Advanced nonlinear microscopy for deep cardiac imaging

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The focus of this PhD project will be to develop advanced microscopy methods to help investigate cardiac conduction deep inside the heart. Specifically, the student will leverage cutting-edge microscopy techniques for nonlinear microscopy and ultrafast photonics to solve current barriers in deep cardiac imaging. This will involve the design and implementation of a pulse compressor for dispersion compensation, and various illumination geometries including remote focusing and temporal focusing technologies in a nonlinear microscope employing three-photon excitation of a fluorescent voltage sensitive dye. This will allow for an optical read out of cardiac electric activity in healthy and diseased rabbit hearts at unprecedented depth. The microscope will therefore enable us to measure electric wavefront propagation through significant portion of the heart chamber wall and to quantify propagation characteristics to elucidate cardiac conduction deep inside the tissue. The ultimate aim is to study how arrhythmias (hearth rhythm problems) arise in healthy hearts and those affected by myocardial infarction (heart attack). This research will have direct impact on how we understand and eventually treat cardiovascular diseases which are a large cause of death worldwide.