Sebastián Ruiz-Lopera

Sebastián Ruiz-Lopera is a PhD candidate in the field of biomedical optics whose research combines cutting-edge optical imaging systems with physics-informed post-processing tools to study tissue such as the retina. Specifically, Sebastián is developing novel approaches in optical coherence tomography (OCT), an imaging technique that provides diverse information about the macro- and micro-structure and functioning of tissue. Previously, he created the first technique for high-resolution imaging of polarization parameters of the retinal nerve fiber bundles in a human subject in vivo, which are hypothesized to encode information on axonal degeneration induced by neurodegenerative diseases. MATLAB is a foundational tool in this work, aiding the development of advanced computational methods to make OCT an even more powerful tool. Supported by a MathWorks Fellowship, he will work to develop a robust processing framework for the estimation of tissue contrast with OCT imaging techniques and to explore innovative AI applications with the potential to vastly accelerate this complex signal process and advance valuable new tools for biomedical optics.