Mirna El Khatib, PhD Organic Chemistry
Research Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics
Instructor, University of Pennsylvania
Department: Biochemistry and Biophysics
Contact information
422 Curie Blvd, 1015 Stellar-Chance
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Office: 3526829227
Publications
Education:
PhD (Organic Chemistry)
University of Florida, 2012.
Permanent linkPhD (Organic Chemistry)
University of Florida, 2012.
Description of Clinical Expertise
Preclinical imaging and oxygen monitoring methods relevant to radiation oncology and FLASH radiotherapy research.Description of Other Expertise
Designs and applies phosphorescent imaging probes to study oxygen dynamics and cellular physiology. Combines expertise in molecular probe development, advanced imaging, and interdisciplinary collaborations at the interface of chemistry, biophysics, and physiology.Description of Research Expertise
Development of phosphorescent porphyrin-based probes for oxygen sensing and imaging. Expertise in organic synthesis, photophysical characterization, and design of membrane-anchored biosensors for cellular and tissue-level oxygen mapping. Applications include studies of hypoxia, membrane potential, and oxygen dynamics during FLASH radiotherapy.Selected Publications
Hou, S.S.; Yang, J.; Kwon, Y.; Pian, Q.; Tang, Y.; Dauphinais, C. A.; Calvo-Rodriguez, M.; El Khatib, M.; Vinogradov, S. A.; Sakadžic, S.; Bacskai, B. J.: Shallow-angle Intracranial Cannula for Repeated Infusion and In Vivo Imaging with Multiphoton Microscopy. Neurophotonics 12: 025001, 2025.Stephanie Nolen, S.; Li, Z.; Wang, J.; El Khatib, M.; Vinogradov, S. A.; Yi, J. : Multimodal Retinal Imaging by Visible Light Optical Coherence Tomography and Phosphorescence Lifetime Ophthalmoscopy in the Mouse Eye. bioRxiv Page: doi.org/10.1101/2025.05.29.656845, 2025.
El Khatib, M.; Fye, M. A.; Uchida, K.; Obaid, A. L.; Troxler, T.; Valente, D.; Salzberg, B. M.; Prosser, B.; Kaverina, I. N.; Vinogradov, S. A. : Water-Soluble Molecular Wires for Membrane Potential Imaging. Angew Chem., Int. Ed. Wiley, 64: e202508660, 2025 Notes: First and corresponding author.
Gutiérrez-Jiménez, E.; Rasmussen, P. M.; Mikkelsen, I. K.; Kura, S.; Fruekilde, S. K.; Hansen, B.; Bordoni, L.; Carlsen, J.; Palmfeldt, J.; Boas, D. A.; Sakadžić, S.; Vinogradov, S. A.; El Khatib, M.; Ramos-Cejudo, J.; Wied, B.; Leduc-Galindo, D.; Canepa, E.; Mar, A. C.; Gamallo-Lana, B.; Fossati, S.; Østergaard, L. : Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors Prevent Presymptomatic Capillary Flow Disturbances in a Model of Cerebral Amyloidosis. Alzheimer's & Dementia 21: e70023, 2025.
Grilj, V.; Leavitt, R. J.; El Khatib, M.; Paisley, R.; Franco-Perez, J.; Petit, B.; Ballesteros-Zebadua, P.; Vozenin, M.-C.: In Vivo Measurements of Change in Tissue Oxygen Level during Irradiation Reveal Novel Dose Rate Dependence. International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics 201: 110539, 2024.
El Khatib, M.*; Motlagh, A. O., Beyer, J. N., Troxler, T., Allu, S. R., Sun, Q., Burslem, G. M., Vinogradov, S. A.: Direct Measurements of FLASH-Induced Changes in Intracellular Oxygenation. International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics 118: 781, 2023 Notes: First and co-corresponding author.
Van Slyke AL, El Khatib M, Velalopoulou A, Diffenderfer E, Shoniyozov K, Kim MM, Karagounis IV, Busch TM, Vinogradov SA, Koch CJ, Wiersma RD.: Oxygen Monitoring in Model Solutions and In Vivo in Mice During Proton Irradiation at Conventional and FLASH Dose Rates. Radiat Res 198: 181-189, Aug 2022.
El Khatib M, Cheprakov AV, Vinogradov SA.: Unusual Reactivity and Metal Affinity of Water-Soluble Dipyrrins. Inorg Chem 61: 12746-12758, Aug 2022.
El Khatib M, Van Slyke AL, Velalopoulou A, Kim MM, Shoniyozov K, Allu SR, Diffenderfer EE, Busch TM, Wiersma RD, Koch CJ, Vinogradov SA.: Ultrafast Tracking of Oxygen Dynamics During Proton FLASH. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 113: 624-634, Jul 2022.
Abdelfattah AS, Ahuja S, Akkin T, Allu SR, Brake J, Boas DA, Buckley EM, Campbell RE, Chen AI, Cheng X, Čižmár T, Costantini I, De Vittorio M, Devor A, Doran PR, El Khatib M, Emiliani V, Fomin-Thunemann N, Fainman Y, Fernandez-Alfonso T, Ferri CGL, Gilad A, Han X, Harris A, Hillman EMC, Hochgeschwender U, Holt MG, Ji N, Kılıç K, Lake EMR, Li L, Li T, Mächler P, Miller EW, Mesquita RC, Nadella KMNS, Nägerl UV, Nasu Y, Nimmerjahn A, Ondráčková P, Pavone FS, Perez Campos C, Peterka DS, Pisano F, Pisanello F, Puppo F, Sabatini BL, Sadegh S, Sakadzic S, Shoham S, Shroff SN, Silver RA, Sims RR, Smith SL, Srinivasan VJ, Thunemann M, Tian L, Tian L, Troxler T, Valera A, Vaziri A, Vinogradov SA, Vitale F, Wang LV, Uhlířová H, Xu C, Yang C, Yang MH, Yellen G, Yizhar O, Zhao Y.: Neurophotonic tools for microscopic measurements and manipulation: status report. Neurophotonics 2022.