Beckman Laser Institute

Alberto Martín-Pérez
2024-06-27 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | BLI Library
Advancing In-Vivo Human Brain Tissue Classification: A Multimodal Approach Integrating Machine Learning, Hyperspectral Imaging and Depth Information
Abstract
This talk will present a novel approach to classify in vivo human brain tissue in real time using a multimodal imaging technique that integrates hyperspectral imaging and depth information in a recently developed system called Slim Brain. This system has been used during surgical procedures to collect a database of over 193 patients that is growing weekly. By applying sophisticated machine learning algorithms to the acquired information, Slim Brain demonstrates the potential of combining advanced imaging modalities with computational techniques for precise and non-invasive assessment of brain tissue, with implications for neurology and medical imaging. In addition, a new acquisition system under development that combines hyperspectral imaging with spatial frequency domain imaging modulation will be presented as a new tool to improve brain tissue classification.
Biography
Alberto Martín-Pérez is a Teaching Assistant at the Department of Audivisual Engineering and Communication in the School of Telecommunications Systems and Engineering of the Technical University of Madrid (UPM). Presently, he is pursuing a PhD at UPM with the Electronic and Microelectronic Design Group (GDEM) in the Research Center on Software Technologies and Multimedia Systems for Sustainability (CITSEM). His research pursuits center around the utilization of Machine Learning algorithms for the classification of in-vivo human brain tumors through hyperspectral imaging. Furthermore, he aims to enhance classification methodologies through the application of spatial frequency domain imaging for his doctoral studies.

REGISTER HERE FOR ZOOM

Click here to register for in-person attendance (lunch will be served)

Kamran Avanaki, Ph.D.
2024-06-14 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | BLI Library
Biomedical hyperspectral imaging of murine tumors in the preclinical environment
Abstract
In this talk, we explore the application of optical coherence tomography (OCT) in skin imaging and various applications of photoacoustic imaging in brain imaging. For skin imaging, we introduce a novel image analysis method to assess tissue health. This algorithm extracts optical radiomic signatures from OCT images, providing detailed insights into tissue characteristics. In the realm of brain imaging, we discuss the use of photoacoustic microscopy for vascular and functional imaging in small animals, addressing significant neuroscientific questions. Additionally, we highlight the application of photoacoustic tomography in large animal brain imaging, emphasizing its potential translation to clinical settings.
One significant finding is that lipid turnover decreases faster in aged female Drosophila compared to males. Additionally, dietary restrictions, downregulation of the insulin/IGF-1 signaling (IIS) pathway, and AMPK activation significantly alter lipid metabolism in aged or Alzheimer’s-affected brains. The introduction of APoD and PRM algorithms has enhanced our current multimodal metabolic nanoscopy to deliver superresolution with hyperspectral volumetric imaging capabilities. By using deuterated molecules—including glucose, amino acids, fatty acids, and water molecules—as bioorthogonal probes, this technology provides insights into the metabolic heterogeneity of organs such as the brain, adipose tissue, liver, muscle, retina, and kidneys.
Biography
Tadej Dr. Kamran Avanaki is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering Department at the University of Illinois in Chicago. Prior to this position he was an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering Department at Wayne State University. His areas of expertise include, design and development of photoacoustic imaging technology and optical coherence tomography for biomedical applications to solve critical problems in brain and skin imaging. He completed his postdoctoral-fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis in 2012 under Professor Lihong Wang, a pioneer in photoacoustic technology. He has a Ph.D. from the University of Kent with outstanding postgraduate student honors where he was mentored by Professor Adrian Podoleanu, the world’s leader in OCT instrumentation. As principal investigator, he has received multiple research grants/ fellowships. He is credited with more than 120 published first-authored/senior-authored peer-reviewed articles in high-impact journals such as, PNAS, Cancer Research, IEEE Transaction of Medical Imaging, Photoacoustics, and Theragnostic. He currently serves as an associate editor of Biomedical Optics Express and Scientific Report. He has received the Outstanding Faculty Award from the College of Engineering at Wayne State University, in 2016, 2017, and 2019, also the Research Excellence Award in 2019 as well as the Excellence in Teaching Award in 2019. He has also received the prestigious 2020 Wayne State University Academy of Scholar Award, and most recently 2023 Rising Star Award and Excellence in Teaching Award from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

REGISTER HERE FOR ZOOM

Click here to register for in-person attendance (lunch will be served)

Tadej Tomanic, MSc
2024-06-06 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | BLI Library
Biomedical hyperspectral imaging of murine tumors in the preclinical environment
Abstract
Biomedical hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is an emerging non-invasive optical imaging technique that captures spatial and spectral information of the imaged biological tissue. In recent years, HSI has been widely used to image human and animal tumors in the brain, breast, colon, prostate, and skin. This talk will cover the recent advancements in hyperspectral imaging for biomedical applications, mainly skin, in our lab at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia. The talk will introduce the basics of HSI and various implementations, followed by presenting tissue models and algorithms needed to extract tissue properties from hyperspectral images, focusing on the inverse adding-doubling (IAD) algorithm and advanced machine learning (ML) techniques. Moreover, the application of HSI to monitor the growth of different murine tumor models in the preclinical setting will be presented, and the possibility of combining HSI with other optical techniques, such as laser speckle contrast imaging, will be demonstrated. Ultimately, the capabilities of HSI for early detection of murine tumors will be exhibited.
.
One significant finding is that lipid turnover decreases faster in aged female Drosophila compared to males. Additionally, dietary restrictions, downregulation of the insulin/IGF-1 signaling (IIS) pathway, and AMPK activation significantly alter lipid metabolism in aged or Alzheimer’s-affected brains. The introduction of APoD and PRM algorithms has enhanced our current multimodal metabolic nanoscopy to deliver superresolution with hyperspectral volumetric imaging capabilities. By using deuterated molecules—including glucose, amino acids, fatty acids, and water molecules—as bioorthogonal probes, this technology provides insights into the metabolic heterogeneity of organs such as the brain, adipose tissue, liver, muscle, retina, and kidneys.
Biography
Tadej Tomanic, MSc, is a young researcher and teaching assistant at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia. He received his BSc and MSc degrees in Physics and Medical Physics from the University of Ljubljana in 2017 and 2020, respectively. As part of his Master’s research, he collaborated with the Department of Neurology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, to analyze brain FDG PET images of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. He also interned at Cosylab as a software engineer to work on developing a treatment planning system for patients with cancer treated with radiotherapy. He is currently pursuing his PhD in Physics at the University of Ljubljana under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Matija Milanic, PhD. His research interests include early tumor detection, monitoring, treatment, and tumor vasculature development in vivo. He develops and applies various optical imaging methods in preclinical and clinical environments, focusing on hyperspectral imaging, laser speckle contrast imaging, optical coherence tomography, and optical profilometry. He is expected to graduate by January 2025.

