Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Research Interests

My research is centered on the development of cutting-edge optical and photoacoustic technologies for high-resolution structural, functional, metabolic and molecular imaging in vivo and their applications in basic and translational research of a wide range of neurovascular disorders. In particular, I have pioneered photoacoustic microscopy (PAM), an emerging technology uniquely capable of high-resolution imaging of the optical absorption contrast. Using multi-parametric PAM invented in my group, I was the first to demonstrate simultaneous imaging of blood perfusion, oxygenation and flow at the microscopic level. Combining multi-parametric PAM and segmentation-based single-vessel analysis, I have developed a first-of-a-kind hardware-software platform for comprehensive and quantitative characterization of the cerebral microvasculature, including the structure, mechanical property, hemodynamics, and associated tissue oxygen extraction fraction and metabolism. This platform opens numerous new opportunities for studying the role of small-vessel pathology in a broad range of brain diseases.

Professional Education
  • BSc: 2005, Tsinghua University
  • PhD: 2010, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Affiliations
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Hope Center for Neurological Disorders
  • McKelvey School of Engineering

Hu Lab

Hu Lab

Our lab research is centered on the development of cutting-edge optical and photoacoustic technologies for high-resolution structural, functional, metabolic, and molecular imaging in vivo and their applications in both basic and translational brain research.

PI: Song Hu, PhD