Mallidi recognized for research in image-guided light treatment for cancer

At the 2019 International Photodynamic Association (IPA) World Congress, Assistant Professor Srivalleesha Mallidi of the Department of Biomedical Engineering received the IPA's Early Investigator Award in recognition of her exceptional research that focuses on clinical translation of image-guided photodynamic therapy (PDT). PDT is a light-based therapy that involves a photosensitizing agent that can elicit cell death upon irradiation with specific wavelengths of light.

Mallidi leads the Integrated Biofunctional Imaging and Therapeutics (iBIT) Lab, where research is geared towards clinical translation, merging the interdisciplinary fields of biomedical imaging technology, nanoengineering, and cancer therapeutics. She utilizes non-invasive acoustic and optical imaging techniques with nanomaterials and biological models to understand the structural, functional, molecular, and biomechanical heterogeneity of pathologies such as cancer, as well as developing image-guided therapeutic strategies. Her work has been published in journals such as Nanoletters, Optics Express, and Cancer Research and has twice been featured on the cover of the journal Theranostics.

This year's World Congress, hosted in Boston, was the 17th biennial conference held by the IPA. The IPA World Congresses bring together members of the photodynamic community from across the globe, advancing clinical and scientific research related to photodynamic therapies and photodiagnosis. Mallidi chaired a session on image-guided PDT at this year's World Congress and gave an invited talk on her recent work in oral cancer PDT. Ph.D. student Marvin Xavierselvan also received the Poster of Prestige People’s Choice Award at the conference.