Fluorescence Molecular Imaging for Improving Experience and Outcomes in Oncology
Research seminar with Dartmouth Engineering Professor Kim Samkoe.
Optional ZOOM LINK
Meeting ID: 962 3557 9087
Passcode: 651327
Imaging medicine provides the unique opportunity for the real-time visualization of molecular, physiological, and/or structural information of a patient's tissue in situ. This is especially important for imaging cancer, which is a highly heterogeneous disease differing not only between cancers of different organs but also within cancers of the same type. Due to this high variability, there has been a large push towards "personalized medicine" where treatment planning for individuals is based on knowledge gained from imaging or "bench" testing. However, there is still a significant knowledge gap between simplistic bench models and the successful translation of therapy with lasting positive outcomes in a human patient.
To address this need, our research focuses on the development of quantitative imaging methodologies to visualize the molecular- and cellular-spatial dynamics of individual patient's disease to improve:
- tissue (normal and diseased) detection;
- treatment planning; and/or
- monitoring treatment response.
Here, I will discuss the major advances we have made in quantitative tissue detection, diagnostic visualization, and depth prediction during surgical resection of primary tumors. Additionally, I will discuss our more recent forays into imaging molecular therapies, including in situ receptor occupancy and protein-protein interactions. Overarchingly, we aim to develop novel methodologies that span the bench-to-bed side barrier and increase the understanding of disease detection and therapy within the clinic.
