Optics and the Brain (Brain)
Events
Optics and the Brain (Brain)
21 – 24 April 2025
Coronado, California, USA
Brain focuses on innovative research, tools and techniques to increase fundamental knowledge about the brain and nervous system.
The USA BRAIN Initiative and the European Human Brain Project have identified the urgent need for new technologies that can probe the working brain across all levels from single neurons to entire behaving organisms. Optics offers a unique toolkit for multiscale imaging the living and intact brain, while new genetic labeling strategies provide optical contrast to neural function and optogenetics permits the control of cellular function with light.
By bringing together an international group of leading engineers, optical and medical scientists, biologists, chemists and physicians, the meeting reflects the highly interdisciplinary area of research within this topic. This meeting serves as a forum for discussion of existing and emerging techniques as well as future directions capable of shedding new light on the healthy and diseased brain.
Optica Quantum 2.0 Conference and Exhibition
Topic Categories
Specific topics of interest include:
- Optics in the Human Central Nervous System and Peripheral Nerves
- Functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)
- Diffuse optical spectroscopy and tomography (DOS/DOT)
- Diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS)
- Wearable systems
- Brain computer interfaces (BCI)
- Intrasurgical brain optical imaging
- Fiber-optic probes, spectroscopy and edoscopic imaging
- Optical modulation of the human central nervous system
- Retinal neuroscience
- Speckle contrast
- Vascular and metabolic modeling
- Clinical applications
- Coherence tomography, non-invasive techniques, hyperspectral imaging
- Rethinking Scan Patterns and Shaping Light
- Light sheet microscopy
- Wavefront engineering
- Adaptive optics
- Structured illumination
- Temporal focusing
- Non-gaussian beam shaping
- Holography
- Combining light sheet micro with microlaser spectro
- Structural and Super-Resolution Techniques
- Resolution improvement techniques
- Fluorophores design and optimism
- Use of super-resolution
- Particle tracking
- Molecular and biophysical processes
- Analyzing Circuitry, Network Function and Information Processing
- Model systems for network studies
- Hybrid theoretical-experimental approaches to network analysis
- Models of network inference
- Imaging strategies optimized for network analysis
- Deciphering functions from activity data
- Multiscale imaging of brain activity
- Functional microscopy
- Optogenetics, Genetic Encoding and Novel Probes
- Optode and electrode hardware for excitation and/or recording
- Use of miniatrue microscopes with optogenetics
- Genetically encoded calcium and voltage indicators
- Novel forms of functional contrast
- New genetic strategies for optogenetics
- Modeling and overcoming scatter in optogenetics
- Challenges of scaling up optogenetics to non-human primates
- Scattering, Clearing and Wavefront Engineering
- Advances in light sheet microscopy
- Novel techniques for in-vitro and in-vitro whole-brain imaging and actuation
- Zebrafish, drosophila and similar small organisms
- Clearing techniques and structural imaging, animal to human
- Optical data management and analysis strategies
- Adaptive optics strategies
- Brain Physiology and Disease
- Application of optical spectroscopy and imaging systems to the study of the brain in both health and disease (i.e., Alzheimer's stroke, epilepsy, etc.)
- Models of brain diseases and optical tools
- Photothrombosis
- Optical therapeutics
- Photodynamic therapy
- Neuromodulation strategies
- Big Data Tools (Collection, Management, Reduction, Analysis)
- Rapid imaging strategies
- Serial slices imaging
- Large field-of-view and space-bandwidth microscopes
- Compression strategies
- Data management tools
- Machine learning
- Software tools and date formats
- ML data augmentation; high density datasets
- Optical Hybrids
- Photoacoustics / optoacoustics
- Acousto-optic approaches
- Acoustic modulation of neural activity
- Combined optical / PET / CT / MRI
- Combined electrical/optical
- Integrated photo acoustic, ultrasound and angiographic tomography (PAUSAT) and photothermal infrared microscopy
Committee Members
- Valentina Emiliani, Institut de la Vision, France, General Chair
- Jennifer Lynch, University of Pennsylvania, United States, General Chair
- Ashwin Parthasarathy, University of South Florida, United States, Program Chair
- Cristina Rodriguez, Yale University, United States, Program Chair
- Wesley Baker, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
- Abraham Beyene, Janelia Research Campus, United States
- David Busch, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, United States
- Stefan Carp, Massachusetts General Hospital, United States
- Hod Dana, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, United States
- Emily Gibson, University of Colorado at Denver, United States
- Christiane Grimm, Institut De La Vision Paris, France
- Michael Higley, Yale University, United States
- Tiffany Ko, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, United States
- Evelyn Lake, Yale University, United States
- Timothy Murphy, University of British Columbia, Canada
- Eirini Papagiakoumou, Institut De La Vision Paris, France
- Vicente Parot, Pontificia Univ Catolica de Chile, Chile
- Mitchell Robinson, Massachusetts General Hospital, United States
