Biomedical Imaging
Biomedical imaging researchers in the department work to develop imaging hardware, image processing, signal processing, imaging contrast agents, image segmentation, and informatics. Graduate students in this research area can perform work with any biomedical engineering faculty member, including any faculty member of the Biomedical Research Imaging Center (BRIC) for their dissertation studies. Faculty Modalities of particular interest include ultrasound imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, x-ray, SPECT, PET and live-cell imaging.
Numerous faculty within the department also participate in the Ultrasound Research Consortium, an organized group of contributors whose research focuses on developing and applying ultrasound technologies for diagnostic medical imaging, targeted therapeutics, sensing and industrial applications.
Biomedical Imaging Labs
Dayton Lab: Non-Invasive Functional Imaging and Targeted Therapeutics
Dayton group develops new technologies for imaging blood flow, microvasculature and molecular markers. Recent contributions to the field include advances in ultrasound-mediated therapeutics with micro and nanoparticles, and developing and applying tools for non-invasive assessment of angiogenesis progression and tumor response to therapy.
ENHANCE Laboratory
ENHANCE was established in 2024 as a translational ultrasound lab between Radiology and Biomedical Engineering at UNC Chapel Hill. Led by Dr. Papadopoulou, our lab aims to advance biomedical ultrasound for human performance. Our research interests are centered around ultrasound and microbubbles, their detection and gas physiology modulation in vivo, and their applications in addressing today’s needs in biomedical disease and human performance in austere environments. Our laboratory collaborates widely with others, integrates research with substantial outreach and education components, and prides itself on stakeholder engagement to increase our impact. Our members drive our vision and take on leadership positions to advance our research and education missions. Join The Ec(h)osystem.
Gallippi Ultrasound Lab
Ultrasonic imaging is non-ionizing, real-time, cost-efficient and portable. These unique advantages make it a prominent tool in modern medicine. Our group is working to advance medical ultrasound by developing new imaging technologies and processing algorithms. We test our methods in specially designed tissue mimicking materials, ex vivo tissue preparations and in vivo studies.
Greenbaum Lab
The Greenbaum Lab is an emerging advanced bio-imaging and computational lab. We are a multidisciplinary lab that focuses on the development of complex imaging devices and algorithms to advance 3D profiling of intact organs to answer biological questions regarding aging and disease progression. While we are especially interested in profiling bones, we are also capable of clearing and imaging other organs, such as the heart and the brain.
Legant Lab
Life is animate and three-dimensional. Our lab develops tools to better understand living specimens at single molecule, cellular and tissue level length scales. This work exists at the interface of physics, engineering and biology and is highly collaborative. The lab is jointly affiliated with the UNC Department of Pharmacology and with the Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at UNC/NC State.
Pinton Lab
Our lab is interested in the nonlinear propagation of ultrasound and mechanical waves and their applications to medical imaging and therapy. Our research has been motivated by the observation that for intense sources the speed of wave propagation is no longer constant and that this complicates the mathematical framework but it also creates new opportunities.