Laura Marcu

Laura Marcu
Alma materUniversity of Southern California, Los Angeles
Scientific career
FieldsBiomedical Imaging and BioPhotonics

Laura Marcu is an American scientist and a professor of biomedical engineering and neurological surgery at the University of California, Davis. She is also a Fellow of numerous professional societies: the Biomedical Engineering Society, SPIE, The Optical Society and the National Academy of Inventors.

Career and research

Professor Laura Marcu received her Diploma of Engineer in Mechanical Engineering from the Polytechnic Institute of Bucharest, Romania. She did a post-graduate specialization in Spectroscopy, Laser and Plasma Physics at the University of Bucharest, Romania. Marcu obtained her M.S and Ph.D. Diploma in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.[1]

Marcu's work focuses primarily on research for development of optical techniques for tissue diagnostics. Her laboratory has developed time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy (TRFS) and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) systems for in vivo tissue interrogation, including human patients. Her laboratory has a broad expertise in clinical translation of biophotonic technologies that play an important role in addressing challenges associate with tissue diagnostics and therapies.[2] Her group also studies the application of semiconductor quantum dots to early detection of pathologic transformations in tissues as well as the application of ultrashort electric fields to cancer therapy.[3]

Marcu developed a catheter probe able to image arteries inside a living heart which could help cardiologists predict heart attacks more reliably.

Patents

  • Single catheter system that provides both intravascular ultrasound and fluorescence lifetime imaging[4]
  • Biochemical marker detection device[5]
  • Internal biochemical sensing device[6]
  • Method for intracellular modifications within living cells using pulsed electric fields[7]
  • Time-resolved and wavelength-resolved spectroscopy for characterizing biological materials[8]

Awards and honors

References

  1. ^ "Biography". Marcu, Laura. Retrieved 2020-06-13.
  2. ^ "Laura Marcu, Ph.D." Bio Optics World. 2019-05-13. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
  3. ^ "Research Interests". Marcu, Laura. Retrieved 2020-06-13.
  4. ^ "US Patent Application for SINGLE CATHETER SYSTEM THAT PROVIDES BOTH INTRAVASCULAR ULTRASOUND AND FLUORESCENCE LIFETIME IMAGING Patent Application (Application #20190374195 issued December 12, 2019) - Justia Patents Search". patents.justia.com. Retrieved 2020-06-13.
  5. ^ "US Patent Application for Biochemical marker detection device Patent Application (Application #20070048226 issued March 1, 2007) - Justia Patents Search". patents.justia.com. Retrieved 2020-06-13.
  6. ^ "US Patent Application for Internal biochemical sensing device Patent Application (Application #20070010726 issued January 11, 2007) - Justia Patents Search". patents.justia.com. Retrieved 2020-06-13.
  7. ^ "US Patent Application for Method for intracellular modifications within living cells using pulsed electric fields Patent Application (Application #20060062074 issued March 23, 2006) - Justia Patents Search". patents.justia.com. Retrieved 2020-06-13.
  8. ^ "US Patent for Time-resolved and wavelength-resolved spectroscopy for characterizing biological materials Patent (Patent # 8,089,625 issued January 3, 2012) - Justia Patents Search". patents.justia.com. Retrieved 2020-06-13.
  9. ^ "Laura Marcu Named National Academy of Inventors Fellow". College of Engineering UC Davis. 2017-12-12. Retrieved 2019-09-18.
  10. ^ "2014 OSA Fellows". OSA.
  11. ^ "Prof. Laura Marcu". SPIE. Retrieved 2019-09-20.
  12. ^ "BMES List of Fellows". Biomedical Engineering Society. Retrieved 2019-09-20.
  13. ^ "2020 OSA Senior Members". OSA. Retrieved 2021-03-31.