Department of Imaging Sciences

The Department of Imaging Sciences is building upon the culture of innovation at St. Jude to pioneer the synergistic development of new imaging and measurement technologies that will directly impact and accelerate biomedical research and clinical care.  

Our scope is broad and encompasses the development and application of novel biomedical imaging and measurement approaches at any scale. New imaging capabilities will be combined with computational advances to discover patterns and effects across scales. Department of Imaging Sciences faculty will develop independent research programs, while collaborating with investigators, centers and shared resources across the St. Jude enterprise. Our new departmental cores will support and facilitate rapid technology development, testing, deployment and dissemination of approaches that can have immediate impacts on scientific discovery and patient outcomes worldwide. 

The Department of Imaging Science will illuminate new insights previously unseen in the realm of catastrophic childhood disease. 

Over the next five years, the Department of Imaging Sciences will recruit 10 new faculty members at all levels, building our imaging community with world-class physicists, engineers and innovators. We seek researchers who lead their fields in the development and application of imaging technologies that will advance biomedical research and clinical care.  

From initial inspiration to technology deployment, imaging scientists need diverse expertise. Our department will have cores and programs designed to ensure that its faculty can rapidly maximize the impact of their work. Department of Imaging Sciences faculty will pursue their own research questions, while collaborating with existing centers, core facilities, resources, and investigators across the St. Jude enterprise. 

Instrumentation and Fabrication Core

• Bringing advanced fabrication and design support to the St Jude community including 3D printing, machining and electronics.

Productization and Dissemination Core

• Shared expertise for user-interface optimization, documentation and user training and support. Development of viable dissemination strategies, from commercialization to open-sourcing to ensure that new approaches are rapidly and reliably implemented and adopted.

Biomedical Testing Core

• Shared expertise and support for preparation of advanced biomedical samples for testing, validation and scaling of new techniques.

Image Analytics Support Core

• Developing new approaches for analytics support, and the interpretation of complex imaging data by bringing together innovative methods for analysis and data-driven discovery across St. Jude

Training and Collaboration

• The Department of Imaging sciences is partnering with Imaging-related cores and shared resources across St Jude’s campus to enrich our innovation ecosystem. We will host seminars, meetings and training courses at all levels to facilitate interdisciplinary learning and foster new collaborations and team-based projects.

Translational and meso-scale imaging:

• Incorporates imaging methods, such as MRI, PET, X-ray CT, and ultrasound, are advancing through innovations in labeling, speed, resolution, sensitivity, and cost reduction, with the potential to transform clinical care and disease detection. When applied to animal models, these techniques offer deep insights into disease progression and treatment efficacy, with theranostics and 3D imaging further enhancing diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities.  

Structural, Functional and Metabolic Microscopy:

• Cutting-edge microscopy technologies can visualize biological processes with unprecedented detail, from to single-molecule resolution to whole-organism in vivo dynamics. By combining innovations in super-resolution, label-free imaging, cryo-EM, computational modeling, and AI-driven analysis, this work advances our understanding of cellular structures and functions, enabling new discoveries in pediatric disease research. 

Next-Generation Histopathology:

• Novel technologies are transforming tissue-level analysis through in-vivo and fresh-tissue imaging, advanced tissue processing techniques (e.g.  clearing and expansion), high-content imaging and spatial-omics. By integrating AI-driven digital pathology concepts, in-situ sequencing, and intrasurgical imaging, this work is poised to greatly enhance diagnostic precision and accelerate discoveries in pediatric pathology that could lead to new biomarkers, treatments and cures. 

Chemical and Molecular Tools:

• Innovative chemical sensors, tracers, and molecular technologies can reveal cellular function with high spatial and temporal precision enabling real-time insights into biological processes and disease mechanisms at single-cell resolution. Technologies for targeted gene delivery, or selective perturbation of cellular functions (such as optogenetics) can enable precise dissection of pathways, and paths towards groundbreaking clinical therapies.   

Biometrics & Behavior: 

• How a child moves, acts and behaves can reveal crucial insights into their underlying health. From wearables, implanted devices and electrophysiology - to gait analysis and fun video games, we can now collect vast, real-time information. By integrating cutting-edge algorithms for data analysis, we can develop new ways to better understand and track disease progression and treatment responses. We can also develop and test interventions including new ways to control pain, reduce stress and enhance wellbeing. 

The Next Big Thing:

• Innovation moves quickly. We are interested to hear about any new ideas or technologies that you believe can transform how we understand how we detect, treat or cure catastrophic pediatric disorders.