REGISTER HERE FOR ZOOM

Click here to register for in-person attendance (lunch will be served)

Lei S. Li, Ph.D.
2024-05-02 13:00 UTC | Zoom Event, CA, United States
Advancing Photoacoustic Tomography: From benchtop wholebody imagers to wearable devices
Abstract
This talk will cover the recent development of photoacoustic imaging technology, including a benchtop imager, termed single-impulse panoramic photoacoustic computed tomography (SIP-PACT), and its preclinical applications. SIP-PACT has also been scaled up for breast cancer diagnosis with improved sensitivity and specificity. In addition, to shape the benchtop PACT systems toward portable and wearable devices with low cost without compromising the imaging performance, we recently have developed photoacoustic topography through an ergodic relay, a high-throughput imaging system with significantly reduced system size, complexity, and cost, enabling wearable applications. As a rapidly evolving imaging technique, photoacoustic imaging promises preclinical applications and clinical translation.

Biography
Dr. Lei Li is an assistant professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Bioengineering at Rice University. He obtained his Ph.D. from the Department of Electrical Engineering at California Institute of Technology in 2019. He received his MS at Washington University in St. Louis in 2016. His research focuses on developing next-generation medical imaging technology for understanding the brain better, diagnosing early-stage cancer, and wearable monitoring of human vital signs. He was selected as a TED fellow in 2021 and a rising star in Engineering in Health by Columbia University and Johns Hopkins University (2021). He received the Charles and Ellen Wilts Prize from Caltech in 2020 and was selected as one of the Innovators Under 35 by MIT Technology Review in 2019. He is also a two-time winner of the Seno Medical Best Paper Award granted by SPIE (2017 and 2020, San Francisco).

REGISTER HERE

Inga Saknite, Ph.D.
2024-02-08 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | BLI Library
Smartphone-based total body photography of patients with mpox in remote areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Abstract
Mpox (associated with clade I monkeypox virus infection) is endemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and manifests with hundreds to thousands of total body lesions and an estimated case fatality ratio of 11% (17% in children). In October 2022, the PALM007 randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial of the safety and efficacy of tecovirimat for mpox was launched at remote sites in the DRC. Time to lesion resolution is the primary study endpoint, making frequent lesion count assessments a critical study measure. Given the typically very high burden of skin lesions, daily counting poses considerable human resource challenges to clinicians and clinical research staff.
We have established smartphone-based protocols for standardized total body photography to document mpox lesion appearance, evolution, and resolution. We will share our experience setting up, standardizing, and overseeing photodocumentation of mpox in remote trial sites, discussing technical, educational, and cultural considerations. This rich standardized dataset of clade I mpox images will enable the development of artificial intelligence (AI) tools aimed to automate mpox lesion counting in future studies. Further, new optical technologies may be advanced in response to this clinical need. Smartphone-based photodocumentation coupled with AI image analysis has become a benchmark for evaluating the performance of novel optical technologies. The PALM007 trial is supported by the Institut National de la Recherche Biomédicale (INRB) of the DRC and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the US, and funded by NCI Contract No.75N910D00024, Task Order No.75N91020F00025.
Biography
Dr. Inga Saknite is a Leading Researcher at the Biophotonics Laboratory, the University of Latvia, and an Adjoint Assistant Professor in Dermatology at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, the United States. Her main research interest is advancing noninvasive imaging technologies to quantitatively assess skin for clinical impact. Among other projects, Dr. Saknite is currently leading photodocumentation of patients with mpox as part of a randomized controlled trial in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She has multiple years of research experience in photographic, hyperspectral, and microscopic imaging of human skin, standardized protocol and guideline development, image processing and analysis, and device and algorithm development.
Dr. Saknite received her PhD in physics from the University of Latvia in 2016. She was then awarded the Fulbright Scholarship to advance her translational research career at the Beckman Laser Institute of the University of California, Irvine. From 2017 until 2021, Dr. Saknite was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Vanderbilt Dermatology Translational Research Clinic (VDTRC.org), and was named the inaugural Vanderbilt Postdoctoral Mentor of the Year in 2021. She has received several additional awards, including the Abstract Achievement Award at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology and the best talk award at the Annual Vanderbilt Postdoctoral Association Symposium.

REGISTER HERE FOR ZOOM

Click here to register for in-person attendance (lunch will be served)

Keiichiro Kagawa, Ph.D. Eng.
2024-02-01 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | BLI Library
Enhancing SFDI’s functionality and performance with state-of-the-art CMOS image sensors
Abstract
Recently, new CMOS image sensors with high performance and functionalities such as near-infrared-enhanced global shutter, multi-tap pixels for time-division-multiplexing (TDM) or time-resolved (TR) imaging, and multi-aperture (MA) are emerging. At Shizuoka University, TDM, TR, and MA CMOS image sensors are being developed for LiDAR and biomedical imaging applications. In my talk, examples of SFDI systems with enhanced functionality and performance are shown. (1) multi-wavelength SFDI with suppression of ambient light bias and motion artifacts, (2) fusion of SFDI and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) using scanned multiple lines, (3) fusion of SFDI and time-resolved imaging.
Biography
Keiichiro Kagawa received the Ph.D. degree in engineering from Osaka University, Osaka, Japan, in 2001. In 2001, he joined Graduate School of Materials Science, Nara Institute of
Science and Technology as an Assistant Professor. In 2007, he joined Graduate School of Information Science, Osaka University as an Associate Professor. In 2011, he joined Shizuoka University as an Associate Professor. Since 2020, he has been a Professor with Shizuoka University, Hamamatsu, Japan. His research interests cover high-performance computational CMOS image sensors, imaging systems, and biomedical applications.

REGISTER HERE FOR ZOOM

Click here to register for in-person attendance (lunch will be served)

Hanna Kim
2023-11-30 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | BLI Library
TIPS & TRICKS TO SUCCESSFUL IRB CLINICAL RESEARCH PROTOCOLS

Xunbin Wei, Ph.D.
2023-11-21 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | BLI Library
Light Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease
Abstract
Photobiomodulation, by utilizing low-power light in the visible or near-infrared spectrum to trigger biological responses in cells and tissues, has been considered as a possible therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), while its specific mechanisms have remained elusive. Here, we provide evidence that cognitive and memory impairment in an AD mouse model can be ameliorated by 1070-nm light via reducing cerebral β-amyloid (Aβ) burden, the hallmark of AD. The glial cells, including microglia and astrocytes, play important roles in Aβ clearance. Our results show that 1070-nm light pulsed at 10 Hz triggers microglia rather than astrocyte responses in AD mice. The 1070-nm light-induced microglia responses with alteration in morphology and increased colocalization with Aβ are sufficient to reduce Aβ load in AD mice.
Moreover, we demonstrate that 1070-nm light pulsed at 10 Hz can reduce perivascular microglia and promote angiogenesis to further improve Aβ clearance. Our study confirms the important roles of microglia and cerebral vessels in the use of 1070-nm light for the treatment of AD mice and provides a framework for developing a novel therapeutic
approach for AD.
Biography
Dr. Wei received his bachelor in physics from University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei. He received his PhD from Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine. Dr. Wei completed his post-doc training at Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School. From 2006-2010, he was a professor in Fudan University, China. From 2006-2010, he was a professor and chair in Department of Biomedical Instrumentation, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China.
Currently, he is a professor at Department of Biomedical Engineering, Peking University. Dr. Wei is an SPIE Fellow, and recipient of Chinese Outstanding Young Scholar Award. He has published more than 120 peer-reviewed papers, including in Nature and PNAS. His research interests include cancer detection by optical means, optical manipulation of cells, and light treatment of Alzheimer disease.

