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Our laboratory seeks to develop and translate state of the art noninvasive imaging technologies to (1) improve disease diagnosis, (2) guide therapeutic strategies and (3) evaluate therapeutic efficacy. Our research emphasis is on development and application of hybrid ultrasound imaging systems that are based on a fundamental understanding of how sound and light interact with soft tissue, and are capable of capable of assessing their mechanical, compositional, and biological characteristics. Three independent, but related, imaging technologies are under active investigation:
(1) Ultrasound elasticity imaging (UEI)/shear wave elasticity imaging (SWEI) non-invasively assesses the global and regional mechanical properties of the soft tissues and organs.
(2) Ultrasound Thermal Strain Imaging (TSI) strongly contrasts lipids from the surrounding non-lipid tissues.
(3) Photoacoustic Imaging (PAI)/Photoacoustic molecular imaging (PMI) combines laser and ultrasound technologies to detect optical contrast in tissues and identify specific biomarkers that may enable early detection of disease and its treatment evaluation.
These three imaging modalities may also be combined to provide a more complete characterization of disease. Noninvasive imaging technologies such as these will also be pivotal for preclinical animal studies, significantly reducing animal numbers, variation between subjects, and shortening the study period. In my research laboratory, we envision a noninvasive hybrid imaging system, integrating all these technologies into a single bed-side ultrasound platform. This will provide a powerful, safe, and cost-effective adjunct to clinical practice by identifying patients at early stages of disease and improving treatment strategies.
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