Michael Choma, MD, PhD
Associate Professor Adjunct
Research & Publications
Biography
News
Research Summary
Many pediatric diseases are poorly understood, in part because they involve processes that occur at small, microscopic scales. In addition, the causes often involve small motions and fluid flows. For example, an early embryonic heart has a diameter of about 100 micrometers, which is about the diameter of a human hair. The cilia that move mucus out of our airways are even smaller- about 10 micrometers long. In order to better study pediatric disease at such small scales, we develop innovative optical imaging methods to visualize and quantify disease at these microscopic scales.
We have three areas of active research.
- First, we develop new laser sources for microscopy and biological imaging.
- Second, using sophisticated optical imaging methods, we study abnormal embryonic heart function in different animal models of human disease, including the tadpole Xenopus tropicalis. In particular, we study the role that specific human genes play in abnormal embryo heart development and physiology.
- Third, we are developing imaging methods to better diagnose abnormalities in respiratory cilia function. Since cilia expel mucus that contains allergens, viruses, and bacteria, they are essential to keeping lungs healthy.
The overall impact of our work is two-fold. First, we are developing core optical technologies that may find widespread use in microscopy. Second, our cilia and heart imaging research has the potential to personalize the diagnosis and treatment of a wide-variety of pediatric diseases.
Extensive Research Description
- Optical imaging of microfluidic-scale biological fluid flow
- Quantitative imaging of embryo heart physiology and pathophysiology
- Diagnostic imaging of pathologic cilia-driven fluid flow
- Developing novel light sources for biological imaging
Research Interests
Cilia; Heart Defects, Congenital; Lasers; Respiratory System; Developmental Biology; Tomography, Optical Coherence; Optics and Photonics
Public Health Interests
Cardiovascular Diseases; Respiratory Disease/Infections; Child/Adolescent Health
Research Images
Selected Publications
- Low-spatial-coherence high-radiance broadband fiber source for speckle free imaging.Redding B, Ahmadi P, Mokan V, Seifert M, Choma MA, Cao H. Low-spatial-coherence high-radiance broadband fiber source for speckle free imaging. Optics Letters 2015, 40: 4607-10. PMID: 26469575, DOI: 10.1364/ol.40.004607.
- Quantifying hyperoxia-mediated damage to mammalian respiratory cilia-driven fluid flow using particle tracking velocimetry optical coherence tomographyGamm UA, Huang BK, Syed M, Zhang X, Bhandari V, Choma MA. Quantifying hyperoxia-mediated damage to mammalian respiratory cilia-driven fluid flow using particle tracking velocimetry optical coherence tomography Journal Of Biomedical Optics 2015, 20: 080505-080505. PMID: 26308164, PMCID: PMC4874052, DOI: 10.1117/1.jbo.20.8.080505.
- Three-dimensional, three-vector-component velocimetry of cilia-driven fluid flow using correlation-based approaches in optical coherence tomographyHuang BK, Gamm UA, Bhandari V, Khokha MK, Choma MA. Three-dimensional, three-vector-component velocimetry of cilia-driven fluid flow using correlation-based approaches in optical coherence tomography Biomedical Optics Express 2015, 6: 3515-3538. PMID: 26417520, PMCID: PMC4574676, DOI: 10.1364/boe.6.003515.
- Smartphone-based diagnostic for preeclampsia: an mHealth solution for administering the Congo Red Dot (CRD) test in settings with limited resourcesJonas SM, Deserno TM, Buhimschi CS, Makin J, Choma MA, Buhimschi IA. Smartphone-based diagnostic for preeclampsia: an mHealth solution for administering the Congo Red Dot (CRD) test in settings with limited resources Journal Of The American Medical Informatics Association 2015, 23: 166-173. PMID: 26026158, PMCID: PMC7814923, DOI: 10.1093/jamia/ocv015.
