Skip to main content
IBMI_Banner_nailfold
© Helmholtz Munich/IBMI

Bioengineering Center Biological and Medical Imaging

We invent innovative imaging and sensing technologies and drive their clinical translation by developing bioengineering solutions for the life sciences and medicine to benefit patients and society.

The Institute of Biological and Medical Imaging (IBMI) of Helmholtz Munich, Germany, is a multi-disciplinary academic research structure strongly integrated with the Chair of Biological Imaging at the Technical University of Munich. 

Research Groups

Wissenschaftsfoto Brain
Helmholtz Munich | ©Ajay Kesharwani

Nanomedicine and Biomarkers

In the Nanomedicine and Biomarkers Group, we study preclinical models of disease with label-free MSOT imaging to develop working pipelines for in vivo detection and quantification of biomarkers, such as lipid content, blood perfusion, and tissue oxygenation.

Gujrati Lab
Genetic engineering and gene manipulation concept. Hand is replacing part of a DNA molecule.
vchalup - stock.adobe.com

Cell Engineering

The research group for Molecular Engineering focuses on enabling this rich variety of tools for opto-acoustic (OA) imaging. OA is an emerging methodology bridging light excitation and ultrasound detection towards deep tissue imaging.

Stiel Lab
Abstract human hologram
Tex vector - stock.adobe.com

AI in Optoacoustics

At the group for "AI in Optoacoustics" of IBMI, we design innovative algorithms for biomedical imaging modalities based on sophisticated mathematical models.

Jüstel Lab
Defective mESCs (green) with poor mitochondria function are eliminated by mESCs with active mitochondria (red)
Lima and Lubatti et al., 2021, Nat Metabolism; ©The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited

Fluorescence Imaging

The Laboratory develops advanced fluorescence imaging methods for pre-clinical and clinical imaging, leading in 2011 to the first clinical translation of a targeted fluorescent agent for optical molecular imaging of patients.

Gorpas Lab
A petri dish with growing cultures of microorganisms, fungi and microbes. A Petri dish  ( Petrie dish) known as a Petri plate or cell-culture dish
science photo - stock.adobe.com

Mechanobiology

Our group’s primary research interest is to understand the mechanobiology of the airway epithelium.

Nawroth Lab
Wound healing_scarring process.Nature
Helmholtz Munich | Donovan Correa Gallegos

Optoacoustic Mesoscopy

Our group conceives, designs and develops multispectral optoacoustic technology that allows performing non-invasive anatomical, functional and molecular optical imaging of the skin in the clinics.

He Lab
Silicon chip
©Helmholtz Zentrum München

Medical Sensors

Our research innovates hybrid methods combining thermoacoustic, optoacoustic and fluorescence imaging.

Köhler Lab
Exploring the dynamics of chromatin structure and function across physiological states
Helmholtz Munich | Daphne Cabianca

Translational Optoacoustics

Our group focuses on developing technology and applications on the combination of optical and optoacoustic microscopy in order to deliver contrast and imaging abilities not available in optical microscopes today.

Pleitez Lab
AdobeStock_96911004.jpeg
kwanchaift - stock.adobe.com

IBMI Biology Central Support

The group „IBMI Biology Central Support“ is centered around provision and development of cell lines and animal models for optoacoustic imaging.

Bengel Lab
Sensor_banner (Stahl Lab)
Helmholtz Munich | ©Hans-Ulrich Stahl

Biochemical and Environmental Sensors

We are developing methods and devices to measure health-related parameters non-invasively. Just imagine getting your blood work done without any needles, but by using light and by sensing the resulting ultrasound waves on your skin surface. Chemical contrast is achieved label-free by the wavelength-specific absorption of relevant molecules.

Stahl Lab
Data analysis business intelligence analytics internet technology concept.
Murrstock - stock.adobe.com

Mathematical Imaging and Data Analysis

Business, Technology, Internet and network concept. Virtual display: Clinical trial
putilov_denis - stock.adobe.com

Sensors

Our research innovates hybrid methods combining thermoacoustic, optoacoustic and fluorescence imaging. Fueled by a DFG Koselleck award, and BMBF support (Tech2See, Sense4Life) award we innovate in three main areas; (1) We interrogate the fundamental interactions of electromagnetic (EM) and optical energy and tissue and exploit them for sensing applications. (2) We research novel instrumentation designs for optimal illumination and energy coupling to tissue for sensing and therapeutic applications and (3) develop novel classes of sensors (including nanoparticles and novel sensing devices) for reading pathophysiological features of tissue, indicative of disease aiming to generate novel early detection paradigms. System development, data processing and in-vivo monitoring of biophysical processes are among the focus of our research group. Research from this group further feeds technological solutions in other research groups in the Chair and Institute.

