Research Interests

Optics in medicine, biomedical imaging to guide cancer therapy; molecular guided surgery; dose imaging in radiation therapy; Cherenkov light imaging; image guided spectroscopy of cancer; photodynamic therapy; modeling of tumor pathophysiology and contrast

Education

• BSc Hons, Physics, York University (Canada) 1989
• MSc, Physics, York University (Canada) 1991
• PhD, Medical Physics, McMaster University (Canada) 1996
• Research Fellow, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital (USA) 1996
  

Awards

• Fellow of the International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE)
• Fellow of the Optical Society of America (OSA)
• Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE)

Professional Activities

• Dean of Graduate Studies, Dartmouth College 2008-2012
• Chair, Biomedical Imaging Technology Study Section, National Institutes of Health, 2012-2014
• Conference Chair, Gordon Research Conference: Lasers in Medicine and Biology, July 2012
• Conference Chair: Molecular Guided Surgery: Molecules Devices and Applications, SPIE BiOS, San Francisco CA
• Editorial Boards: Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Biomedical Optics, SPIE Press

Startups

Research Projects

• Near-infrared imaging

  Near-infrared imaging

  Near-infrared imaging (NIR) provides a way to quantify blood and water concentrations in tissue, as well as structural and functional parameters. Since normal tissue, benign tumors, and malignant tumors each carry different concentrations of both hemoglobin and water, and have different levels of oxygen demand and ultrastructural scattering, NIR spectroscopy can be combined into standard imaging systems as an effective method of to provide additional information for breast cancer detection and diagnosis. Work is ongoing to improve techniques for better image reconstruction, display and integration with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) imaging.

  See also Center for Imaging Medicine

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• Optical molecular imaging

  Optical molecular imaging

  Optical molecular imaging is being used to provide molecular guidance in cancer surgery. Fluorescent contrast agents are in pre-clinical and clinical studies to image cancer tumors in vivo, with a dual focus, first on getting more accurate information out of the tissue, and secondly to provide better information about the specificity of the molecules as markers. Systems and algorithms for diffuse fluorescence imaging of tissue are studied, both as a stand-alone system, and as coupled to magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography imaging. Tracer kinetic modeling is also being developed to allow quantitative imaging of molecular binding in vivo.

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• Fluorescence-guided surgery

  Fluorescence-guided surgery

  Fluorescence-guided surgery is important for the resection of some types of cancerous tumors where the tumor and normal tissue are similar in appearance and texture, and patient prognosis depends heavily on the completeness of resection. By selectively tagging tumor tissue with fluorescent dyes, it becomes possible to visually discriminate between normal and tumor tissues and improve significantly the completeness of tumor resection.

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• Photodynamic therapy

  Photodynamic therapy

  Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a newly emerging therapy for displastic tissues, such as cancer, age-related blindness, pre-malignant transformation or psoriasis. The therapy involves the administration of a photosensitizing agent, together with the application of moderate intensity light to active the molecules to produce local doses of singlet oxygen. Ongoing research topics include, developing improved dosimetry instrumentation and software, fluorescence tomography imaging to sense drug localization, and assaying unique tumor biology and treatment effects in experimental cancers.

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• Quantitative scatter imaging

  Quantitative scatter imaging

  Quantitative scatter imaging makes use of the fact that normal functioning cells and cancerous cells show differences both in the components within the cells and in the structural organization of the cells within the tissue. These physical distinctions in biological structure have been shown to scatter light differently. This study develops a new approach to imaging scatter-based contrast over a wide field of view in tissue using high frequency structured light. These scattering features may provide a method to diagnostically identify abnormal tissue without the need to administer targeted compounds. This approach has the potential to generate new diagnostic screenings and new approaches for surgical guidance.

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• Cerenkov imaging in radiation therapy

  Cerenkov imaging in radiation therapy

  Radiation therapy is used to treat cancer tumors by killing the tissue with high ionizing radiation doses. Until recently it has not been possible to image the radiation dose delivered to tissue, but through Cherenkov light imaging, this delivered dose can be mapped with high resolution cameras. The research group focuses on quantification of the imaging, and developing tools which allow radiation therapy to be delivered in a safer and more validated manner.

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• Scintillation dosimetry for quality assurance in radiotherapy

  Scintillation dosimetry for quality assurance in radiotherapy

  Radiation therapy is used to treat cancer tumors by killing the tissue with high ionizing radiation doses. Modern external beam radiotherapy systems deliver high dose levels to precisely marked tumor volume in less time. As a mis-administration can have potentially severe impact to the surrounding healthy tissue, more stringent and complex quality assurance measurements are required in clinics. By developing a comprehensive optical dose imaging camera system, we aim to fundamentally simplify the quality assurance process and, in turn, to further promote the culture of safety in radiotherapy. By converting the dose to visible light using scintillation phantom, we can image and reconstruct 3D dose maps in real time, enabling complete and accurate verification in a fast enough timeframe for it to be useful in every procedure.