REGISTER HERE FOR ZOOM

Click here to register for in-person attendance (lunch will be served)

Woonggyu Jung, Ph.D.
2023-08-08 15:00 - 16:00 UTC | BLI Library
Staining-free optical imaging techniques toward digital histopathology
Abstract
The histological optical imaging is a gold standard method to observe the biological tissues, which follows routine process such as dissection, embedding, sectioning, staining, visualization and interpretation of specimens. This technique has a long history of development, and is used ubiquitously in pathology, despite being highly time and labour-intensive. Advanced optical imaging techniques developed over the last decade have enabled to provide high sensitivity, high resolution and non-invasive biological information. In particular, new optical imaging contrast rather than chemical staining has been presented to be utilized in histopathology while showing the strong potential. However, acquiring high throughput, large volume tissue anatomy remains a difficult challenge due to the effect of light scattering, which limits the penetration imaging depth and lateral resolution. Recently, various optical imaging methods have been introduced to
create volumetric anatomy data of ex vivo tissues using physical tissue sectioning or optical clearing.
Here, we introduce novel staining-free and multi-scale imaging modality based on scattering and phase contrast. Optical staining in histopathology could be key technique to build fast feedback of anatomy of tissues or organs due to its simplicity, efficiency, robustness, and high-throughput capabilities. This presentation covers the latest work of large-scale and fast tissue imaging using optical coherence microscopy, quantitative phase imaging and projection tomography. Specifically, the talk will highlight comparison study over the conventional method in histopathology and its adaptation with artificial intelligence such as the virtual staining and resolution enhancement.
Biography
Woonggyu Jung received his Ph. D. in 2008 from the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of California, Irvine. From 2001 to 2008, he worked at the Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic at UC Irvine. He also worked at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign since January 2009. He has joined the faculty of UNIST in 2012, and currently works as an associate professor of Department of Biomedical Engineering. He is also co-founder and CTO of start-up company, Conecson which is focused on the futuristic business regarding to mobile-based medical devices. Dr. Jung has a strong research background in optical imaging technologies including optical coherence tomography (OCT), quantitative phase microscope (QPM), and miniaturized optical imaging probes. His research interest is to develop new optical technologies that address challenges in clinical medicine, basic biological research and neuroscience. In previous work, he developed a successful optical platform for in vivo translational research, and has published more than 60 peer-reviewed journal papers in the field of biophotoics.
For more information or to schedule a meeting with the speaker, please contact Xandra Dvornikova.
Sponsored by the Berns Family Laser and Microbeam Program
Hosted by: Dr. Zhongping Chen

2023 SHORT COURSE IN MULTISCALE BIOPHOTONICS
2023-07-09 08:00 - 2023-07-20 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | BLI Library
2023 SHORT COURSE
IN MULTISCALE BIOPHOTONICS
(SCMB2023)
July 9 – July 20, 2023

Open to grad students, university postdocs, faculty and industry researchers
AREAS COVERED:
Biological Microscopy
Optical Dosimetry
Optical Property Determination
Wide-Field Spectroscopy and Imaging
Physiological Monitoring
WORK WITH RECOGNIZED EXPERT COURSE LECTURERS
HANDS-ON LABORATORY EXPERIENCE
CAREER DEVELOPMENT PANELS
TEAM SCIENCE TRAINING
PROBLEM BASED LEARNING AND SO MUCH MORE!
Program Fees
Academics: $1000
Industrial Applicants: Contact Program Directors

Access to Careers in Engineering and Sciences (ACES) HBCU Undergraduate Summer Training Program
2023-06-26 08:00 - 2023-08-18 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | BLI, 1002 Health Sciences Rd, Irvine, CA, 92612, United States
Access to Careers in Engineering and Sciences (ACES) HBCU Undergraduate Summer Training Program
June 26 – August 18, 2023

Every summer, 10 talented undergraduate students from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are selected to travel across the country to attend Access to Careers in Engineering and Sciences (ACES), an eight-week summer training program at UCI Beckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic. ACES introduces high-achieving, underrepresented students to the breadth of UCI graduate programs in the fields of biomedical engineering, biophotonics and related science, technology, engineering and math disciplines.
ACES students:

work alongside faculty mentors who are leaders in their field
conduct leading-edge research in Institute facilities and labs
learn about careers in academia and industry
attend workshops on taking the GRE, writing a personal statement and preparing for graduate school
make connections valuable to gaining admission to graduate school

Click here to learn more about ACES.

Hyunmo Yang, Ph.D.
2023-06-15 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | BLI Library
Deep Learning Applications in Biomedical Imaging
Abstract
Recently developed deep learning techniques revolutionized image analysis methods in the last decade. Classification, segmentation, quantitative prediction, and generating new data can be performed by the training of deep learning models. These tasks can directly be applied to biomedical imaging and successful applications will provide strong advantages to researchers and physicians in terms of efficiency for their studies and improvement in diagnosis.
In this talk, I will discuss my recent studies that using deep learning techniques to the following topics: glaucoma screening from fundus photographs based on regional retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness estimation using deep learning, label-free digital histopathology with QPI imaging based on virtual staining and image classification techniques, and high-throughput phenotype screening platform using office scanner. For these studies, we have employed the convolution neural network (CNN) network architectures and trained them to perform image-to-number regression, image classification, image segmentation, and image-to-image generation. The details of each approach will be also discussed.
Biography
Dr. Hyunmo Yang earned his Ph.D. in physics from Ulsan National Institute of Science of Technology (UNIST) in Korea. After his degree in 2019, he joined as a postdoc researcher to the translational biophotonics laboratory in department of biomedical engineering at UNIST. He is currently working on developing machine learning and deep learning applications for biomedical imaging. His research interests are digital medicine, digital screening and digital histopathology using A.I. technology.

REGISTER HERE FOR ZOOM

Click here to register for in-person attendance (lunch will be served)

