PhD student position

Deep Tissue Fluorescence Imaging

PhD student position

The Department of Electronics and Informatics (ETRO ) of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB ) and imec , has an open PhD position for a talented and motivated researcher in a cross-disciplinary research program funded by the imec nano-electronics institute.

Motivation

Advances in semiconductor and optoelectronic technologies allow for manufacturing of phased arrays of coherent laser light sources. These devices improve the resolution of functional fluorescence microscopy by increasing the depth penetration of the excitation light wavefront. Applications include for example brain and skin imaging.

To this end, computing this specific light modulation needs further research to optimize the depth penetration of the light beam through scattering tissue. In addition, this imaging modality also requires the design of new algorithms to steer the imaging setup and reconstruction of the data.

Project

This project focuses on using a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) within an imaging setup to enable deep tissue imaging in scattering living tissue. Research centres around driving adapted light patterns by the new PIC prototype chips. The structured light excitation will be dependent on the specific image we capture, and a feedback loop method will progressively improve the illumination quality according to the fluorescence feedback.

This project will allow the PhD student to improve upon many skills ranging from advanced signal/image processing, deep learning, optics/photonics and programming. The PhD student will collaborate with an international team.

Partners

The primary research locations will be the VUB-ETRO department in Brussels and the nano-electronics research institute imec in Leuven.