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Dr. Prabhakar Pradhan
Special EE/Physics Joint Nano Seminar
Mesoscopic light transport properties of a single biological cell: Early detection of cancer
Tuesday, November 10, 2009, 4:00pm-5:00pm
C421 Physics/Astronomy Building
Abstract
We have developed a mesoscopic partial wave spectroscopy (PWS) technique to measure the nanoscopic light transport properties of weakly disordered dielectric mesoscopic systems such as biological cells. Using mesoscopic approach, we have statistically quantified the light reflection coefficient and its correlation due to nanoscale refractive index fluctuations within a biological cell, and the results are consistent with the prediction of mesoscopic/nanoscopic light transport theory. Finally, using these parameters, we have imaged and quantified the nanoscale optical disorder strength within the biological cell. Results of precancerous cell studies and cancer detection by the technique will be discussed.
Bio
Dr. Prabhakar Pradhan is a Research Assistant Professor in the Departments of Biomedical Engineering in the Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL. Dr. Pradhan did his Ph.D. at Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India, in Condensed Matter Physics. Before joining Northwestern, he was a post-doctoral researcher at University of California - Los Angeles, CA and a visiting researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA.