Roukuya Mamuti, Ph.D.
2023-04-27 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | BLI Library
Tunable infrared structured laser generation and opto-thermal trapping of micro/nano particles
Abstract
This talk covers the experimental research and theoretical investigation of mid-infrared tunable optical vortex sources with versatile orbital angular momentum (OAM) and opto-thermophoretic trapping of micro and nano particles with mid-infrared fiber lasers. As a typical structured light, optical vortex with a helical wavefront exhibits interesting physical properties, including an annular spatial intensity profile and an OAM of owing to an on-axial phase singularity. Such properties of the vortex beam have been widely utilized in diverse applications. In the talk, Dr. Mamuti presents generation of optical vortices with versatile OAM states from a nanosecond optical parametric oscillator (OPO) by appropriately shortening or extending the cavity. The system with a compact cavity configuration enables the production of a millijoule-level signal (idler) output with l =1~3 (0~-2) simply by tuning the wavelength of signal output. The system was further developed to create coherently coupled OAM states, i.e., flower-shaped signal and wheel-shaped idler outputs, arising from the coherent superposition of opposite-signed OAM states.
Furthermore, Dr. Mamuti proposed a method for opto-thermophoretic trapping with a 2 μm Tm-doped fiber laser. The infrared continuous-wave laser beam is directly and strongly absorbed by water solution, and some local temperature gradient is generated around the focus. The particles are migrated along the temperature gradient and form a hexagonal close-packed structure at a bottom-glass solution interface. She has investigated the dependence of the phenomenon on the material, particle size, and laser power. Since the water molecules have a significant absorption in the 3-μm wavelength band, a midinfrared Er:ZBLAN tunable fiber laser is applied for opto-thermophoretic trapping of particles diffusing in water. Through the laser wavelength dependence and single particle tracking analysis, they found that particles are rapidly collected at the laser focus which is much faster than near infrared lasers. The system with 2 μm and 3 μm direct optothermal trapping could be extended in various fields, such as bio sensing, detection, and sorting.
Biography
Dr. Roukuya Mamuti received her Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Optical Engineering from laser laboratory, Chiba University, Japan. Her graduate research mainly focused on the generation of tunable infrared structured lasers. After graduation, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Laser Lab (the same lab where she earned her degree). Dr. Mamuti received 2 million Japanese yen of research grant from Kambayashi foundation (private funding). Later, she worked in the Laser Science Laboratory at Toyota Technological Institute, to develop optical trapping of micro/nano particles. Now, she is seeking a research position to pursue her profession in laser-related research fields.

REGISTER HERE FOR ZOOM

Click here to register for in-person attendance (lunch will be served)

Martin Lavery, Ph.D.
2023-04-20 09:00 - 10:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Zoom Event, CA, United States
Environmental and Fiber Sensing with Structured Light
Abstract
Structured light is being widely used to revolutionize the technologies used in optical trapping, microscopy, astronomical metrology, optical communication, quantum information systems, and many others. One defines an optical wavefront that has been spatially shaped in its phase, polarisation or intensity as structured light. Prof. Lavery will present an introduction to the research field and an overview of their work in the Structured Photonics Research Group, at the University of Glasgow, in the creation, detection, and application of shaped optical beams for a range of sensing applications. He will discuss the development of technologies to generate and measure structured light, including reconfigurable platforms based on silicon Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs).
Further, he will present their recent advances in utilising structured light for sensing in complex optical environments such as underwater scattering, atmospheric turbulence, and multimode optical fibers. They have developed approaches that use spatial mode sensitive receivers to extract features buried in aberrated optical fields that can increase the accuracy of the measurement of particulates in submersed channels, measure wind speed and temperature from the air, and sense changes in the shape of optical fibers. These sensors could be used for environmental pollution sensing in water, failure monitoring in mechanical systems, and sub-km weather monitoring critical for developing accurate climate models.
Biography
Professor Martin Lavery is a Full Professor in Optics and is the leader of the Structured Photonics Research Group at the James Watt School of Engineering at the University of Glasgow (UofG). Prof. Lavery has a portfolio
of over $6 million in independent research funding as Principal Investigator (PI) and is leading the H2020 Future and Emerging Technologies (FET-Open) consortium project named SuperPixels, each of which have an array of international partners from both industry and academia. He has held the prestigious Royal Academy of
Engineering (RAEng) Research Fellowship from 2014-2019. Prof. Lavery’s H-index is 41 with over 60 publications in peer-reviewed journals and over 80 conference
manuscripts that have collectively attracted over 11,000 citations (Google Scholar, Dec 2022). He has been awarded the 2013 Scopus Young Scientist of the Year for Physical Sciences, the 2018 Mobile World Scholar Gold Medal, and the 2019 Royal Society of Edinburgh Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane Medal for accomplishments in
optical communication and sensing.
REGISTER HERE FOR ZOOM

Daniel Razansky, Ph.D.
2023-03-30 09:00 - 10:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Zoom Event, CA, United States
Cardio-oncology; Advanced optoacoustic imaging methods for biomedical research and clinical diagnostics
Abstract
Optoacoustic imaging has achieved remarkable progress over the last decade, benefiting from coordinated developments in optical and ultrasound technology, probe chemistry, and imaging theory. The technique is increasingly attracting attention of the biomedical research community due to its excellent spatial and temporal resolution, centimeter scale penetration into living tissues, versatile endogenous and exogenous optical absorption contrast. State-of-the-art implementations of multispectral optoacoustic tomography are based on multi-wavelength excitation of tissues to visualize specific molecules within opaque tissues. As a result, optoacoustics can noninvasively deliver structural, functional, metabolic, and molecular information from living tissues.
The talk covers advances in optoacoustic microscopy and tomography instrumentation, reconstruction algorithms for ultrafast imaging, as well as synergistic combinations with fluorescence, magnetic resonance and ultrasound methods. Efforts are underway to explore potential of the technique in studying multi-scale dynamics of the brain and heart, monitoring of therapies, targeted molecular imaging applications and clinical diagnostics of patients in a number of indications, such as breast and skin lesions, inflammatory diseases and cardiovascular diagnostics.
Biography
Professor Daniel Razansky holds the Chair of Biomedical Imaging with double appointments at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich and Department of Information Technologies and Electrical Engineering, ETH Zurich in Switzerland, where he also serves as Director of the joint Preclinical Imaging Center.
He earned degrees in Biomedical and Electrical Engineering from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology and conducted postdoctoral research at the Harvard Medical School. Previously, he was Professor of Molecular Imaging Engineering at the Technical University of Munich and Helmholtz Center Munich in Germany.
The Razansky Lab pioneered a number of bio-imaging technologies that were successfully commercialized and put into use in research labs and clinical facilities across the globe, among them the multi-spectral optoacoustic tomography (MSOT) and hybrid optoacoustic ultrasound (OPUS). His research has been recognized by the German Innovation Prize and multiple awards from the ERC, NIH, SNF, DFG and HFSP. He is also Fellow of the IEEE, SPIE and Optica Societies.
REGISTER HERE FOR ZOOM

Mehmet Cilingiroglu, MD, FSCAI, FACC, FESC
2023-03-16 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Zoom Event, CA, United States
Cardio-oncology; Cardiovascular diseases in cancer patients
Abstract
With more advances in cancer therapy, more patients are alive as cancer survivors than a decade ago.
However, cardiovascular disease is the number one reason for mortality in these cancer free patients.
Beside the conventional risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, radiation and chemotherapy and
cancer specific immunotherapy contributes to increased risk. We will discuss the details of
cardiovascular disease etiologies and treatment options in this specific patient population.
Biography
Dr. Cilingiroglu is a well-established interventional cardiologist and structural heart interventionalist.
He has academic affiliations with several different universities in the USA as well as in EU for various
research and educational collaborations. Beside providing excellent clinical cardiovascular care, over
the last two decades he has been involved and lead many different investigator initiated and novel
device development studies. Have been collaborating with Professor Milner and his team for many
years.
REGISTER HERE FOR ZOOM

