Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (Optical Coherence Tomography)

Employer Description

Guillermo J. Tearney, M.D., Ph.D.

Tearney Lab – Wellman Center for Photomedicine

Massachusetts General Hospital

Until recently, visualizing the architectural and cellular morphology of human tissue has required histopathological examination. Samples would be excised from the patient, processed, sectioned, stained and viewed under a microscope. In addition to being invasive, time consuming and costly, the static nature of conventional pathology prohibits the study of biological dynamics and function. The Tearney Laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital has led the way in transforming the current diagnostic paradigm through the invention and translation of new noninvasive, high-resolution optical imaging modalities that enable disease diagnosis from living patients without excising tissues from the body.

Led by Guillermo (Gary) Tearney, MD, PhD, the lab’s 80+ person multidisciplinary team invents, validates and translates novel devices that use light to conduct microscopy in living patients. Light is uniquely well suited for noninvasively interrogating the microscopic structure, molecular composition and biomechanical properties of biological tissues. The goal of the laboratory’s research is to improve understanding and diagnosis of disease by imaging the human body at the highest possible level of detail in vivo.

Job Description

A Postdoctoral research fellowship in the area of optical coherence tomography (OCT) is available in the Tearney Lab (www.tearneylab.org) at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in the Wellman Center for Photomedicine. This appointment will be made at the rank of postdoctoral fellow or instructor at Harvard Medical School, commensurate with the applicant’s experience. MGH’s role as a leading teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School and close ties to Harvard University and MIT provide an outstanding environment for developing and translating new OCT technologies with applications in basic and clinical research.
The fellowship will focus on high resolution OCT imaging devices, including development of novel optical techniques, engineering of in vivo endoscopic probes, and translation to clinical use. Current medical applications of micro-OCT include imaging of mucociliary clearance to monitor treatment response in pulmonary disorders such as cystic fibrosis, high-resolution imaging of coronary artery disease, and diagnosis of early cancer. The ideal candidate for this position is an organized and creative problem-solver experienced with advanced optics, biomedical engineering, computational methods, and image analysis, as well as capable of leading a multidisciplinary research team.

Representative recent publications from our group include:

• Leung, H.M., et al. Imaging intracellular motion with dynamic micro-optical coherence tomography. Biomed Opt Express 11, 2768-2778 (2020).
• Yin, B., et al. 3D cellular-resolution imaging in arteries using few-mode interferometry. Nature: Light Sci Appl 8, 104 (2019).
• Leung, H.M., et al. Intranasal micro-optical coherence tomography imaging for cystic fibrosis studies. Sci Transl Med 11(2019).
• Gora, M.J., et al. Tethered capsule endomicroscopy for microscopic imaging of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum without sedation in humans (with video). Gastrointest Endosc 88, 830-840 e833 (2018).
• Gerbaud, E., et al. Plaque burden can be assessed using intravascular optical coherence tomography and a dedicated automated processing algorithm: a comparison study with intravascular ultrasound. Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging 21, 640-652 (2020).

Job Requirements

A PhD (or equivalent) in Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics or a related field is required. Demonstrated excellence in one or more of the following areas is required: optical coherence tomography, optical imaging systems, optical design, optical system fabrication, fiber optic systems and components, broadband light source development, spectroscopy, image processing, programming, and clinical studies with novel devices. Creativity is highly desirable.

Contact Information

Interested candidates are encouraged to send a CV accompanied by a cover letter describing any previous research training, specific areas of interest, and contact information for three letters of reference. Address correspondence to Dr. Gary Tearney, note the position you are applying for in the subject line, and send by email to tearneylabsearch@partners.org.
MGH is an equal opportunity employer.