- Quantitative optical coherence tomography imaging of intermediate flow defect phenotypes in ciliary physiology and pathophysiologyHuang BK, Gamm UA, Jonas S, Khokha MK, Choma MA. Quantitative optical coherence tomography imaging of intermediate flow defect phenotypes in ciliary physiology and pathophysiology Journal Of Biomedical Optics 2015, 20: 030502-030502. PMID: 25751026, PMCID: PMC4352652, DOI: 10.1117/1.jbo.20.3.030502.
- Low spatial coherence electrically pumped semiconductor laser for speckle-free full-field imagingRedding B, Cerjan A, Huang X, Lee ML, Stone AD, Choma MA, Cao H. Low spatial coherence electrically pumped semiconductor laser for speckle-free full-field imaging Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2015, 112: 1304-1309. PMID: 25605946, PMCID: PMC4321308, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1419672112.
- Microscale imaging of cilia-driven fluid flowHuang BK, Choma MA. Microscale imaging of cilia-driven fluid flow Cellular And Molecular Life Sciences 2014, 72: 1095-1113. PMID: 25417211, PMCID: PMC4605231, DOI: 10.1007/s00018-014-1784-z.
- Resolving directional ambiguity in dynamic light scattering-based transverse motion velocimetry in optical coherence tomography.Huang BK, Choma MA. Resolving directional ambiguity in dynamic light scattering-based transverse motion velocimetry in optical coherence tomography. Optics Letters 2014, 39: 521-4. PMID: 24487855, PMCID: PMC4174353, DOI: 10.1364/ol.39.000521.
- A novel approach to quantifying ciliary physiology: microfluidic mixing driven by a ciliated biological surfaceJonas S, Zhou E, Deniz E, Huang B, Chandrasekera K, Bhattacharya D, Wu Y, Fan R, Deserno TM, Khokha MK, Choma MA. A novel approach to quantifying ciliary physiology: microfluidic mixing driven by a ciliated biological surface Lab On A Chip 2013, 13: 4160-4163. PMID: 23970350, PMCID: PMC3856250, DOI: 10.1039/c3lc50571e.
- Endogenous contrast blood flow imaging in embryonic hearts using hemoglobin contrast subtraction angiography.Deniz E, Jonas S, Khokha M, Choma MA. Endogenous contrast blood flow imaging in embryonic hearts using hemoglobin contrast subtraction angiography. Optics Letters 2012, 37: 2979-81. PMID: 22825198, PMCID: PMC3881542, DOI: 10.1364/ol.37.002979.
- Speckle-free laser imaging using random laser illuminationRedding B, Choma MA, Cao H. Speckle-free laser imaging using random laser illumination Nature Photonics 2012, 6: 355-359. PMID: 24570762, PMCID: PMC3932313, DOI: 10.1038/nphoton.2012.90.
- Microfluidic characterization of cilia-driven fluid flow using optical coherence tomography-based particle tracking velocimetryJonas S, Bhattacharya D, Khokha MK, Choma MA. Microfluidic characterization of cilia-driven fluid flow using optical coherence tomography-based particle tracking velocimetry Biomedical Optics Express 2011, 2: 2022-2034. PMID: 21750777, PMCID: PMC3130586, DOI: 10.1364/boe.2.002022.
- Physiological homology between Drosophila melanogaster and vertebrate cardiovascular systemsChoma MA, Suter MJ, Vakoc BJ, Bouma BE, Tearney GJ. Physiological homology between Drosophila melanogaster and vertebrate cardiovascular systems Disease Models & Mechanisms 2010, 4: 411-420. PMID: 21183476, PMCID: PMC3097462, DOI: 10.1242/dmm.005231.
- Spectral-domain phase microscopy.Choma MA, Ellerbee AK, Yang C, Creazzo TL, Izatt JA. Spectral-domain phase microscopy. Optics Letters 2005, 30: 1162-4. PMID: 15945141, DOI: 10.1364/ol.30.001162.
- Sensitivity advantage of swept source and Fourier domain optical coherence tomographyChoma M, Sarunic M, Yang C, Izatt J. Sensitivity advantage of swept source and Fourier domain optical coherence tomography Optics Express 2003, 11: 2183-9. PMID: 19466106, DOI: 10.1364/oe.11.002183.