Description of Research Expertise

I am a physicist with specialization in optics in biological tissues. In 2015, I received my PhD in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Pennsylvania under the supervision of Arjun Yodh. I then completed a 2-year postdoctoral fellowship mentored by W. Andrew Kofke in the department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Emergent themes from my previous work include (1) studying ischemic pathophysiology with diffuse optics, (2) formulating new analytical models/paradigms to improve the fidelity of cerebral hemodynamic data based on optical signals, and (3) devising new clinical applications for diffuse optics, such as non-invasive monitoring of cerebral perfusion pressure. As a researcher in biomedical optics, I aim to develop optical tools for clinical use. Broadly, I envision designing clinical research that furthers the prognostic utility of optical tools in the treatment of acute brain injury. I also envision harnessing cerebral hemodynamic data from optical measurements in human patients and pre-clinical animal models to illuminate etiologies of neurological injuries/disorders with the hope of establishing novel therapies (e.g., ischemic stroke, hydrocephalus).