Awarded in 2021
Home Department: Physics
Faculty Advisors: Mark Brongersma (Materials Science & Engineering), Bianxiao Cui (Chemistry), and Guosong Hong (Materials Science & Engineering)

Research Title: Multi-Depth Brain-Wide Imaging with Metasurfaces

Research Description: Advances in endoscopic methods could allow neuroscientists to optically stimulate and record complex brain activities. Because rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM), the critical node in the descending pain modulation pathway, is located deep under the pia, conventional optical elements including GRIN lenses and microprisms, are too invasive for behaving mice. Yi Shiou is proposing “MARBLE”, a new optical probe design that leverages nanophotonics to achieve multi-depth brainwide optical imaging with minimal invasiveness. It utilizes metasurface-based flat optical elements to realize an optical-waveguide-based endoscope. This endoscope will be the first to enable optical recording with cellular resolution in behaving animals in the RVM.