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Selected Publications

• Pogue, B.W., "Optics in the Molecular Imaging Race", Optics & Photonics News, September 2015.
• More Publications

Videos

News

Dartmouth Engineering Student Is Runner-Up in Collegiate Inventors Competition
Oct 13, 2022

Dartmouth Engineering Startup Awarded Phase II SBIR Grant
Aug 01, 2022

Brian Pogue Elected to National Academy of Inventors
Dec 07, 2021

Dartmouth Startup Awarded $400K NCI Phase I SBIR Contract
Nov 15, 2021

Dartmouth Team Invited to Share Promising Findings in Radiation Oncology at National Conference
Sep 28, 2021

PhD Student Wins Nature Communications Early Career Essay Contest
Mar 18, 2021

Dartmouth Radiotherapy Technology a First for Cancer Treatment
Feb 05, 2021

Dartmouth Researchers Pilot Safer Method of Radiation Cancer Therapy
Jan 19, 2021

QUEL Imaging Awarded Phase I SBIR Grant
Sep 28, 2020

Piloting a FLASH Radiotherapy Beam Development for Treatment of Cancer
Sep 04, 2020

Researchers capture first images of oxygen in cancer tumors during radiation therapy
Jan 29, 2020

Scientists Capture for First Time, Light Flashes from Human Eye During Radiotherapy
Jan 09, 2020

Geisel, Thayer, and Tuck Name Professors to Endowed Chairs
Dec 05, 2018

DoseOptics Releases the World's First Radiation Beam Imaging System
Jul 26, 2018

Brian Pogue named editor of Journal of Biomedical Optics
Aug 24, 2017

Engineering PhD student receives NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program award
Apr 06, 2017

Dartmouth Is Helping Brain Surgeons See Tumors More Clearly
Mar 06, 2017

Dartmouth Wins FDA Approval for Aid to Guide Cancer Surgery
Oct 11, 2016

NIH awards DoseOptics an additional $2 Million to improve radiation therapy safety
Sep 21, 2016

Dartmouth's New Center for Imaging Medicine Sponsors OSA Biomedical Optics Congress
Feb 16, 2016

Dartmouth Professor Brian Pogue Inducted into Medical and Biological Engineering Elite
Jan 26, 2016

NIH awards DoseOptics $1.4 Million for Radiation Therapy Imaging
Sep 15, 2015

Food Dye, Near Infrared Light Can Aid in Breast Resection
May 12, 2015

Dartmouth Investigators Make Photodynamic Therapy for Pancreatic Cancer Simpler, Cheaper
Mar 23, 2015

Cherenkov Effect Improves Radiation Therapy for Patients with Cancer
Mar 02, 2015

Cherenkov Emissions Provide Real-Time Tool for Quality Assurance in Radiation Therapy
Jan 29, 2015

Dartmouth Researchers Help Develop Better, Safer Way to Detect Cancer in Lymph Nodes
Oct 27, 2014

An Easier, Safer, and More Accurate Treatment for Pancreatic Cancer
Apr 07, 2014

Researchers Developing New Approach for Imaging Dense Breasts for Abnormalities
Jan 26, 2014

Physicists, physicians, engineers photograph radiation beams through the Cherenkov effect
Jan 21, 2014

DCCNE sponsors symposium on immuno targeting and delivery
Dec 04, 2013

New Molecular Imaging Agents Being Developed For Fluorescence-Guided Brain Cancer Surgery
Sep 17, 2013

Dartmouth Engineering Professor Elected OSA Fellow
Jan 30, 2013

Dartmouth Discovery: Journals
Sep 19, 2012

Investigator Spotlights
Jun 08, 2012

Dartmouth engineering professor appointed Chair of new NIH review panel
Apr 04, 2012

Dartmouth to offer streamlined MBA degree to its PhD students
Mar 06, 2011

Treatment combination slows tumor growth
Mar 06, 2011

Alternative / supplemental breast imaging methods tested
Mar 06, 2011

Dartmouth's alternative breast imaging techniques sort abnormal from normal tissue
Mar 06, 2011

2010 Graduate Research Fellowships from the National Science Foundation
Mar 06, 2011

NCI Awards $12.8 Million to Dartmouth Center of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence
Mar 06, 2011

Dartmouth researchers test new technique to examine breast tissue
Mar 06, 2011

In the News