Dr. Joel Bixler and Dr. Robert Thomas researchers at the Air Force Research Laboratory will visit UNT Discovery Park to give a two-part talk. Dr. Thomas will provide a brief overview of the Air Force Research Laboratory, the Bioeffects Division in San Antonio before Dr. Bexler takes the stage with his speech entitled Directly Observing the Biophysics of Pulsed Electric Fields.

Abstract

Air Force Research Laboratory Bioeffect Division Overview

A brief overview of the Air Force Research Laboratory, the Bioeffects Division in San Antonio, and information regarding ways to engage with AFRL, including grants, Post-Doc opportunities and student fellowships.  Dr. Thomas will be available to discuss the work environment at a department of defense research laboratory and questions you may have regarding opportunities. 

Directly Observing the Biophysics of Pulsed Electric Fields

Pulsed electric fields have been demonstrated to cause a variety of interesting bioeffects, including nanoporation, electroporation, ablation, and modification of cellular function. Traditionally, the mechanisms of interaction between these fields and cells have been studied using fluorescence microscopy, limiting researchers to visualizing the downstream effects of short pulse electric fields by tracking things such as calcium movement, cytoskeleton disruption, and cell damage seen through dye uptake studies. Here, we will present several unique imaging systems that have been developed to more directly visualize the interactions of short pulsed electric fields (nanoseconds to microseconds) with cellular membranes. Additionally, we demonstrate the power of quantitative phase microscopy to visualize water and protein movement following pulsed electric field exposure.

Biographies

Dr. Robert J. Thomas, AFRL -San Antonio            
Robert J. Thomas is a Principal Research Physicist with the Bioeffects Division of the Air Force Research Laboratory.   He currently serves as the Technical Advisor for the Division, and has been with the research group since 1994, after completing his PhD at the University of Missouri (MIZZOU).
His research has focused on laser-tissue interactions, along with modeling and simulation approaches for the inclusion of bioeffects and radiometrics in Air Force applications, and has co-authored more than fifty papers in these fields.   Dr. Thomas is a Fellow of SPIE, the Laser Institute of America, and the Air Force Research Laboratory. 
 

Dr. Joel Bixler, AFRL – San Antonio

Joel N. Bixler is a senior research biomedical engineer with the Bioeffects Division of the Air Force Research Laboratory. His research focuses include developing high-speed imaging systems to study the interaction of directed energy with biological systems. These imaging systems have been applied to study electroporation, measure tissue optical properties, and visualize pulsed laser ablation. He received his Ph.D. from Texas A&M University in biomedical engineering with a focus on methods to enhance Raman spectroscopy.