Fluorescence lifetime imaging for disease detection and surgical guidance - Fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIm) is an optical imaging technique used for real-time tissue assessments in clinical settings. It detects changes in tissue structure and biochemistry without labels, aiding disease monitoring. We are bringing FLIm to the operating room, focusing on two projects. The first uses FLIm to detect brain tumors during surgery, specifically diffuse gliomas, to improve resection accuracy. The second project aims to monitor gastrointestinal inflammation in animal models, identifying early signs of diseases like colorectal cancer through autofluorescence. These projects illustrate the multidisciplinary effort to translate optical imaging from lab research to clinical practice.