MAP Lab Research Overview

MEASURE · ANALYZE · PROGRAM

At MAP Lab, we use sound and light to see inside the brain and body. We turn these signals into insight to better monitor health and interact with the brain — from medical imaging to neural interfaces.

Measure

Acquire biological information from the brain and human body using acoustic and optical sensing technologies.

Examples:

  • Photoacoustic tomography
  • Ultrafast Ultrasound imaging

Photoacoustic tomography uses "light in, sound out" to image the brain and body, with our work focusing on deep hemodynamics and transcranial brain imaging. Ultrasound imaging follows a "sound in, sound out" approach, where we develop large–field-of-view acoustic tomography systems and wearable modules for brain imaging.

Goal: Measure structure, blood flow, and physiological function.

Analyze

Transform measured signals into meaningful biological information using AI and computational models.

Examples:

  • Image reconstruction
  • Intelligent diagnostics

Image reconstruction converts measured signals into clear images of structure and function, focusing on sparse recovery from limited data and high-speed reconstruction for large-scale arrays. Intelligent diagnostics then uses AI to extract biological information, enabling quantitative analysis, decision support, and more accurate diagnosis.

Goal: Understand biological processes from imaging data.

Program

Interact with biological systems through neuromodulation and neural interface technologies.

Examples:

  • Ultrasound neuromodulation
  • Closed-loop BCI

Ultrasound neuromodulation uses sound to noninvasively modulate brain activity with high spatial precision, targeting neurodegenerative disorders and disorders of consciousness. Closed-loop BCIs enable real-time read–write interaction with the brain, with a focus on next-generation neural interfaces based on sound and light.

Goal: Program or control biological activity for research and therapeutic applications.