About the Lab
Diffuse optical imaging is a non-invasive technique for low-resolution studies of biological tissues at a macroscopic scale. The limited spatial resolution (~1 cm) is balanced by a large optical penetration depth (several centimeters), high temporal resolution (~ 10 milliseconds), high intrinsic contrast associated with hemoglobin (contrast factor of 10-100 in most soft tissues), and the capability of spectral discrimination of multiple chromophores (leading to quantitative oximetry in the case of oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin).
The diffuse optical imaging of tissue lab includes faculty, postdocs, PhD students, MS students, and undergraduate students who perform independent research studies, lab rotations, or summer internships. We hold weekly group meetings, including regular joint research meeting with our collaborating groups.
Research activities in our group include quantitative modeling of light propagation in optically turbid media, the generation of analytical relationships between optical measurements and physiological quantities, the design of optical instruments for medical imaging, the development of novel near-infrared spectroscopy and imaging techniques for medical diagnostics, and a number of applications to animal models and human subjects. Specific applications are aimed at functional imaging of the brain, the assessment of cerebral microcirculation, diffuse optical mammography, hemodynamic monitoring of skeletal muscles, and quantitative tissue oximetry.
We attend major scientific conferences in the field, such as BiOS (within SPIE Photonics West), OSA Biomedical Optics Topical Meeting (BIOMED), and the Annual Meeting of the Biomedical Engineering Society. We also actively participate in many of the social activities organized by the department, which include the annual graduate student retreat and the Summer department picnic, and we enjoy the Boston dining scene by organizing group outings at selected restaurants.
We hope that you enjoy our group website and we encourage you to contact us for any questions.