Cao, Rui, PhD

Research by Rui Cao, PhD, an Assistant Professor at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), focuses on advancing biomedical imaging technologies to improve diagnostic accuracy and patient outcomes, with an emphasis on photoacoustic imaging and complementary optical and ultrasound technologies.

In addition to his role in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at CWRU, Dr. Roa is also a member of the Cancer Imaging Program at the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center and the CWRU Center for Imaging Research.

Dr. Cao’s research program combines hardware innovation, computational methods, and artificial intelligence to develop next-generation imaging technologies for applications including neuroimaging, early cancer detection, functional imaging, and intraoperative pathology. A major goal of his work is to translate advanced imaging technologies from the laboratory into practical clinical tools that can improve diagnosis and guide patient care.

Dr. Cao earned his PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Virginia in 2018, where his doctoral research focused on multiparametric photoacoustic microscopy of cerebral hemodynamics and oxygen metabolism. He subsequently completed postdoctoral training at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in the laboratory of renowned biomedical imaging researcher Lihong V. Wang, where he was supported by an NIH Kirschstein-NRSA T32 fellowship. Prior to his PhD, he earned a bachelor’s degree in Optoelectronics and a master’s degree in Optical Engineering from Nankai University in China.

RESEARCH PROGRAMS

• Photoacoustic imaging and microscopy
• Intraoperative pathology and cancer diagnosis
• Neuroimaging and brain function
• Optical and ultrasound imaging technologies
• Artificial intelligence and computational imaging

MAJOR PROJECTS & FUNDING

• NIH-Funded Project: PI of an NIH National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award supporting the project “Deep-learning assisted photoacoustic histology for real-time intraoperative pathological diagnosis”
• Contributions to the development of optical-resolution ultraviolet photoacoustic microscopy for slide-free histology and deep-learning-assisted intraoperative diagnosis. His work includes research published in Science Advances and Nature Biomedical Engineering, including studies demonstrating the potential of photoacoustic imaging for rapid cancer and bone-tissue diagnosis
• High-resolution and high-speed photoacoustic imaging

HONORS & RECOGNITION

• • Best Paper Award, Photos Plus Ultrasound Conference, SPIE Photonics West, 2022