lives.

About Proof of Product
Proof of Product is a transformative resource for UC Irvine researchers, designed to infuse use-inspiration and critical funds into commercially promising research projects. Through rigorous review, feedback and selection by domain experts, researchers can seek up to $100,000 in critical funding to advance commercialization. This crucial support underwrites a spectrum of activities, including customer discovery efforts, feasibility studies, and prototype development. These pivotal phases of commercial validation enhance a project’s appeal to investors and refine its marketability with industry partners.

Click here to view current and past awardees on the UCI Beall Applied Innovation website.

National Academy of Engineering Elects Bruce Tromberg

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Feb. 7, 2024 – UC Irvine biomedical engineering Professor Emeritus Bruce Tromberg has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering, one of the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer. Tromberg, director of the NIH National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, was recognized for “U.S. diagnostics innovation initiatives, resulting in advanced SARS-CoV-2 testing capacity and performance.” Tromberg helped launch the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx®) initiative that created a fast review process to enable widely accessible COVID-19 testing.

A founding member of UCI’s Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tromberg has been on the UCI faculty since 1990. He served as director of the Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic for more than 15 years. While there, he oversaw the development, application and dissemination of optical technologies in biology and medicine. His work includes pioneering research contributions to the technical fields of biophotonics and biomedical optics, as well as extensive leadership in the biomedical engineering and imaging communities.

Tromberg is one of 114 new U.S.-based members and 21 international members announced by the academy Feb. 6, 2024. Individuals in the newly elected class will be formally inducted during the NAE’s annual meeting on Sept. 29, 2024.

With this election, UCI is now home to 17 members of the NAE.

– Lori Brandt

Click here to read the full article on the UCI Samueli School or Engineering website.

Full List of 2024 Top Doctors in Orange County

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This year’s list consists of 704 physicians in 80 specialties.

Orange Coast Magazine | Updated Jan 27, 2024

This year’s Physician of Excellence were judged by the Orange County Medical Association to be among the most accomplished and caring. The list consists of 704 physicians in 80 specialties.  Please note, (KP) means Kaiser Permanente physicians, who accept only those patients.

DERMATOLOGY

 Kristen M. Kelly – Irvine

FACIAL PLASTIC AND RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY

Brian J.F. Wong – Irvine

NEUROLOGY

Yama Akbari – Irvine
Mark Fisher – Orange

Click here to see full listing in Orange Coast Magazine.

SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, announces its 2024 Fellows

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The Society is welcoming 47 new Fellow Members from across the globe

Each year, the International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE) promotes Members as new Fellows of the Society. Fellows are Members of distinction who have made significant scientific and technical contributions in the multidisciplinary fields of optics, photonics, and imaging. They are honored for their technical achievement and for their service to the general optics community and to SPIE in particular. Nearly 1,800 SPIE members have become Fellows since the Society’s inception in 1955.

Prof. Ho Wai Howard Lee
Univ. of California, Irvine

Professor Howard Lee joins the Institute’s other SPIE Fellows, including Professors Anthony Durkin (2017), Bernard Choi (2016) and Zhongping Chen (2009).

About SPIE

SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, brings engineers, scientists, students, and business professionals together to advance light-based science and technology. The Society, founded in 1955, connects and engages with our global constituency through industry-leading conferences and exhibitions; publications of conference proceedings, books, and journals in the SPIE Digital Library; and career-building opportunities. Over the past five years, SPIE has contributed more than $24 million to the international optics community through our advocacy and support, including scholarships, educational resources, travel grants, endowed gifts, and public-policy development. www.spie.org.

Click here to view all 47 new SPIE Fellows elected in 2024 on the SPIE website.

PROFESSOR HOWARD LEE BECOMES FELLOW OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR OPTICS AND PHOTONICS

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“‘To be creative, we sometimes need to be a little bit crazy and not pay too much attention to what other people say’,” Lee recalled his former Ph.D. advisor, physicist Philip Russel at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light in Germany, telling him about making breakthroughs in his field. 

Picture Credit: UCI

The honor recognizes advances in nano-optics research.

By: Lucas Van Wyk Joel

Professor Howard Lee of the UC Irvine Department of Physics & Astronomy recently became a fellow of the International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE). Lee’s lab researches ways of using optical materials, nano-scale structures and advanced nanophysics to actively control the optical properties of nano-scale materials. This includes the development of so-called metasurfaces and metalenses, which are flat lenses made of light-altering nanostructures that may one day replace things like conventional, bulky lenses.The SPIE recognized Lee for his lab’s advances in the development of tunable optical nano-materialsand advanced optical fibers enhanced with nano-scale structures. 

“I am grateful to be elected as an SPIE Fellow,” said Lee. “This is an important recognition of all the hard work and achievements from my group members and research group, and it motivates all of us to further contribute impactful research in optics and nanophotonics. We really appreciated all the support and resources from UCI for us to advance nano-optical sciences and technologies.”

Lee and his lab hope to continue advancing meta-optical science to develop new applications for biomedical technologies, ultrafast communication devices, quantum photonic and energy harvesting technologies. 

Click here to read full article on the UCI School of Physical Sciences website.