Jiawen Li, Ph.D.
2023-02-07 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Zoom Event, CA, United States
Ultrathin 3D-printed Imaging Devices
Abstract
Preclinical studies and clinical diagnostics increasingly rely on optical techniques to visualize internal
organs. Miniaturised catheters or endoscopes are necessary for imaging small and/or delicate
arteries. However, current lens fabrication methods limit the performance of these ultrathin devices,
resulting in a poor combination of resolution, depth of focus and multimodal imaging capability.
This talk will introduce her latest research to address these combined challenges. In particular, she
has utilized 3D micro-printing technology to fabricate lenses, with a diameter of less than 350 μm,
directly onto an optical fiber to achieve freeform designs for 1) aberration-corrected optical coherence
tomography (OCT), 2) Bessel beam OCT, and 3) highly-sensitive multimodal fluorescence+OCT
imaging in vivo.
Biography
Dr. Jiawen Li is a Fellow of L’Oréal-UNESCO, National Heart Foundation and NHMRC, and a Senior
Lecturer at the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, the University of Adelaide. She received
her Bachelor’s degree in Optical Engineering from Zhejiang University (China) in 2010, and her PhD
degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of California, Irvine (USA) in 2015.
Since finishing her PhD, Dr. Li has secured >$2 million research funding as the lead chief/principal
investigator and won numerous prestigious awards/honours (including national Superstar of STEM,
Australian and New Zealand Optical Society Geoff Opat Early Career Researcher Prize, Heart
Foundation Paul Korner Innovation Award, Young Tall Poppy Science Award, etc.). Dr Li’s research
focuses on multimodal imaging, ultrathin endoscopes, optical sensing, 3D micro-printing, and optical
coherence tomography.

Yun Jing, PhD
2023-01-26 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Zoom Event, CA, United States
Numerical Modeling of Medical Ultrasound
Abstract
In the last two decades, we have witnessed substantial development in high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for treating a
broad spectrum of diseases and medical conditions. As a non invasive surgical modality that can reach deep tissue, HIFU has
the potential to revolutionize therapy. Although there are many numerical models available, none can currently achieve both
efficient and sufficiently accurate simulations for acoustic wave propagation in large scale, heterogeneous biological media.
Existing numerical models face two enduring dilemmas: they are either very efficient but not accurate due to invalid
approximations, or they are very accurate but computationally time consuming and therefore impractical in many cases. I will
discuss our effort throughout the past 10 years in developing new numerical models for HIFU, that aims to establish a
balance between accuracy and computational efficiency. I will focus on both the theoretical development and the practical
applications of the numerical algorithm. I will also introduce our NIH funded project that aims to develop an open source
toolbox for modeling medical ultrasound (https://m-sound.github.io/mSOUND/home).
Biography
Yun Jing, Ph.D. was a research fellow at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and an assistant professor and associate professor
at North Carolina State University, prior to joining the Graduate Program in Acoustics at Penn State University in 2020.
Dr. Jing has published over 85 peer reviewed scientific manuscripts. Dr. Jing is fellow of ASA, a senior member of IEEE,
and an associate editor of the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America and Frontiers in Materials. He has received
numerous awards such as the 2018 R. Bruce Lindsay Award from the Acoustical Society of America, the 2018 IEEE
Ultrasonics Early Career Investigator award, 2018 MIT Technology Review Innovator under 35 China award, and the
IEEE UFFC Star Ambassador Lectureship Award. Dr. Jing earned his B.S. in acoustics from Nanjing University, China,
M.S., and Ph.D. in architectural acoustics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Lilit Garibyan, MD, PhD, FAAD
2023-01-12 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Zoom Event, CA, United States
A Leadership Toolbox for Operationalizing Innovation at Your Institution
Abstract
In today’s challenging healthcare environment, the importance of innovation has never been greater. Every healthcare institution anduniversity strive to be innovative, but successful innovative cultures and programs are difficult to create and sustain especially in the busy and fast-paced healthcare settings. Creating an innovative culture requires having a structured process and framework that educates, trains and rewards individuals who engage in innovation.
The “Magic Wand Initiative” was created at Massachusetts General Hospital to empowers and engages healthcare professional in problembased innovation. It is designed to bring innovation directly to clinicians, reduce the barriers to engagement and provide necessary resourcesm for clinicial and research faculty to work collaboratively to solve unmet needs and generate outcomes. Over the last several years I have lectured about this revolutionary and impactful national and international curriculum called the “Magic Wand Initiative and Virtual Magic Wand program” http://www.magicwandinitiative.org/ to teach leaders and clinicians how to leverage innovation for outcomes. In this talk we will aim to:
• Describe the importance of innovation in healthcare
• Identify common barriers to innovation
• Develop strategies that individuals and institutions can use to implement innovation

Biography
Dr. Lilit Garibyan MD, PhD is a physician-scientist at Wellman Center for Photomedicine, board certified dermatologist and faculty member at Harvard Medical School Department of Dermatology. She is listed as an inventor on 15 pending and granted patents in fields of medical devices, immunology, dermatology, cardiology, and medical innovation. Her research focuses on innovative biomedical translational discoveries aimed at identifying unmet medical needs and working with multidisciplinary teams to develop novel treatments. She used this same approach to pioneer injectable cooling devices for aesthetic and medical application since 2012. Several of her inventions have been licensed and led to venture-backed startup companies. She is the co-founder of two startup biotech companies which have resulted from her research discoveries. She serves on several scientific advisory boards for startup companies.
Dr. Garibyan is the co-founder and the Director of the “Magic Wand Initiative” and the Virtual Magic Wand programs, which teach the process of innovation. These internationally recognized programs empower, engage, and teach professionals on how to identify unmet needs and collaborate to identify and implement solutions to problems.
As a humanitarian, Dr. Garibyan has pioneered and established sustainable, medical laser clinics in Armenia for effective treatments of scars and vascular anomalies. Her team has taken several lasers to Armenia and has trained Armenian physicians on the use of laser technology to treat life altering skin diseases. Dr. Garibyan recently founded and serves as the President of a nonprofit organization called “Face of Angel” to continue the mission of this humanitarian work.
Dr. Garibyan received her B.S. summa cum laude from University of California Los Angeles, her M.D. from Harvard Medical School and her
Ph.D. from Harvard University in Experimental Pathology/Immunology.

REGISTER HERE FOR ZOOM

Gultekin Gulsen, Ph.D.
2022-10-27 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Zoom Event, CA, United States
True multi-modality optical molecular imaging – where both modalities interact and work in harmony.
Abstract
The main goal of the molecular imaging community has been achieving higher resolution and better quantitative accuracy.
For nearly two decades, I have been spending effort for the same purpose, mainly integrating optical imaging with anatomic
imaging modalities such as MRI and X-ray CT. For example, my team has developed a gantry-based combined X-ray CT and
Fluorescence Tomography system for small animal imaging. This system is unique in that both X-ray CT and optical imaging
systems are on the same gantry rotating around the animal and capable of revealing cross-sectional background optical
absorption map and anatomic images that can be used to obtain quantitatively correct fluorophore concentration maps.
Another hybrid system that is being developed in my lab is a combined MRI-Diffuse Optical Tomography scanner for small
animal imaging in both absorbance & fluorescence modes.
In all of these applications, optical and anatomic imaging modalities worked in harmony but independent from each other.
Recently, we have focused on development of novel multimodality techniques, in which optical and anatomic imaging
modalities work in harmony and interact with each other to provide images that cannot be obtained solely with one or the
other. This talk will highlight two of these true-multimodality imaging techniques developed in our lab: Photo-magnetic
Imaging (PMI) and Temperature Modulated Fluorescence Tomography (TM-FT), where optical tomography is achieved at MRI
and Focused Ultrasound resolution, respectively while preserving its superior sensitivity.