- Vivek Srinivasan, New York University
- Brian White, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, United States
- Murat Yildirim, Lerner Research Institute, United States
- Meryem Yucel, Boston University, United States
- Qinrong Zhang, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Chairs
Valentina Emiliani
Institut de la Vision, France,
General Chair
Jennifer Lynch
University of Pennsylvania, United States,
General Chair
Ashwin Parthasarathy
University of South Florida, United States,
Program Chair
Cristina Rodriguez
Yale University, United States,
Program Chair
Invited Speakers
- Hillel Adesnik, University of California Berkeley, United States
High Precision Neural Perturbations at Scale with Two-photon Optogenetics Keynote - Ed Boyden, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States
Towards Comprehensive Imaging and Control of Biological Systems Keynote - Erin Buckley, Georgia Institute of Technology, United States
Illuminating Biomarkers of Stroke with Diffuse Optical Spectroscopies Keynote - Mamadou Diop, Western University, Canada
Time-Resolved Near-Infrared Spectroscopy, Diffuse Correlation Spectroscopy, and Multichannel Derivative-Spectroscopy for Cerebral Microcirculation Monitoring Keynote - Tommaso Fellin, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Italy
Endoscopy and Adaptive Optics Keynote - Rickson Mesquita, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom
Minimizing the Effects of Autonomic Responses in fNIRS for Improved Data Reliability Keynote - Valentin Nägerl, Université Victor Segalen Bordeaux 2, France
STED Microscopy Keynote - Ferruccio Pisanello, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Italy
Implantable Neurophotonics Probes Keynote - Chris Schaffer, Cornell University, United States
In Vivo Imaging of Functional Changes in the Brain of Mouse Models of Neurodegenerative Disease Keynote - Spencer Smith, University of California Santa Barbara, United States
2P Mesoscopy Keynote - Lamiae Abdeladim, University of California Berkeley, United States
Mesoscopy and Holography - Ahmed Abdelfattah, Brown University, United States
Voltage Sensor Development - Silvina Ferradal, Indiana University, United States
Exploring Individual Identifiability for Functional Fingerprinting Under Anesthesia in Mice - Rodrigo Forti, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, United States
Hybrid Diffuse Optics for Monitoring Cerebral Physiology After Traumatic Brain Injury' - Amanda Foust, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
Light-field Deep Learning for High-throughput, Scattering-mitigated Neural Circuit Imaging
Plenary Speakers
Peter Maurer
The University of Chicago, USA
Fluorescent-proteins: New generation of sensing qubits?
Optica Distinguished Lecture Series on Quantum Science and Technology
We demonstrate an optically addressable protein-based spin qubit encoded in the metastable triplet state of fluorescent protein. Our protein-qubit has coherence times rivaling NV centers in nanodiamonds but are roughly 10-times smaller and genetically encodable.
About the Speaker
Peter Maurer is an assistant professor at the University of Chicago. His research focuses on advancing quantum sensing techniques to probe the physical properties of biological processes with nanoscale resolution. Prior to joining the University of Chicago Peter completed his PhD training with Mikhail Lukin at Harvard and Steven Chu at Stanford.
Sophie Hernot
Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
Enhancing Fluorescence Guided Surgery with Nanobodies and Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging
This presentation explores enhancing fluorescence-guided surgery with Nanobodies — targeted agents offering rapid pharmacokinetics and tumor specificity — and demonstrates how fluorescence lifetime imaging adds biological insights and reduces non-specific signals compared to conventional fluorescence methods.
About the Speaker
Sophie Hernot, a bioengineer with a PhD in Medical Sciences, is a leading professor in the Molecular Imaging and Therapy research group at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium. Her research centers on developing, preclinically validating and clinically translating fluorescent and radiolabeled Nanobody-based tracers for image-guided applications. As the academic director of the In vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Core Facility, she also promotes the adoption of innovative imaging techniques across diverse research fields, enhancing in vivo understanding of biological processes.
Jerome Mertz
Boston University, United States
Pushing the Limits of Microscopy
No matter how good microscopes have become, there will always be a need for them to be better. I will describe various strategies to push the limits of microscopes for life science applications.
About the Speaker
Jerome Mertz received an AB in physics from Princeton University and a PhD in quantum optics from UC Santa Barbara and the University of Paris VI. Following postdoctoral studies at the University of Konstanz and at Cornell University, he became a CNRS research director at the Ecole Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielle in Paris. He is currently a professor of Biomedical Engineering at Boston University. His interests are in the development and applications of novel optical microscopy techniques for biological imaging. He is also author of a textbook titled Introduction to Optical Microscopy, 2nd Ed.