IBMI Directorate and Management Team

Vasilis Ntziachristos

Prof. Dr. Vasilis Ntziachristos

Director

Campus Neuherberg: Building 56, room 029 & TranslaTUM: Einsteinstr. 25, room 22.3.28
Porträt Andreas Hillmair

Dr. Andreas Hillmair

Deputy Director - Operations

Campus Neuherberg: Building 56/ room 027a TranslaTUM: Einsteinstr. 25 / room 22.3.30

Dr. Ivy Curren

Deputy Director - Research

Building 56/room 027d

Dr. Manfred Türke

Head of Project Management & Communications

Building 56/room 027a
Porträt Corinna Lieleg

Dr. Corinna Lieleg

Executive Scientific Coordinator

Building 56 / room 028a
Porträt Doris Bengel

Dr. Doris Bengel

Laboratory manager

Building 56/ room 028a

Noora Al-Naimi

IT Administrator

Building 56 / room 44

Ines Baumgartner

Assistant

Building 56/ room 027b
Porträt Elisa Bonnin

Dr. Elisa Bonnin

Scientific Writer

Building 56 / room 27d, Building 56
Karla_Buortmes

Karla Buortmes

Assistant

Building 56 / room 30b
Porträt Somik Chakravarty

Dr. Somik Chakravarty

Scientific Fundraising Manager

Building 56 / room 30a

Dr. Ute Chambers

Scientific Fundraising Manager

Building 56/ room 030a

Dr. Mary Gazea

Project Manager

Building 56 / room 27d

Dr. Serene Lee

Scientific Writer

Building 56 / room 27d
Ausweis Stephanie Montag

Stephanie Montag

Assistant

Einsteinstraße 25, TranslaTUM / room 22.3.27

Dr. Julia Thomas

Project Manager (on parental leave)

Building 56 / room 27d
Juliana Valle

Dr. Juliana Valle

Project Manager

Anna Villar Pique2

Dr. Anna Villar-Piqué

Project Manager

Building 56 / room 27d

Our Staff at IBMI

Dr. Ivy Curren

Deputy Director - Research

Dr. Heiko Ott

MedTech Director

Dr. Frank-Dieter Filbir

Group Leader
Sabir Ui Alam

Dr. Sabir Ul Alam

Postdoc
Alkotub_Bayan

Bayan Alkotub

Ph.D. Student

Noora Al-Naimi

IT Administrator
Porträt Pia Anzenhofer

Pia Anzenhofer

Technician

Joshua Aulenbacher

Scientist

Mohammed Azeem

Ph.D. Student
Porträt Maximilian Bader

Maximilian Bader

Ph.D. Student - Modeling and System Characterization

Abeer Banerjee

Ph.D. student

Ines Baumgartner

Assistant
Constantin Berger

Constantin Berger

Ph.D. Student - Computational Modeling for Metabolic Sensing and Imaging
Porträt Elisa Bonnin

Dr. Elisa Bonnin

Scientific Writer
Karla_Buortmes

Karla Buortmes

Assistant
Tianshou Cao

Tianshou Cao

Ph.D student
Porträt Somik Chakravarty

Dr. Somik Chakravarty

Scientific Fundraising Manager

Dr. Ute Chambers

Scientific Fundraising Manager
Shijia Chen

Shijia Chen

Ph.D student

Edouard Coussoux

Guest
Dr. Davide Di Giuseppe

Dr. Davide Di Giuseppe

Postdoc

Qiongjie Ding

Ph.D. student
Porträt TramDo

Dr. Thi Bich Tram Do

Postdoctoral fellow - Inverse Problems in Optoacoustics

Felix Dülmer

Ph.D. Student
Ludwig Englert

Ludwig Englert

Ph.D. Student

Nikolina-Alexia Fasoula

Ph.D. Student

Evangelos Fragkiadakis

Student Assistant
Porträt_Sarah_Franceschin

Sarah Franceschin

Ph.D. Student - Tissue Characterization and Data Analysis in Optoaoustics

Dr. Tobias Fromme

Guest

Dr. Javier Garcia Lopez

Postdoc
Francesca Gasparin

Francesca Gasparin

Ph.D. Student

Anna Gawehn

Student Assistant

Dr. Mary Gazea

Project Manager
Porträt Manuel Gehmayr_1

Manuel Gehmeyr

Ph.D. Student - Mathematical Modeling and Data Analysis for Optoacoustic Sensing
Porträt Sarah Glasl