Biography
Dr. Gulsen is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Radiological Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, Physics & Astronomy, and Electrical Engineering & Computer Science at the University of California, Irvine. He has been serving as the Director of In vivo Functional Onco-Imaging Shared Resource of the UCI Cancer Center for more than15 years. His research involves development of both cutting-edge instrumentation and novel mathematical algorithms for multi-modality imaging techniques. Although most of those techniques have been related to optical molecular tomography, his team was also involved in development of the the world’s first MR compatible SPECT small animal imaging and Positron Emission
Mammography systems.

Errol Arkilic, Ph. D.
2022-09-29 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Zoom Event, CA, United States
Commercialization and searching for a business model: why is spinning technology out of a lab so challenging?
Abstract
In this talk, we will explore the four critical challenges of getting technology out of a lab. Dr. Arkilic, Chief Innovation Officer of UCI has spent his entire career in supporting getting technology out of Academic labs. He has been founder StrataGent Life Sciences, Inc., lead program manager for the NSF SBIR program, founder of the NSF I-Corps program and founder of M34 Capital, a venture capital firm in Silicon Valley.

Biography
Errol Arkilic is Chief Innovation Officer and Executive Director of University of California, Irvine Beall Applied Innovation. At UCI, he leads campus‐wide commercialization activity, helping researchers turn knowledge into products and services that impact society. Prior to his role at UCI, he was founder and CEO of M34 Capital. M34 is a private investment company that focuses on seed and early‐stage projects being spun out of academic research labs. He currently sits on three boards: Growcentia, Inc. NeuroTrainer, Inc. and Ellis Day Skin Science, Inc. Previously, Errol was the founding and lead program director for the National Science Foundation Innovation Corps program (I‐Corps). He led the I‐Corps effort from its inception until July 2013. Prior to this, he was the lead software and services Program Director for the NSF SBIR program. Before his government service, Errol was founder and CEO of StrataGent Life Sciences (Acquired by Corium International: CORI) and Manager of Product Engineering at Redwood Microsystems. He has a Ph.D. in Aero/Astro Engineering from MIT.

REGISTER HERE FOR ZOOM
REGISTER HERE FOR IN PERSON

Jason B. King, Ph. D.
2022-08-18 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Zoom Event, CA, United States
Laser Beam Shaping for Surgery and Microbiopsy
Abstract
Lasers are increasingly being used for surgery in a wide range of medical specialties due to their advantages over alternative
surgical tools. Advantages include precise material removal, limited bleeding, and delivery through optical fibers enabling use
in body cavities and for minimally invasive surgeries. Advancements in laser technology including new laser wavelengths and
higher power continue to improve the performance and implementation of surgical lasers. Temporal beam shaping, or pulse
modulation, has been implemented into clinical laser systems to increase efficiency of urological surgeries, leading to faster,
safer procedures. However, the precise mechanisms of temporally shaped laser ablation are not fully understood. The effects
of spatial beam shaping on laser tissue ablation have not previously been explored.
We aim to understand the impact of temporal and spatial laser beam on laser ablation to improve the performance and
increase the applications of laser surgery. Working towards this aim, a Ho:YAG laser was temporally and spatially altered and
the effects on tissue ablation were explored. We explored the mechanisms of pulse modulated ablation through experiments
on phantoms and native kidney stones. We discovered that increased ablation efficiency by pulse modulation is composition
dependent. Next, increased ablation efficiency by altering laser spatial shape was explored. We discovered that shaping the
laser beam into an annular shape led to an increase in ablation efficiency in both hard and soft tissues. Finally, we explored
the application of spatially shaped laser ablation for laser microbiopsy to harvest sub-microliter (<1 mm3) tissue samples.
Laser beam shaping, pulse energy, and application of cryogen spray cooling were optimized to successfully harvest tissue
sections with observable histological features. Harvested tissues were imaged with confocal microscopy and “virtual H&E”
methods were used to digitally color the images to mimic H&E stained tissue sections. Laser microbiopsy with virtual H&E is
minimally invasive, precise, and provides images in a fraction of the time of the traditional pathology workflow.

Biography
Dr. Jason King recently graduated with his PhD in biomedical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. His work
focuses on optimization of laser ablation for surgery and biopsy through temporal and spatial laser beam shaping. This work
includes computational modeling and ablation experiments aimed at understanding light tissue interactions involved in laser
ablation. His other research interests include confocal microscopy and Raman spectroscopy for cancer diagnosis and
monitoring.

REGISTER HERE FOR ZOOM
REGISTER HERE FOR IN PERSON

Olivia L. Lee, MD
2022-08-11 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Zoom Event, CA, United States
Confocal Microscopy for the Evaluation of OcularSurface Disease
Abstract
Diagnosis and treatment of ocular surface disease represents a large proportion of the average ophthalmologist’s
practice. However, this group of conditions is more heterogeneous and complex than the term “dry eye” conveys.
Further investigation of the pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying these conditions are underway, and in vivo
laser scanning confocal microscopy (IVCM) has emerged as a suitable, relatively novel, minimally invasive tool for
obtaining high-resolution images of tissues at the cellular level. Using this imaging device, the in vivo visualization of
the human cornea can be employed to study ocular surface disease in a non-invasive manner. The use of IVCM
provides a new approach to evaluating the microscopic morphology of the cornea and our group has applied this to
the study of a variety of ocular surface diseases including Sjogrens syndrome, Mucous Membrane Pemphigoid, drug
induced dry eye, Neurotrophic Keratitis, Stevens Johnson Syndrome and more. IVCM is a promising technique for
the diagnosis, prognostication, staging and stratification of ocular surface disease. This talk will highlight the clinical
and research applicability of this imaging technique as applied to ocular surface diseases.

Biography
Dr. Olivia L. Lee is a board-certified UCI Health ophthalmologist who specializes in corneal diseases and uveitis. Dr.
Lee received her medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, followed by a residency in
ophthalmology from the New York Eye & Ear Infirmary in New York City, where she also completed a fellowship in
uveitis and ocular immunology. She completed a fellowship in cornea, external disease and refractive surgery at the
UCLA Stein Eye Institute. Before joining UCI Health, she served as cornea fellowship director at the Doheny Eye
Center UCLA.
Dr. Lee’s research focuses on the use of anterior segment ophthalmic imaging to develop new clinical endpoints to
objectively characterize disease severity and guide clinical decision-making. Her clinical interests include
inflammatory eye disease and complex anterior segment surgery. Dr. Lee has performed all types of corneal and
cataract surgeries.

