Initiatives

 

Bioimaging & Enabling Technologies

The Challenge

The limits of our understanding of the basis of disease are largely a function of the limits of our observational imaging tools. Imaging has and will continue to revolutionize our understanding of biology from molecular to human scale. Bioimaging is enabling fundamental discoveries in areas such as brain connectivity and function, as well as empowering patient-specific clinical treatment strategies. Research is guided by the integration of physical science, technology development, and the clinical mission of UArizona, pushing the frontiers of medical imaging technology in order to advance new diagnostics, technologies, and spinout companies. Increased imaging capabilities allow us to pursue the ultimate goal of translating basic science innovations and developments into clinical applications that impact patient care.
 

UA Advantage

UArizona has tremendous strengths in imaging and optical sciences, imaging technology development, imaging methods, and clinical translation to further enable new scientific discoveries and improve clinical outcomes. This has allowed us to secure extramurally funded pre-clinical and clinical research programs that have fostered multi-disciplinary collaborations within the university, as well as with other universities, industry, and the military. BIO5 serves as the hub and intellectual center for expanding collaborations. We cultivate tremendous opportunities for growth and expansion in the increasingly important areas of molecular imaging and clinical translation. Our researchers are leaders in the development of novel, non-invasive imaging tools for earlier diagnosis and treatment of disease.

Photo of Dr. Jennifer Barton

Dr. Jennifer Barton has spent much of her career on the quest to engineer technologies for the early detection of cancer — particularly ovarian cancer — which kills more than 14,000 women in the United States each year, largely because it remains difficult to detect. She is developing a novel device that can be inserted in the vagina to capture high-resolution imaging of fallopian tubes, ovaries and the uterine wall and reveal abnormalities. When available, the screening procedure could be conducted under local anesthesia in a doctor’s office. Effective screening for early detection is a compelling problem and a fantastic technical challenge because there’s no perfect solution today. Dr. Barton’s work will save many lives.

 

Guide to Give

For more information please contact
Lisa Romero | 520-626-9598