Elizabeth Hillman, Columbia University, USA - Optical Neuroimaging

ABSTRACT: From 3D microscopy of cellular structures, to measurements of neuronal dynamics and   blood flow, optical methods permit diverse investigations of the living brain. The latest photoactivation and optical neuroimaging approaches and applications will be reviewed.

BIO: Elizabeth M. C. Hillman Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Radiology at Columbia University. She completed her undergraduate and PhD degrees at University College London and worked as a post-doctoral fellow and junior faculty at Massachusetts General Hospital / Harvard Medical School. Elizabeth’s research program focuses on the development and application of novel optical imaging and microscopy techniques to study living tissues, in particular the living brain. Her primary interest is to understand the interrelation between metabolism, blood flow control and neuronal activity in the normal, diseased and developing brain.


Duco Jansen, Vanderbilt Univeristy, USA - Photonic Neural Interfaces: Current State and Future Challenges

ABSTRACT: I will present an overview of the concepts and applications of optical nerve stimulation and inhibition with a focus on characterization of this technique, mechanistic studies as well as on several applications and device development.

BIO: E. Duco Jansen is Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Neurosurgery at Vanderbilt University. He received MS degrees in Medical Biology (University of Utrecht, 1990) and MS and PhD degrees in Biomedical Engineering (University of Texas at Austin, 1992 and 1994). His research interests include novel approaches to optically probe and manipulate the neural system, mechanisms of pulsed laser ablation of tissue, cellular and biochemical responses of biological tissue to laser radiation, and medical applications of lasers. He has published over 100 scholarly articles and book chapters and approximately 250 conference abstracts/proceedings. Dr. Jansen is a Fellow of SPIE, AIMBE and ASLMS. He served as President of the latter in 2010/11.


Sunney Xie, Harvard University, USA - Label-Free Vibrational Imaging for Medicine

ABSTRACT: Stimulated Raman scattering microscopy is a label-free and noninvasive imaging
technique using vibrational spectroscopy as the contrast. Recent advances have
allowed significant improvements in sensitivity, selectivity, robustness, and cost;
opening a wide range of biomedical applications.

BIO: Sunney Xie has made major contributions to single-molecule biophysical chemistry in single molecule enzymology, gene expression and regulation. His team has made new advances in single cell whole genome sequencing, and also pioneered coherent anti-Stokes and stimulated Raman scattering microscopy, allowing highly sensitive label-free imaging with vibrational spectroscopy. Sunney received tenure at Harvard in 1999, and became Mallinckrodt Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, 2009, and Cheung Kong Visiting Professor, PKU. He is a member of the NAS.