Harnessing Light: Biophotonic Insights into Traumatic Brain Injury

Abstract: In this talk, we will explore the cutting-edge use of light for cellular studies as a photophysical tool to probe and manipulate cellular interactions and cellular mechanics. Here we discuss how biophotonics impacts the study of traumatic brain injury. Traumatic brain injury is often caused by a trauma to the head. However, its cellular mechanisms are still poorly understood. We will discuss our investigations into the deeper cellular processes at play and present our recent research on astrocyte repair mechanisms, highlighting the potential of light not only as a diagnostic tool but also as a means for physical intervention. This integrative approach promises to deepen our understanding of traumatic brain injury pathology and pave the way for novel therapeutic strategies using the unique properties of light.

Biography: Dr. Daryl Preece received his PhD in Physics from the University of Glasgow, (UK) where he studied optical physics under Professor Miles Padgett. He moved to UCSD in 2014 to work on cellular biophotonics with Professor Micheal Berns. Dr. Preece is currently Assistant Professor at University of California Irvine, department of Biomedical Engineering and a member of the Beckman Laser Institute. Prof. Preece’s research is focused on the opticaly generated forces which occur during light's interaction with matter. These forces can be used to investigate pressing areas of interest in the physical and biological sciences, such as how neurons repair themselves after damage, and what are the mechanical forces at play inside living cells. His current work is concentrated towards the development of new neuro-photonic technologies to better understand circuit level neural interactions and the utilization of complex light for applications in bio and nanotechnology.