Laboratories and Centers

The AOIL consists of a team of ophthalmologists, engineers, software specialists, statisticians, and trainees that focus primarily on the study of glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness in the world. The groups of Profs. Schuman, Wollstein and Ishikawa develop advanced imaging tools to detect this disease, monitor its progression, and investigate its pathogenesis.

Taking advantage of state-of-art nanotechnologies and fabricating fascinating functional biomaterials and integrated biosystems, the Professor Weiqiang Chen’s laboratory addresses numerous important problems in fundamental biology as well as clinical applications in disease diagnosis and treatment.

Professor Andreas Hielscher’s team focuses on developing clinically relevant optical tomographic imaging systems. They apply these devices and wearable electronics to the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases, such as breast cancer, arthritis, peripheral artery disease, diabetic foot syndrome, and real-time monitoring of brain activities.

Professor Lukasz Witek’s research group performs in vivo and in vitro evaluations of a wide range of (bio)materials that can be used as implants for dental and orthopedic applications. A special focus is on 3D printing of bio-ceramic materials for tissue regeneration.

Professor Sohmyung Ha’s lab aims at advancing the engineering and applications of silicon integrated technology interfacing with biology. This is approached in a variety of forms, ranging from implantable biomedical devices to unobtrusive wearable sensors.

The ultimate goal of Professor Kirsch’s research is to define novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of osteoarthritis and other joint diseases and injuries. To this end the laboratory studies mechanisms involved in the regulation of cartilage homeostasis, maintenance and pathology. In addition, research is performed on how cells and the joint environment interact.

Professor Jeremy Teo and his LIBRA team study the mechanobiology of single immune cells and the implications of microenvironmental cues in down-stream immune biology. They are interested in depicting the mechanisms of these signals and modulating the immune outcome using bioengineering strategies. The overall goal is the development of technologies for translational therapeutics.

To respond to a changing environment, cells have to express the right genes at the right time. Professor Timothy Lionnet’s lab tries to understand how exactly this is achieved and how robust responses emerge from random molecular events. Getting insights into these biomolecular processes will ultimately provide new tools to tackle, for example, wound healing, cancer, and many other diseases.

Blending theory with experiments, Professor Andras Gyorgy’s team focuses on the behavior of networks with particular emphasis on synthetic biology applications.

The team of Professor Shy Shoham works at the interface of neuroscience and engineering, developing and applying modern bidirectional neural interfaces for observing and controlling neural population activity patterns. Their goal is to better understand sensory-motor information coding and to advance medical neurotechnology.

Professor Smita Rao and her colleagues in the Center of Health and Rehabilitation Research study the effects of exercise in individuals with diabetes, neuropathy, osteoarthritis, and other musculoskeletal conditions. Her research focuses on improving physical therapy and rehabilitation care in these patients.

Advances in miniaturized sensors and actuators, as well as artificial intelligence (AI), have broadened horizons for assistive and rehabilitative technologies. The team of Professor JohnRoss Rizzo, MD, is leveraging these innovations to help patients with conditions such as blindness and stroke, enhancing their ability to interact physically with their environment.

The work that Professor Samir Taneja and his colleagues are conducting at NYU Langone’s SCPCC and Perlmutter Cancer Center has transformed the field of prostate cancer diagnosis and therapy. Their clinical research focuses on the use of MRI to improve methods of prostate imaging, cancer detection, disease localization, and treatment.

How is language produced and perceived in the human brain? What are the network dynamics that allow us to fluently communicate? These questions are still poorly understood and collaborations between scientists, clinicians, and engineers are crucial for making progress in this fascinating field. Adeen Flinker and his team are using unique human neurosurgical recordings and advanced data processing algorithms to elucidate these questions.