Urs Utzinger

Urs Utzinger, PhD, is department head of Biomedical Engineering, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Electrical and Computer Engineering, BIO5 Institute, and Optical Sciences.Dr. Utzinger is internationally renowned for his work in optical spectroscopy, fiber optic sensing and microscopy. He has developed clinical instruments for detection of cervical, ovarian and gastrointestinal cancer. He also studies cellular migration during angiogenesis using intravital imaging techniques. He has published over 60 original research papers, 6 of them with more than 100 citations. Many papers were a result of collaborations with physicians and with researchers at multiple institutions. He has authored 3 book chapters and holds 7 issued patents in the field of optical diagnostics. Dr. Utzinger and members of his laboratory frequently present at international bio-photonics meetings. He is a member of the optical society of America and SPIE. In his research Dr. Utzinger has studied the spectral signature of light reemitted from tissue and its components for diagnostic purposes. He has conducted clinical studies on the cervix, with patients undergoing oophorectomy and patients having gastro intestinal procedures. In his laboratory he studies living tissue culture systems with time series and label free imaging. With colleagues he has developed microscopic imaging procedures allowing studying the deformation of the extracellular matrix under tension.As instructor he teaches graduate classes in Biomedical Instrumentation and Biomedical Optics. He introduces engineering undergraduate students into the clinical practice by providing them with experiences in physician’s clinics and university hospital environment.He currently serves as department head in Biomedical Engineering, which is a growing program of more than 160 undergraduate students. He also reviews small business proposals and other research projects for the National Institutes of Health.