Latest News

• by SPIE, College of Engineering Communications
• January 20, 2026

For decades, the ability to visualize the chemical composition of materials, whether for diagnosing a disease, assessing food quality or analyzing pollution, depended on large, expensive laboratory instruments called spectrometers. 

These devices work by taking light, spreading it out into a rainbow using a prism or grating and measuring the intensity of each color. The problem is that spreading light requires a long physical path, making the device inherently bulky.

• by Clémentine Sicard, UC Davis Development and Alumni Relations
• December 29, 2025

Laura Marcu, professor in the Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Neurological Surgery, has been appointed to the Endowed Professorship of Neurosurgical Research. This distinguished appointment is made possible by an anonymous donation.

A new imaging technology developed at UC Davis is set to revolutionize prostatectomy, the surgery to remove prostate cancer. This technology, called Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging (FLIm), helps surgeons preserve the prostate function after surgery, shorten the recovery time and avoid unneeded radiation.

FLIm is an imaging technology that allows users to differentiate the tumor and its margins from healthy tissues. With clear margins, surgeons can cut only where needed. This results in less invasive cancer surgeries, easier recovery and fewer side effects for patients.

This July, UC Davis welcomed researchers, clinicians, and trainees from across the globe for the third annual Interventional Biophotonics Week Symposium (July 21-22) and Summer School (July 23-25). The five-day event showcased the latest advances in optical imaging technologies and their integration into clinical workflows.

The National Center for Interventional Biophotonic Technologies, or NCIBT, is revolutionizing surgical procedures and brain monitoring using light-based, artificial intelligence-informed technologies. Thanks to a $6.3 million grant from National Institutes of Health, the center moved to Aggie Square at UC Davis.

by Matt Marcure

The Erlangen Graduate School in Advanced Optical Technologies, or SAOT, has honored Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering Alba Alfonso García with the 2025 SAOT Young Researcher Award.

(SACRAMENTO) UC Davis Health recently spotlighted how light-based technologies are powering breakthroughs in diverse fields such as medicine, education, science, art, culture, sustainable development, communications, and energy.

Randy Carney, an associate professor of biomedical engineering at UC Davis, has been named one of eight new Chancellor’s Fellows for the year. This prestigious title is granted to early-career faculty members who exhibit outstanding contributions in their fields.

The Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society and the Banatao Institute (CITRIS) at the University of California (UC) honored Saif Islam as one of the three inaugural recipients of the 2024 CITRIS Innovation Fellowship and AIC Awards. 

Bruce Tromberg, director of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, or NIBIB, rang in the 15th annual Maroney-Bryan Distinguished Lecture with a presentation on medicine and engineering partnerships.

The Society of Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging, or SNMMI, honored Professor of Biomedical Engineering Jinyi Qi twice during its annual meeting in Toronto, Ontario, this June.

For leadership and contributions to large-scale data visualization, the Association for Computing Machinery, or ACM, has named Distinguished Professor Kwan-Liu Ma to its 2023 cohort of fellows.  

The ACM Fellow is the international association's most prestigious member grade. It is reserved for the top one percent of society members, recognizing outstanding contributions in computing and information technology or service to ACM and the larger computing community. 

Alba won the Best Paper Award with the paper "Assessing in vivo label-free fluorescence lifetime Imaging sensitivity to low-grade colon inflammation”.

Saif Islam, an electrical and computer engineering professor and director of the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society and Banatao Institute at the University of California, Davis, has received the 2024 SPIE Aden and Marjorie Meinel Technology Achievement Award. 

We hosted our inaugural Interventional Biophotonics Week on the UC Davis campus from July 17 - July 21. The hybrid in-person and virtual event brought together leading researchers of the NCIBT and around the world to exchange ideas, foster collaboration, and celebrate the launch of NCIBT at UC Davis.