REGISTER HERE FOR ZOOM
REGISTER HERE FOR IN PERSON

Giulio Guagliumi, M.D.
2022-07-26 13:00 - 14:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Zoom Event, CA, United States
Intervascular Imaging & Treatment Seminar
About
Dr. Giulio Guagliumi was trained with Master in Interventional Cardiology at the Clinique Pasteur, Toulouse, France. He was awarded at Mayo Clinic and St. Mary Hospital, Rochester in imaging and coronary physiology assessment of vascular response to intracoronary stents. He has a long-standing interventional practice with research expertise in acute myocardial infarction, stent, vascular biology, intravascular imaging, structural heart disease. Fellow of the Italian Society of Invasive Cardiology since 2003, he was the Scientific Director of the GISE Congress in 2008-2009 and President of the Italian Society in 2009-2011. H’s fellow of the ESC, member of EAPCI since 2004, member of the scientific committee and executive board of EUROPCR; Co-chair EAPCI Program Scientific Committee for the ESC Congress 2012-2014: Expert Chair of the same Committee in 2015. Country champion of the European Stent for Life project in 2010-2014, to correct inequalities in access to primary-PCI at Italian regional level. Promoter at the EAPCI level of the joint initiative with the largest Japanese society (CVIT). Professor emeritus 2013-2014 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University. Since 2015, Dr. Guagliumi was training the interventional cardiology unit personnel at the Second Affiliated Hospital of the Harbin Medical University in clinical use of the intracoronary imaging, with focus on complex coronary artery disease. He worked as co-director with Prof. Yu and Prof. Jia in multiple national and international educational meetings held in Harbin, including the most recent ASIA Pacific Hybrid Course on actionable imaging. He was appointed as Honorary Professor at the Harbin Medical University in 2019.
During the COVID-19 disease period Dr. Guagliumi directed the Interventional Unit of PG23 Hospital, working for all cardiovascular emergencies of the entire Bergamo Province. H’s the leading author of the COVID-19 pathology research publications that identified microthrombi as the major cause of myocardial damage.
He has ongoing scientific collaboration with major Universities and research centers including Beckmann Laser Unit, University of California (Irvine), Case Western University (Cleveland, Ohio), Emory University (Atlanta), MIT (Boston), CV Path Institute (Gaithersburg), Wakayama University (Japan), Harbin Medical University (China). Principal investigator and member of the Steering Committee in multiple prospective, randomized, international multicenter trials in primary-PCI, coronary stenting, DES, intracoronary imaging (IVUS, OCT). Author of 273 peer reviewed scientific manuscripts, published across all prestigious cardiology journals, including New England Journal, Eur Heart Journal, Lancet, Circulation, JACC, JACC Imaging, Eurointervention. He has more than 300 peer reviewed Abstracts presented at the main international scientific conferences. Reviewer of: Eur Heart Journal, Circulation, Circ Interv, JACC, JACC Interv, JACC Imaging, Nature Cardiovascular Medicine, Eurointervention. Official grader of abstracts and clinical cases submitted to the main Congresses (EuroPCR, ESC, TCT, TCT AP, ENCORE etc). Dr. Guagliumi is the leading author of imaging chapters in multiple textbooks, including the OCT chapter of the Interventional Cardiology Textbook- (Editor Topol-Teirstein) for the 6, 7th, 8th edition and now officially charged lead author for the new update #9 version. In 2014 he was listed by Thomson Reuters among the most influential researcher in the last ten years from inCites and the Web of Science.

Biography
Dr. Guagliumi research interest combines scientific and medical training, expertise in conducting prospective, randomized trials, and leadership in the field of high-resolution imaging applied to evaluation of in-vivo stent vascular responses. Dr. Guagliumi a pioneer in clinical use of light-based imaging for evaluating coronary stenting in various prospective, randomized, controlled studies conducted in unstable coronary syndromes, including ST elevation myocardial infarction, and complex lesion settings (long lesions, diabetes, overlapping stents). His group has one of the largest existing experience in the world with Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) to detect stent-tissue responses at different time points following implantation. His work is based on continuous confront and interaction with pathologists for validating OCT imaging signals and interpretation and develop surrogate imaging variables predicting stent failure. With this as a foundation the Guagliumi laboratory set the way for conducting innovative in-vivo evaluation and optimization of most of the clinically approved bare metal and drug-eluting stents. H’s involved in early evaluation/discussion of light based technical and software innovations for the clinical use, including OCT co-registration with coronary angiography, novel artificial intelligence software implementation for automatic EEL detection and calcium quantification. His most recent publications have focused on how light-based intracoronary imaging helps to identify heterogeneous mechanisms of stent thrombosis and define surrogate imaging variables for anticipating the individual risk profile. Dr. Guagliumi is involved in innovative invasive and non invasive imaging and physiology research projects, including the use of the light for plaque molding, and innovative blood flow measurements with CTCA.

REGISTER HERE FOR ZOOM
REGISTER HERE FOR IN PERSON

Michelle Digman, Ph. D.
2022-05-23 12:00 - 13:00 UTC | Zoom Event, CA, United States
FLIM and Mitometer enable metabolic profiling and tracking phenotypic changes in mitochondria in cancer cells
Abstract
The hallmark of metabolic alteration of increase glycolysis, i.e. Warburg effect, in cancer cells together with atypical extracellular matrix structure may be responsible for tumor cell aggressiveness and drug resistance. While it is it known that tumor cells stiffen the ECM as the tumor progression occurs, a direct relationship between ECM stiffness and altered metabolism has not been explicitly measured. Here we apply the phasor approach technique in fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) to measure metabolic alteration as a function of ECM mechanics. We imaged and compared triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells to non-cancerous cells on various ECM stiffness. Our results show that TNBC exhibit a decreased fraction of bound NADH, (indicative of glycolysis,) with increasing substrate stiffness. All other cell lines showed little to no change in fraction bound NADH on the varying collagen densities. Dysregulation of mitochondrial motion may contribute to the fueling of bioenergy demands in metastatic cancer. To measure mitochondria motion and analyze their fusion and fission events, we developed a new algorithm called “mitometer” that is unbiased, and allows for automated segmentation and tracking of mitochondria in live cell 2D and 3D time-lapse images. Together, the automated segmentation and tracking algorithms and the innate user interface make Mitometer a broadly accessible tool.?

Biography
Dr. Digman was awarded a doctorate degree in Chemistry with specialization in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2003. She did her postdoctoral work in the Department of Physics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in biophysics until this lab moved to the University of California Irvine. She became Optical Bio-Core Director until she joined the BME department in 2013. Her research lab is focused on developing novel biophysical and optical tools to study biological questions with the goal of applying the gained knowledge to the advancement of human medicine. Dr. Digman is AIMBE Fellow, Scialog Fellow, Allen Distinguished Investigator in Immunometabolism, and has won several awards including the NSF-CAREER award, the Hellman Fellowship, the Fluorescence Young Investigator Award from the Biophysical Society, the Faculty Innovation in Teaching award and has received the Henry Samueli Career Development Chair

REGISTER HERE

Alvin Viray, J.D.
2022-04-11 12:00 - 13:00 UTC | Zoom Event, CA, United States
Technology Transfer and Entrepreneurship at UCI
Abstract
This seminar will discuss “technology transfer”, the process by which UCI (1) protects intellectual property (inventions and software) developed by its faculty, staff, researchers and grad students; and (2) commercializes this IP through licensing to an existing company or startup. Also discussed will be the services and resources at UCI’s Beall Applied Innovation for entrepreneurs willing to form a startup based upon the intellectual property they develop at UCI. If you are currently developing intellectual property (IP) at UCI, would like to do so, and/or are curious about entrepreneurship and startups, this seminar will seek to answer any and all your questions: How to submit your invention/software to UCI’s technology transfer office (aka “Research Translation Group”); Who owns my intellectual property; How much do inventors get from UCI’s licensing deal; What is the services and resources are available to me as an entrepreneur doing a startup?

