Faculty Profile: Nimmi Ramanujam

In Nimmi Ramanujam's hands, a beam of light becomes a powerful tool for diagnosing illness and performing medical miracles. Formerly a faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania, Ramanujam is one of two new additions to the biomedical engineering department. Her novel research efforts are bringing light speed advancements to women's health.

Shedding light on new diagnostic tools

After completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Texas, Austin, Ramanujam enrolled in the biomedical engineering graduate program. She attended a seminar presented by Professor Rebecca Richards-Kortum about using optical methods to diagnose disease and was fascinated by what this technology could contribute to the medical field. Ramanujam ultimately joined Richards-Kortum's research team.

With a PhD in hand, Ramanujam went to the University of Pennsylvania for her post-doctoral work. She spent four years there. She spent the first three years there as an NIH post-doctoral fellow in the laboratory of Professor Britton Chance. In her final year, she was a full-time faculty member. Her research expanded on her PhD work, encompassing many areas of biomedical optics.

"My goal was to expand my knowledge in the field by working on new problems independently so that when I started a career in academia, I could have diversity in my research program," said Ramanujam. "I enjoyed the academic environment-- you could be creative and autonomous while exploring new areas."

Ramanujam interviewed at many universities but says that she saved the best for last--her trip to UW-Madison was her final interview. "I have to say that your anxiety and nervousness is proportionate to how much you like where you interview," she said. "I was charmed--I really just thought the people were fantastic. I haven't been wrong."

Before starting her new position in July, Ramanujam had time to consider what she would need to be successful. After writing several grants, gathering preliminary data for the projects she planned and recruiting student research assistants, she hit the ground running.

Optical spectroscopy imaging requires a light source, a carrier and a detector to measure the signals that are relayed. Typically, the light from a laser is transferred into a fiber optic probe, allowing it to be carried great distances from the instrument to the patient. The probe is placed on various points of the tissue and measurements are recorded for analysis by a spectrometer, which measures light intensities at several or many wavelengths.

Professor Ramanujam illustrates how a hand-held probe is used to introduce light wave-lengths into tissue. (25K JPG)

She's currently working with School of Medicine faculty members Tara Breslin, Frederick Kelcz, Kennedy Gilchrist and Michael Gould on breast cancer related projects. One of the goals is to develop a non-invasive technique to detect breast cancer during surgery or diagnosis. "Specifically, a hand-held probe will be developed to introduce light at certain wavelengths into the tissue," said Ramanujam. "The light will go through the tissue and come out at another wavelength as fluorescence; then you detect the light and its features. The wavelength and the intensity of the detected light tell you whether something is pre-cancerous, cancerous or normal. You analyze that information to learn something about a piece of tissue without having to remove it."

Ramanujam developed this method for detecting cervical pre-cancer during her PhD research, so the methodology and approach are familiar to her. Applying the technology to the breast is a novel application that she will fully explore in the next several years.

Ramanujam's research also includes the development of a near-infrared light monitor to detect oxygenation of the fetus while it's still in the uterus--a non-invasive optical application that could prevent hundreds of unnecessary C-sections each year. Currently, oxygenation is determined by indirect methods like the fetal heart rate, which is often highly inaccurate.

"Using an optical monitor to determine the oxygenation of blood could increase the specificity of tests to determine if a C-section is needed or if a baby can go through a normal birth," said Ramanujam. "This technology can really make an impact on healthcare because it could reduce the number of unnecessary C-sections performed annually."

Ramanujam's research promises innovative advances in women's health. With novel and futuristic applications, optical imaging can potentially provide highly accurate, non-invasive diagnostic procedures.