Elizabeth Hillman
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, USA
Maximizing the Impact of Biomedical Imaging and Microscopy
Optical methods are uniquely suited to mapping molecular and functional information across scales. From diffuse-imaging to super-resolution microscopy, how can we ensure that our work will lead to scientific breakthroughs and improvements in patient care?
About the Speaker
Dr. Elizabeth M.C. Hillman’s laboratory develops diverse optical imaging and microscopy techniques and applies them to studying the structure and function of the brain and other living tissues. She completed undergraduate and PhD training in Physics and Medical Physics at University College London. After post-doctoral work at Massachusetts General Hospital, she joined the faculty at Columbia University in 2006, where she is the Herbert and Florence Irving Professor in the Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, and the Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Radiology.
Special Events
Easter Egg Hunt
Sunday, 20 April 12:30 - 13:30
Join us for a fun-filled Easter Egg Hunt! Open to kids and conference attendees alike, this festive event promises surprises, sweet treats and springtime cheer for all ages.
Women in Optics Reception
Sunday, 20 April 17:00 - 18:00
This informal networking event brings together women in biophotonics — to meet other women in the field and discuss challenges and opportunities. All are welcome, regardless of gender. Please join Chairs Caroline Boudoux, Daniel Elson and members of the Optica Biophotonics Congress committee. Share your ideas to help ensure our community and this meeting is as welcoming and inclusive as possible.
Lunch & Learn: Mastering Productivity, Time Management & Transferable Skills for PhDs
Monday, 21 April 12:00 - 13:00
PhD students often develop valuable skills that go unrecognized when transitioning to industry. This session will provide practical strategies to maximize productivity, manage time effectively and identify transferable skills that set PhDs apart in the job market. Attendees will gain insights into overcoming academic challenges, applying their expertise beyond academia and leveraging essential tools to thrive in their careers.
Speaker:
Caroline Boudoux
Agenda:
- 12:00 PM – Introduction (5 min): Why mastering Chapter 5 is key to PhD success and career transitions.
- 12:05 PM – Productivity & Time Management (10 min): Eisenhower Matrix, 80/20 Rule, avoiding procrastination, work-life balance and efficient writing.
- 12:15 PM – Transferable Skills (15 min): Problem-solving, project management, data analysis, communication, adaptability and teamwork—how they apply in industry
- 12:30 PM – Productivity Tools (10 min): Notion, Trello, Pomodoro, research documentation and accountability partners.
- 12:40 PM – Q&A & Closing (10 min): Open discussion and career planning resources.
Who Should Attend?
PhD students, postdocs, and researchers looking to improve time management, boost efficiency and confidently transition into industry roles.
Takeaway
Walk away with actionable strategies to enhance productivity, reduce stress and leverage your PhD skills for career success.
Exploring Emerging Topics in Biophotonics: The Role of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence
Monday, 21 April 18:45 - 20:30
In the recent decade, machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) have played an increasingly transformative role in biophotonics by enhancing data analysis, interpretation, and optimization of complex imaging and sensing. This event, hosted by Optica Technical Groups, will bring together a diverse group of panelists for an open discussion on the emerging role of ML and AI in advancing technologies across the biomedical field. As an attendee, you will gain insights into ways we can utilize ML and AI in the biomedical field, including recent advances, novel applications, good practices, limitations and opportunities. Following the panel discussion, you will have an opportunity to network with your colleagues.
Panelists:
- Muyinatu Bell, Johns Hopkins University
- Javier Jo, University of Oklahoma
- Shalin Mehta, Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Network
- Kyle Quinn, University of Arkansas
Sunrise Yoga
Tuesday, 22 April 06:00 - 07:30
Begin your day with a revitalizing sunrise yoga session, suitable for all levels. Enjoy light refreshments afterward as you embrace the tranquility of the morning.
Tickets can be purchased when registering for the meeting for USD 50.00.
Express Networking Lunch: 10X Your Connections in Biophotonics
Tuesday, 22 April 12:15 - 13:15
You are invited to join the Optica Technical Groups for this exciting networking session that will help you create new connections in a structured, time-efficient manner. The event starts with a 30-minute speed networking exercise, where you'll engage in 5-minute, rapid fire conversations with a diverse array of attendees. The second part of the program features lightning pitches from select participants. These one or two-minute presentations will showcase unexpected connections that have significantly impacted their careers, inspiring you to think creatively about leveraging your own network.
Congress Reception
Tuesday, 22 April 17:30 - 19:00
Join fellow attendees for the congress reception.
