CNLM Colloquium Series

The brain is a powerful organ that regulates health and drives intelligence. How can we see more clearly into the working brain to understand it better? High-resolution optical microscopy has long been an ideal tool due to its spatial sub-micron precision and specificity. However, achieving the necessary spatio-temporal scale for further advancing our understanding of the brain remains a challenge. The primary obstacle originates from the inhomogeneous nature of tissues, which distort light and compromise imaging depth, precision, and information.

In this talk, I will introduce new in vivo deep tissue optical microscopy platforms advanced in microscope design and computational tools, to address existing challenges in optical brain imaging. By moving towards longer wavelengths for one-, two-, and three-photon microscopy, we have achieved simultaneous deep structural and functional imaging through an entire cortical column with multiple label-free and fluorescence contrasts. With a new AI-enabled tool, we have sped up volumetric 3D imaging for microvasculature, neurons, and dendrites. These techniques advance toward imaging the dynamic, cell-type-specific processes and microvasculature within the living brain. I will conclude by discussing the opportunities these enabling optical microscopy techniques offer for biology and clinical applications.