Sarah Glasl

Technician

Simon Göllner

Ph.D. Student

David Gorbunov

Ph.D. Student

Maximilian Gotsch

Master Student

Timon Grosch

Student Assistant

Neval Gündogan

Master Student
Jasmin Häberle

Jasmin Häberle

Ph.D. Student

Linda Hädrich

Ph.D. Student
Porträt Philipp Haim

Philipp Haim

Ph.D. Student - Probabilistic Reconstruction and Fluence Modeling

Hauer Isabella

Student Assistant
Porträt Yishiu Huang

Dr. Yishu Huang

Guest Scientist

Dr. Chadi Abdel Sattar Ibrahim

Physician scientist - Clinical Epidemiology

Nikoletta Katsouli

Ph.D. Student
Ajay Kesharwani

Dr. Ajay Kesharwani

Postdoc

Huma Khatoon

Ph.D. Student

Myeongseop Kim

Ph.D. Student
Porträt Uwe Klemm

Uwe Klemm

Technician

Maximilian Koch

Guest

Miro Kolenic

Master Student
Elena-Kriukowa

Elena Kriukova

Ph.D. Student

Johannes Kunz

Ph.D. Student

Dr. Serene Lee

Scientific Writer

Dr. Rhiannon Lees

Postdoc
Porträt Sangmun Lee

Sangmun Lee

Intern
Porträt Corinna Lieleg

Dr. Corinna Lieleg

Executive Scientific Coordinator
Portrait Panhang Liu Image 6

Panhang Liu

Ph.D. Student
Ausweis Stephanie Montag

Stephanie Montag

Assistant
Porträt Kenana Muaiad Al Adem

Dr. Kenana Muaiad Al Adem

Postdoc
Porträt Suhanyaa Niktunanantharajah

Dr. Suhanyaa Nitkunanantharajah

Postdoc - Machine Learning and Data Analysis for Optoacoustic Sensing
Dimitrios Pantazopoulos

Dimitrios Pantazopoulos

Scientist

Bjarne Perleberg

Ph.D. Student

Alina Peterandel

Guest
Porträt Lukas Platz

Lukas Platz

Ph.D. Student - Probabilistic Reconstruction and System Characterization

Alexander Prebeck

Ph.D. Student

Jiawang Qiu

Ph.D. Student

Mario Reidl

Ph.D. Student
Lorenzo Ricciardi

Lorenzo Ricciardi

Ph.D. Student
Erik Riedel

Erik Riedel

Ph.D. Student

Elsa Rodrigues

Ph.D. Student
Porträt Maria Begona Rojas-Lopez

Maria Begona Rojas Lopez

Ph.D. Student - System Characterization and Data Analysis

Patricia Römer

Guest
Porträt Alexander Ross

Alexander Ross

Ph.D. Student

Raphael Salz

Ph.d. Student
Bernadette Scherer

Bernadette Scherer

Scientist

Sara Selim

Master Student
Dominik Selzner

Dominik Selzner

Ph.D. Student
Porträt Divyesh Shelar

Dr. Divyesh Shelar

Postdoc

Dayong Shen

Ph.D. Student

Patmaa Sridharan

Ph.D. Student
Richin Sukesh

Richin Sukesh

Ph.D. Student
Shilpa Tayal

Dr. Shilpa Tayal

Postdoc

James Taylor

Scientist
Anna-Tenditnaya

Anna Tenditnaya

Ph.D. Student

Sarkis Ter Martirosyan

Ph.D. Student - Data-driven Optoacoustics for Metabolism

Dr. Julia Thomas

Project Manager (on parental leave)

Dr. Ravikumar Vaghela

Postdoc

Dr. Manfred Türke

Head of Project Management & Communications

Amira Tuktarova

Student Assistant
Juliana Valle

Dr. Juliana Valle

Project Manager
Anna Villar Pique2

Dr. Anna Villar-Piqué

Project Manager

Bingzhi Wang

Ph.D. Student

Fei Wang

Ph.D. Student
Patrick_Wustrow

Patrick Wustrow

Clinical Scientist

Dr. Guillaume Zahnd

Guest
portrait_riccardo_zulla

Riccardo Zulla

Ph.D. Student

IBMI Alumni

Eleni Andreadaki

Working Student

Christoph Dehner

Ph.D. Student)

Anna Gawehn

Student Assistant

Dr. Alexa Hasenbach

Postdoc

Sebastian Herr

Ph.D. Student

Aleksandra Kolbasnikova

Student Assistant

Dr. Antonia Longo

Ph.D. Student)

Linnea Luoma-Aho

Student Assistant

Ivo Reiss (Lipkowitsch)

Ph.D. Student

Tao Yuan

Ph.D. Student

Career