Biography
Alvin Viray is the Associate Director of UC Irvine’s technology transfer office, known as the Research Translation Group (RTG) at UCI’s Beall Applied Innovation. Alvin and his team receives and manages inventions developed by UCI’s faculty, physicians, and researchers. He reviews new invention disclosures for patentability and commercial viability. He negotiates and executes various intellectual property agreements on behalf of UCI, including license agreements for startups and companies. A licensed patent attorney, Alvin graduated from the University of San Diego School of Law before passing the California Bar and USPTO Patent Bar. Alvin received his bachelor’s from UCI where he frequently guest lectures on topics covering Patents, Copyrights, Trademarks, Licensing, and Startups.

REGISTER HERE

David A. Chalyan, MD, MSc
2022-03-31 12:00 - 13:00 UTC | Zoom Event, CA, United States
Opportunities to Improve Clinical Outcomes with Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) in Lower Extremity Revascularizations
Abstract
Peripheral vascular disorders are prevalent and mounting health conditions, particularly in light of the aging population. Both acute and chronic arterial and venous disease result in excess morbidity and mortality and dramatically reduce health-related quality of life. Yet, despite the expanded indications in guidelines for the types and complexities of vascular lesions resulting in a rising volume of endovascular interventions in general, we have not seen a meaningful impact on clinical outcomes like amputation rates, which continue to increase despite better access to peripheral vascular procedures. With the known health outcome benefits of Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) in coronary applications and the much higher reintervention rates in peripheral vascular procedures, the uptake of IVUS has been increasing in lower extremity revascularizations. In this seminar, we examine the up-to-date evidence, cross-disciplinary consensus and emerging Real-World Data (RWD) for the role of IVUS in peripheral interventions in order to provide guidance on where this invasive imaging modality may be most beneficial to improve the quality of patient care during lower extremity arterial and venous intervention.

Biography
David A. Chalyan received his Doctor of Medicine degree from Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine at the University of Iowa and his Master of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of California, Irvine where he studied invasive coronary hemodynamics, angiography-based Fractional Flow Reserve, and diastolic Fractional Flow Reserve. He currently holds a position in Philips Chief Medical Office

REGISTER HERE

Dr. Maxim R. Shcherbakov, Ph. D.
2022-03-10 12:00 - 13:00 UTC | Zoom Event, CA, United States
Tunable photonic nanostructures for laser pulse control and dynamic imaging
Abstract
For decades, nanofabrication has been the driving force behind the transformations in electronics. Light-based devices currently experience a similar transition: nanostructure-based photonic elements bear promise to revolutionize several key technology areas, such as telecommunications, augmented reality, remote sensing, and imaging. In this talk, I will introduce the concept of tunable photonic nanostructures, where time can be leveraged as an additional degree of freedom to manipulate the flow of light on demand. In a multi-faceted study, we will explore how silicon-based nanostructures can be used as ultrafast all-optical switches that can control light with light at subpicosecond timescales and record-low Joule-per-bit counts. Next, by marrying designer nanostructures to a technologically mature switching agent, liquid crystals, we will demonstrate the world’s thinnest lens with an electrically tunable focal spot. We will conclude on remarks how our technology enables lightweight and compact imaging solutions for spatial light modulators, mixed reality glasses, head-on displays, and microscopes, and outline its potential biomedical applications.

Biography
Maxim Shcherbakov is an assistant professor at UCI EECS. He was a postdoctoral associate with the School of Applied and Engineering Physics at Cornell University from 2016 to 2021. He received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Physics from Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia. As a deputy group leader at Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, his research was focused on wearable electronics, remote sensing, and LiDARs. He is an author of more than 50 research papers and book chapters, and recipient of awards in photonics, telecommunications and nanotechnology.

REGISTER HERE

Dr. Lilangi Ediriwickrema, M.D.
2022-03-03 13:00 - 14:00 UTC | Zoom Event, CA, United States
Applications of Spatial Frequency Domain Imaging in Thyroid Eye Disease
Abstract
Spatial frequency domain imaging provides access to multi-spectral absorption and scattering information of biological chromophores and water to provide quantifiable detail about tissue hemodynamics and spectral content. We propose to use SFDI to define an optical signature map characteristic for healthy eyes, and TED before, during, and after treatment. We will use this information to establish clinical end-points and understand strategies to modulate hemodynamics, osmotic gradients, and collagen remodeling.

Biography
Dr. Lilangi Ediriwickrema is a board-certified UCI Health ophthalmologist who specializes in ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery, neuro-ophthalmology and orbital disease.
She received her medical degree from the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn. She completed an internship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City and a residency in ophthalmology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, where she was chief resident. She also completed a fellowship in neuro-ophthalmology and orbital disease at Johns Hopkins University’s Wilmer Eye Institute in Baltimore, Md., followed by fellowship training in ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery at the Shiley Eye Institute at UC San Diego Health.

REGISTER HERE

Dr. Dmitri Lapotko, Ph.D., D.Sc.
2022-02-24 12:00 - 13:00 UTC | Zoom Event, CA, United States
Lasers in Nano-Surgery and Nano-Medicine: Plasmonic Nanobubbles
Abstract
To improve the safety and efficacy of standards of care in diagnostics and treatment of clinically-challenging diseases including cancer, we combine the laser and nanotechnology approaches into a precise on-demand mechanical impact an nano-scale, a laser pulse-generated vapor nanobubble around plasmonic nanoparticles in target cells. This nano-event, plasmonic nanobubble, results from a novel physical-biological mechanism. Its mechanical impact was tuned to support cell level diagnostics, drug release and intracellular injection of genetic or therapeutic payloads, to enhance chemoradiation therapies in highly resistant and aggressive tumors, to intraoperatively detect and destroy unresectable residual microtumors, and to non-invasively detect bad actors, all in personalized procedures with safe doses of nanoparticles and laser energies. Plasmonic nanobubble platform can be integrated with current or novel medical approaches to improve clinical outcomes where standards of care fail.
Biography
Dmitri Lapotko obtained his MS in thermal physics and Ph.D. in laser applications from Belarus State University and Doctor of Science in bioengineering from Lyikov Heat and Mass Transfer Institute. His research in biophotonics and nanotechnology in basic, applied and clinical science resulted in the invention of photothermal microscope for functional analysis of live cells, laser-generated vapor nanobubbles (plasmonic nanobubbles) as a novel platform for diagnostic, therapeutic and surgical technologies for cancer, malaria and cardiovascular disease applications.

REGISTER HERE
