Postdoctoral Associate (November 2022 - Present)

Short Bio: Pauline worked as a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, prior to joining as an assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sri Sivasubramaniya Nadar College of Engineering, India. She accomplished her Ph.D. in Biomedical Optics from Indian Institute of Technology Madras. She accomplished both her Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering. Her research interests include development of optical instruments/sensors for non-invasive biomedical applications, near infrared spectroscopy, optical coherence tomography, laser induced breakdown spectroscopy and flow cytometry.

Postdoctoral Associate (April 2023 - Present)

Short Bio: Soha Yousuf obtained her Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering from Khartoum, Sudan. She furthered her education by pursuing a master's degree at Masdar Institute and a Ph.D. degree at Khalifa University, both located in the United Arab Emirates. Her doctoral research concentrated on the investigation of optical sensors utilizing a silicon-on-insulator platform. Following her studies, she joined the Smart Materials Lab (SML) at NYUAD as a Postdoctoral Associate, where she specialized in the development of optical sensors based on organic crystals. Currently, her research is centered around advancing Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy techniques and applying machine learning methods for tissue classification.

Postdoctoral Associate (March 2024 - Present)

Short Bio: Soundararajan, with a Ph.D. from National Taiwan University in Photonics and Optoelectronics, was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of California, Davis, where he contributed to pioneering biomedical imaging technologies and optical coherence tomography systems. His academic journey includes a Master's in Laser and Electro-Optical Engineering and a Master's in Physics. His professional path also encompasses significant industrial experience in photonics and optoelectronics. Soundararajan’s research endeavors are focused on designing and developing advanced optical imaging systems, such as swept-source/full-field optical coherence tomography, scanning laser ophthalmoscopy, photoacoustic imaging systems, photodynamic therapy, and spectroscopic studies.

Undergraduate NYUAD, Summer 2023 - Present

Short Bio: Soyini Alexander is a second-year Jamaican student with plans to major in Bioengineering. During the summer of 2023, she began working as a Student Research Assistant in the Laboratory for Advanced Bio-Photonics and Imaging (Lab π) at New York University, Abu Dhabi. During her time there, she gained experience in Optical Coherence Tomography imaging, including its applications in microcirculation, doppler, and speckle modes, as well as Correlation mapping. Currently, she focuses on cell culture in the lab, which involves subculturing suspended adherent cells, thawing and freezing cells, preparing spheroids, creating 3D phantoms, and cryopreserving cells.

Undergraduate NYUAD, 2023 - Present

Short Bio: Irfan Karukappadath is a second-year student at NYU Abu Dhabi, majoring in Computer Science with a focus on AI. Hailing from India, he harbors a deep passion for integrating Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence into healthcare. Committed to the idea that such advancements could serve as the foundation for equitable and universal healthcare systems, Irfan aims to contribute meaningfully to this evolving field. He is particularly excited about the multidisciplinary approach to solving complex healthcare problems. When he's not engrossed in academics or research, he enjoys cafe hopping, travelling, and passionately supporting Manchester United.

Undergraduate NYUAD, 2023 - Present

Short Bio: Mehdi Marrakchi is a sophomore studying Bioengineering and minoring in computer science, interested in the intersection of computer science and biology. His main interests include CAD design, microscopy and synthetic biology. He likes working out, is a huge fan of fantasy series, and loves to travel anywhere he can.

Undergraduate NYUAD, 2023 - Present

Short Bio: Christopher Sami is a Fijian third year student at New York University Abu Dhabi majoring in Electrical Engineering . Since joining LAB-PI, Christopher has been working on various modalities of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) such as nano-sensitive OCT focussed towards studying the nano structural morphologies of spheroids and organoids and will also be working with OCT Angiography. Currently, he is working on a project that uses OCT speckle de-correlation to probe the intracellular motion in various cells. He has also previously worked at the Center for Smart Engineering Materials assisting in the formation of organic crystals for smart materials.

Undergraduate NYUAD, Summer 2024 - Present

Short Bio: Calvin Gutsa is a rising junior at New York University Abu Dhabi, majoring in Computer Engineering with a focus on Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and Data Science. During the summer of 2024, he joined the Laboratory for Advanced Bio-Photonics and Imaging (Lab ) as a Student Research Assistant. He began by understanding the principles of photoacoustics, photoacoustic microscopy, and machine learning models. Calvin’s project was centered on developing new image/signal post-processing algorithms to improve detection capabilities, creating biomimicking phantoms for diabetes detection, and developing machine learning models for tissue classification, such as cancer.

Undergraduate NYUAD, Summer 2024 - Present

Short Bio: Rawan is an Egyptian sophomore majoring in Electrical Engineering, with a keen interest in the intersection of medicine, coding, and electronics. Her current research focuses on deep learning in medical imaging and biomedical applications. When she is not studying in the library or under the palm trees, you can probably find her playing tennis. After completing her undergraduate studies, she plans to pursue either an MD-PhD or a PhD in Biomedical Engineering.

Undergraduate NYUAD, Summer 2024 - Present

Short Bio: Maimuna Yusuf is a third-year student majoring in Bioengineering. During the summer of 2024, she began volunteering in the Laboratory for Advanced Bio-Photonics and Imaging (Lab π) at New York University, Abu Dhabi. She is currently gaining experience in Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and cell culture. Her main focus is to use imaging techniques in tissue engineering. She enjoys playing video games and prefers staying at home to outside activities.

Undergraduate NYUAD, Summer 2024 - Present

Short Bio: He is a rising junior studying Computer Science and Engineering. He calls himself a tech hobbyist as he often finds himself tinkering with electronics and gadgets. His passion centers around automation and its diverse applications, ranging from healthcare to art. He loves cooking as it offers him a wonderful avenue for exploration and experimentation. Additionally, he enjoys watching biopic movies and listening to music.