Previous APMS Colloquia

Spring 2025

Thursday, February 20, 9:45-10:45 am

Prof. Naomi Lee
NAU

Designing Vaccines to Target Chronic and infectious Diseases in Native American Communities

Abstract: At the national level, opioid overdoses are among the leading causes of death across the United States especially within Native American communities. Vaccines may pose as a possible treatment for addiction and prevention of overdoses. Virus-like particles (VLPs) have multi-valent displays and mimic the conformation of certain native viruses but lack a viral genome, making them noninfectious. A derivative of oxycodone was conjugated to pre-formed Qβ VLPs, and intramuscular immunization with Qβ-oxycodone elicited high-titer, high-avidity and long-lasting antibody responses in mice. Pilot studies also showed the Qβ-oxycodone is immunogenic in nonhuman primates. These data establish Qβ-oxycodone as a promising opioid vaccine candidate.

As one of the only Native Americans to receive a PhD in 2013, Dr. Lee strives to change this story for the next generation of Native American students through incorporating the teachings of my Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) ancestors into her science and mentorship. Dr. Lee will discuss obstacles and successes throughout her academic journey and military career along with how these experiences shaped her career goal of improve Native American health through research, STEM education, and mentoring.

Thursday, February 6, 9:45-10:45 am

Prof. Chris Mann
NAU

Advances in Digital Holography: From FINCH Imaging to Biological Applications and Phase Retrieval

Abstract: Optical interferometry remains a fundamental and versatile tool in both scientific research and industrial applications, enabling high-precision, non-contact measurements across a range of fields. From common consumer devices such as hard disk drives, optical storage systems, and cameras to advanced applications in semiconductor metrology, biomedical imaging, and materials characterization, interferometry provides unparalleled accuracy, often reaching nanometer or even sub-nanometer precision. Holography, a key branch of interferometry, extends these capabilities by capturing both the intensity and phase of light waves, enabling full-field 3D imaging and quantitative phase contrast. With the advent of digital holography, traditional photochemical holography has been replaced by high-resolution sensor arrays and real-time computational processing. This transition and the introduction of high-resolution spatial light modulators which can act as a digital lens, has enabled new imaging modalities such as Fresnel Incoherent Correlation Holography (FINCH), which allows incoherent light sources to be used for holographic imaging, expanding the applicability of holography beyond coherent laser illumination. In this presentation, I will provide an overview of digital holography, including its evolution from classical optical interferometry to newly developed computational techniques. I will discuss its application in biological imaging, where digital holography enables label-free visualization of live cells and tissues, and in materials characterization, where it plays a critical role in detecting surface defects and structural deformations. Additionally, I will explore recent advances in phase retrieval algorithms, which have enhanced holographic reconstruction by improving resolution, noise robustness, and computational efficiency.