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Faculty and Research

Faculty Member

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Qinggong Tang Qinggong Tang Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering (CBN Associate)Stephenson Research & Technology Center 1160F 405-325-6246 Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering - University of Maryland, 2017

Research:

Dr. Tang’s research mainly focuses on the development of novel optical imaging techniques for functional brain imaging.

The first project in our lab is about deep brain imaging. Most current optical imaging setups involving CCD cameras can only provide two-dimensional information and are limited to surface areas such as the cerebral cortex. In order to access subcortical structures or even deep brain structures (e.g., the thalamus), we have designed a fluorescence endoscope system, based on a gradient-index (GRIN) rod lens, and performed voltage-sensitive dye imaging (VSDi) to visualize neural activity evoked in the thalamic barreloids by deflection of a single whisker or several whiskers in living mice. We are able to obtain functional maps in the thalamus and study corticothalamic feedback.

We also investigate 3D neural activities in cortex, since the neocortex can be divided into distinct layers containing various classes of neurons, and each of them contributes differently to cortical computation. We have developed a time-resolved fluorescence laminar optical tomography (FLOT) system for fast three-dimensional mesoscopic imaging. After a single mouse whisker is deflected, we can image the 3D neural activities evoked in the primary sensory cortex in different layers, with 5 ms temporal resolution. This imaging method can help to study dynamic neural activities in different parts of the cortex in 3D and provide some support to the hypothesis of spiral-like dynamic patterns of neural networks. We are investigating the layer-specific interaction between sensory and motor cortices.

Selected Publications:

Wang, C., Calle, P., Reynolds, J., Ton, S., Zhang, Z., Yan, F., Donaldson, A., Ladymon, A., Roberts, P., Armendi, A., Fung, K., Shettar, S., Pan, C., and Tang, Q. (2022) Epidural anesthesia needle guidance by forward-view endoscopic optical coherence tomography and ensemble deep learning (under review).

Wang, C., Reynolds, J., Calle, P., Ladymon, A., Yan, F., Yan, Y., Ton, S., Fung, K., Patel, S., Yu, Z., Pan, C., and Tang, Q. (2022) Computer-aided Veress needle guidance using endoscopic optical coherence tomography and convolutional neural network. J. Biophotonics e202100347. [Featured on journal cover]

Yan, F., Wang, C., Wilson, J., O’Connell, M., Ton, S., Davidson, N., Sibichan, M., Chambers, K., Ahmed, A., Summers, J., and Tang, (2021) Visually Guided Chick Ocular Length and Structural Thickness Variations Assessed by Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography. Biomed. Opt. Express 12: 6864-6881.

Yan, F., Gunay, G., Valerio, T., Wang, C., Wilson, J., Haddad, M., Watson, M., Connell, M., Davidson, N., Fung, K., Acar, H., and Tang, Q. (2021) Characterization and quantification of necrotic tissues and morphology in multicellular ovarian cancer tumor spheroids using optical coherence tomography. Biomed. Opt. Express 12: 3352-3371.

Wang, C., Calle, P., Ton, N., Zhang, Z., Yan, F., Bradley, N., Yu, Z., Fung, K., Pan, C., and Tang, Q. (2021) Deep-learning-aided forward optical coherence tomography endoscope for percutaneous nephrostomy guidance. Biomed. Opt. Express 12: 2404-2418.

Wu, S., Okada, R., Liu, Y., Fang, Y., Yan, F., Wang, C., Li, H., Kobayashi, H., Chen, Y., and Tang, Q. (2021) Quantitative analysis of vascular changes during photoimmunotherapy using speckle variance optical coherence tomography (SV-OCT). Biomed. Opt. Express 12: 1804-1820.

Nyul-Toth, A., Tarantini, S., DelFavero, J., Yan, F., Balasubramanian, P., Yabluchanskiy, A., Ahire, C., Kiss, T., Csipo, T., Lipecz, A., Farkas, A., Wilhelm, I., Krizbai, I., Tang, Q., Csiszar, A., and Ungvari, Z. (2021) Demonstration of age-related blood-brain barrier disruption and cerebromicrovascular rarefaction in mice by two-photon microscopy & optical coherence tomography. American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology 321:4, H1370-H1392. [Highlighted in APSselect program]

Q. Tang*, V. Tsytsarev, F. Yan, C. Wang, R. S. Erzurumlu and Y. Chen (2020) In vivo voltage-sensitive dye imaging of mouse cortical activity with mesoscopic optical tomography. Neurophotonics 7(4): 041402.

Wu, S., Guo, H., Horng, H., Liu, Y., Li, H., Daneshpajouhnejad, P., Rosenberg, A., Albanese, C., Ranjit, S. Andrews, P. M., Levi, M., Tang, Q., and Chen, Y. (2019) Morphological and functional characteristics of aging kidneys based on two‐photon microscopy in vivo. J. Biophotonics e201900246.

Konel, B., Lavin, C., Wu, T., Anderson, E., Iwamoto, A., Rashid, H., Gaitian, B., Boone, J., Cooper, M., Abrams, P., Gilbert, A., Tang, Q., Levi, M., Fujimoto, J., Andrews, P., and Chen, Y. (2019) Fully automated analysis of OCT imaging of human kidneys for prediction of post-transplant function. Biomed. Opt. Express 10: 1794-1821.