Dr. Fatima Aziz Merchant's lab focuses on improving breast reconstruction surgery using advanced technology. They aim to create personalized molds for patients recovering from mastectomy to enhance their body image and quality of life. The lab employs a mix of engineering, machine learning, and clinical evaluation to develop decision-support algorithms that can optimize surgical outcomes for patients with diverse reconstructive goals.

Dr. Wei-Chuan Shih's lab at the University of Houston focuses on advancing cancer diagnostics by analyzing circulating tumor exosomes. These tiny vesicles contain important information from cancerous cells, and the lab is developing a novel microfluidic platform to streamline their profiling. This technology aims to improve the detection sensitivity and dynamic range of cancer biomarkers in patient samples without needing invasive blood withdrawal.

Dr. Chandra Mohan's lab at the University of Houston focuses on advancing the diagnosis and treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), particularly lupus nephritis (LN). Their research involves identifying and validating biomarkers that can help monitor disease progression and predict treatment response, aiming to improve patient outcomes. Additionally, they employ artificial intelligence and computer vision techniques to enhance histological diagnosis of kidney diseases associated with lupus, addressing the challenges of inter-pathologist variability.

Dr. Kirill V. Larin's lab at the University of Houston focuses on developing advanced imaging technologies to study how maternal substance exposure affects fetal brain health and to understand corneal biomechanics for diagnosing eye diseases. They use sophisticated imaging techniques to investigate the microvascular changes in fetal brains due to prenatal alcohol and nicotine exposure, as well as to create non-invasive methods to measure corneal elasticity for clinical application. This research aims to improve health outcomes for at-risk infants and enhance treatment strategies for corneal disorders.

Dr. Muna I. Naash's lab at the University of Houston focuses on understanding how certain genetic mutations lead to retinal diseases that can cause blindness. By using animal models, the lab explores the role of a protein called PRPH2 in the health of photoreceptor cells in the retina, aiming to identify therapeutic strategies that could help those affected by these conditions.

Dr. Rohith Reddy's lab at the University of Houston focuses on improving the diagnosis of lupus nephritis, an autoimmune disease affecting the kidneys. The lab combines traditional tissue biopsy analysis with advanced imaging techniques, such as ultraviolet and mid-infrared spectroscopic imaging, to provide more accurate diagnostic information. By incorporating machine learning, the lab aims to identify specific biomarkers from imaging data to enhance diagnostic reliability and reduce discrepancies in pathology assessments.