Bruce Tromberg, Ph.D.

Director, Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic & Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering

University of California, Irvine

Speech Title:

Engineering Medical Optics from Benchtop to Bedside

Abstract:

Quantitative characterization of tissue structure and function across spatial scales is one of the most challenging problems in Biomedical Imaging. Field of view, depth of interrogation, and resolution are critical features that dramatically impact image quality and information content. Optical methods can provide a single scalable platform for medical imaging by manipulating the spatial, spectral, and temporal properties of the light source. This allows for control of optical path length, localization of light beneath the surface, and selection of various contrast mechanisms including absorption, scattering, and fluorescence. This talk presents optical methods used for intrinsic signal optical imaging of tissue structure and biochemical composition. Relationships between micro- and macroscopic optical contrast will be discussed using examples that highlight sensitivity to cellular metabolism, extracellular matrix composition, angiogenesis, and hemodynamics. These capabilities will be placed in the context of conventional methods in order to assess the current and future role of optics in medical imaging and image-guided therapy.

Bio:

Dr. Tromberg is the Director of the Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic (BLI) at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) and principal investigator of the Laser Microbeam and Medical Program (LAMMP), an NIH P41 National Biomedical Technology Center in the BLI. He is a Professor with joint appointments in the departments of Biomedical Engineering and Surgery and has been a member of the UCI faculty since 1990.

Dr. Tromberg co-leads the Onco-imaging and Biotechnology Program in UCI’s NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Translational Technology Program in UCI’s NIH-designated Institute for Clinical and Translational Science. His research spans the interdisciplinary fields of Biophotonics and Biomedical Optics with particular emphasis on the development of new technologies for medical imaging and therapy. Major areas of activity include Diffuse Optical Spectroscopy and Imaging, Non-linear Optical Microscopy, and Photodynamic Therapy. His work includes more than 300 publications and 13 patents in Biophotonics technologies and their application to problems in cancer, vascular disease, neuroscience, and critical care. He serves on several national advisory committees, including the Experimental Imaging Sciences Committee for the American College of Radiology Imaging Networks (ACRIN) and is a council member for the NIH National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB). Dr. Tromberg is the former editor-in-chief of the Journal of Biomedical Optics and is an editorial board member for the journals Measurement Science and Technology and Cancer Research. He has received several awards for his work, including the R&D 100 Award and the OE Magazine Technology Innovator Award, and is a Fellow of the International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE) and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineers (AIMBE).