Mingsheng Li

lms00@bu.edu or mingshengli1996@gmail.com Google Scholar Researchgate

I am a Ph.D. candidate in Electrical Engineering at Boston University, advised by Prof. Ji-Xin Cheng. My research focuses on developing label-free optical imaging technologies for quantitative molecular profiling in biological systems, with an emphasis on vibrational photothermal spectroscopy, photoacoustic microscopy, and nongenetic neuron manipulations.

My work aims to advance high-sensitivity infrared spectroscopic imaging across spatial scales, from subcellular structures to in vivo biological systems and human subjects. I am particularly interested in translating quantitative vibrational imaging technologies toward precision biomedicine, including molecular phenotyping, metabolism, drug delivery, and disease diagnostics.

Education

Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering. 2021–2026
Boston University, USA
Advisor: Prof. Ji-Xin Cheng
M.Phil. in Biomedical Engineering. 2018–2021
City University of Hong Kong
Advisors: Prof. Lidai Wang and Prof. Kenneth Kin-Yip Wong
B.Eng. in Optical Engineering, Department of Precision Instrument. 2014–2018
Tsinghua University

Publications

Mingsheng Li, Sheng Xiao et al. Ultrasensitive in vivo infrared spectroscopic imaging via oblique photothermal microscopy. Nature Communications, 16, 6065 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61332-w

First Human study on high-resolution mid-infrared spectorscopic imaging

Mingsheng Li†, Yuhao Yuan†, et al. Mid-wave infrared photothermal microscopy for molecular and metabolic imaging in deep tissues and spheroids. (2026) arXiv:2603.05785. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2603.05785 (under peer review in Science Advances)

Shedding the light into optically turbid tumor spheroids for future precion biomedicine

Zhiyi Du†, Mingsheng Li† et al. Mid-Infrared Photoacoustic Stimulation of Neurons through Vibrational Excitation in Polydimethylsiloxane. Advanced Science, 2024, 11, 2405677. https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202405677

Chemical-bond-vibration acoustic wave to trigger neurons

Jiawei Shi†, Mingsheng Li† et al. Hybrid optical parametrically-oscillating emitter at 1930 nm for volumetric photoacoustic imaging of water content. eLight, 2, 6 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s43593-022-00014-2

Highlighted by Light Science & Applications New “HOPE” laser for photoacoustic imaging of water. Light Sci Appl 11, 107 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-022-00805-9

A HOPE for seeing water in deep tissue

Mingsheng Li, et al. High acoustic numerical aperture photoacoustic microscopy with improved sensitivity. Optics Letters 45, 628-631 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1364/OL.384691

What is the physical sensitivity limit of classic photoacoustic microscopy?

Mingsheng Li, Jiawei Shi, et al. Near-infrared double-illumination optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy. Journal of Biophotonics. 2021; 14:e202000392. https://doi.org/10.1002/jbio.202000392

DIOR-PAM: illuminating the sample from two sides

Xinyan Teng†, Mingsheng Li† et al. Mid-infrared Photothermal Imaging: Instrument and Life Science Applications. Analytical Chemistry, 2024, 96, 20, 7895–7906. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.4c02017

Reviewing the past, current, and future of mid-infrared photothermal microscopy.

Other Selected Publications

Selected † incidates equal contribution

Guo Chen†, Mingsheng Li†, and Chen Yang, Blood-Mediated Opto-Acoustic Stimulation of Brain Cortex at Sub-millimeter Precision. 2026. (Submit to Nature Communications)
Hongli Ni, Yuhao Yuan, Mingsheng Li et al., Millimetre-deep micrometre-resolution vibrational imaging by shortwave infrared photothermal microscopy. Nature Photonics 18, 944–951 (2024).
Hongjian He, Jiaze Yin, Mingsheng Li et al., Mapping enzyme activity in living systems by real-time midinfrared photothermal imaging of nitrile chameleons. Nature Methods 21, 342–352 (2024).

Awards

Best Poster Award in Gordon Research Conferences Jul 2024. Optics and Photonics in Medicine and Biology GRC. ME, USA. (Top 6/153 worldwide)

Best Presentation Award in ResearchOnTap. Photonics Student Society at Boston University

3rd Place window among 11 student presentations

Other awards

Research Tuition Scholarship Sep 2020. City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. (for excellent academic achievement and study progress)
Outstanding Academic Performance Award Sep 2020. City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. (for outstanding academic performance in research)

Skills

Optical Spectroscopy & Imaging
Development of label-free vibrational spectroscopic imaging systems, including mid-infrared photothermal microscopy, photoacoustic microscopy, and interferometric microscopy.
Instrumentation & System Engineering
Design and integration of optical imaging platforms, laser systems, synchronization electronics, translation stages, and low-noise detection architectures.
Computational Imaging & Data Analysis
Hyperspectral image processing, denoising, segmentation, quantitative analysis, MATLAB, Python, and deep-learning-based image analysis.
Biological Imaging Models
In vivo imaging, tissue preparation, mammalian cell culture, cranial window imaging, and functional imaging in biological systems.

Voluntary Reviewer Serving

Physical Review Applied.
Chinese Optics Letters.
Biomedical Optical Express
Journal of Biophotonics

Conferences

Mingsheng Li, Ji-Xin Cheng, Next-generation liquid biopsy by spatially offset photothemral infrared spectroscopy, Sci-X, Kentucky, USA (07 October 2025).
Mingsheng Li, Jerome Mertz, Ji-Xin Cheng, Ultrasensitive in vivo infrared spectroscopic imaging via oblique photothermal microscopy, SPIE Photonics West 2025, Advanced Chemical Microscopy for Life Science and Translational Medicine, PC133320A (20 March 2025).
Mingsheng Li et al., Ultrasensitive in vivo infrared spectroscopic imaging via oblique photothermal microscopy, Gordan Research Conference: Optics and Photonics in Medicine and Biology, Maine, USA. 2024. Note: Won the GRC Best Poster Award (Top 5/153 worldwide).
Mingsheng Li et al., In vivo bond-selective imaging by en-face detected mid-infrared photothermal microscopy, Sci-X 2023, 23BIM02: Translating Multimodal Imaging Technologies into Routine Clinical Practice.
Mingsheng Li, Jiangbo Chen, and Lidai Wang, "Ultra-sensitive photoacoustic microscopy based on high numerical aperture acoustic lens (Conference Presentation)," Photons Plus Ultrasound: Imaging and Sensing. SPIE Photonics West, 2020 11240, 1124020.

Something fun...

With my dog captain

Outdoor BBQ

Snowboarding

Hiking

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