Latest News

Originally posted by Andy Fell

A new, noninvasive method for measuring brain blood flow with light has been developed by biomedical engineers and neurologists at the University of California, Davis, and used to detect brain activation. The new method, functional interferometric diffusing wave spectroscopy, or fiDWS, promises to be cheaper than existing technology and could be used for assessing brain injuries, or in neuroscience research. The work is published May 12 in Science Advances.

(SACRAMENTO) — A new optical imaging technology developed at the University of California, Davis, could help neurosurgeons visually and objectively differentiate between healthy and cancerous tissues during brain cancer surgeries. The technology, called Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging (FLIm), could allow surgeons to more precisely and thoroughly remove malignant tumors.

Cardiovascular disease, particularly ischemic heart disease and stroke, is the leading cause of death worldwide and a large contributor to disability and rising health care costs. As such, it is the focus of intense research.

(SACRAMENTO) — California’s stem cell agency (CIRM) today awarded a $9 million grant to Diana Farmer and Aijun Wang to help launch the world’s first human clinical trial using stem cells to treat spina bifida, a birth defect that occurs when the spine and spinal cord don't form properly.

Six UC Davis Ph.D. students from the Biomedical Engineering Graduate Group traveled to Jena, Germany this September for a weeklong summer school on clinical biophotonics. These students attended lectures, visited cutting-edge research labs and presented their research to their German peers and leading experts in the field while immersing themselves in German culture.

The JEDIS Alliance of Excellence in Biophotonics was awarded €240,000/ $280,000 for three years from the European Recovery Program. Planned activities include scientific conferences in Davis, California and Jena, Germany, a sustainable exchange program, and two first-class summer schools.