On Friday, September 26, 2025, at the Wyndham Boston Beacon Hill, the Wellman Center for Photomedicine celebrated five decades of innovation and excellence. The day featured thought‑provoking presentations, interactive exhibits, and inspiring talks from distinguished colleagues and alumni, culminating in a festive dinner to reconnect and honor our shared legacy. The Tearney Lab demo team made a big impression, showcasing cutting-edge medical devices that turned heads. Warm thanks to everyone who joined. Here’s to the next 50 years!

We’re proud to announce that groundbreaking work in Photobiomodulation by Prabhat Upadhyay, PhD, from Dr. Wu's Lab, has been featured on LinkedIn and Twitter. These posts highlight the innovative research efforts and the exciting potential of Photobiomodulation to advance health and wellness. The recognition from the wider scientific and professional communities reflects the dedication and expertise of the team. Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to stay connected with the latest updates, insights, and breakthroughs from our lab.

Dr. Tearney, Anita Chung and Lindsay Ambrosino delivered fantastic presentations at this year's Phillips Society Luncheon! Guests were truly impressed, with many commenting on how engaging and inspiring the program was. Their efforts played a key role in making the event a great success.

The Path To Creating the World’s Smallest Laser Light Show, and How Researchers Are Using It to Track Cancer Cells: Click Here for More

The members of the Wellman Center Career Development and Promotions Committee (Tayyaba Hasan, Brett Bouma, Bobby Redmond, Gary Tearney and Andy Yun) are pleased to announce the promotion of Arutyun Bagramyan, PhD to the rank of Instructor at Harvard Medical School effective September 1, 2025. Dr. Bagramyan completed his PhD study in Physics at Laval University in Canada and joined Dr. Charles Lin’s Advanced Microscopy Laboratory at the MGH Wellman Center for Photomedicine. In his short time, he has transformed the research landscape in the laboratory, adding a new translational focus to a team that has previously focused on basic studies of the hematopoietic system in live mice using intravital microscopy. Dr. Bagramyan first developed a miniaturized microscope (mOBM) capable of label-free, phase contrast imaging of individual blood cells in the human microcirculation. Using this device, he captured stunning videos of leukocyte rolling and adherence on the vascular endothelium - the first steps of the leukocyte recruitment cascade and a hallmark of inflammation. This work was published in Scientific Reports (2023), “Miniaturized microscope for non-invasive imaging of leukocyte- endothelial interaction in human microcirculation". Dr. Bagramyan demonstrated the ability to detect not just the slow-rolling cells but also fast-flowing cells in the bloodstream. He validated the developed microscope system in 34 human volunteers and established the first benchmarks for reliable image-based WBC count measurements. These results are presented in his second paper, “Towards Non-Invasive White Blood Cell Count in Humans,'' Biomedical Optics Express (2025). In addition, he has a patent application, “System for Stabilized Noninvasive Imaging of Microvasculature in the Oral Mucosa.”, #WO2023230463A3 (2023), which is in the international PCT stage. Dr. Bagramyan is now developing an even more compact version of the device for use on neonates. Noninvasive blood cell analysis is useful for infants because of their high risk of infection and anemia from repeated blood sampling. Working in collaboration with Dr. Martha Sola-Visner, Director of Newborn Medicine Clinical Research Program at Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH), Dr. Bagramyan has assumed a leadership role on this project, responsible for everything from the development of the instrument to the submission of the IRB and coordination with the clinical staff at BCH. Well done Arutyun and we wish you the very best in the coming years and continued success!

The MGH Research Scholars program was launched in 2011 by the hospital and the Research Institute Advisory Council to provide forward-thinking researchers with the unrestricted funding they need to take their work into new and uncharted territories. Congratulations to Dr. Conor Evans on receiving the 2025 MGH Research Scholars Award!

Congratulations to Vietta for passing her qualifier with flying colors! Vietta is doing her PhD program in Biophysics in the Evans Lab

Dr Tayyaba Hasan PhD was recently awarded the prestigious PAESMEM Award by The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in concert with the National Science Foundation (NSF). The specific award: Individual category: Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM). This achievement reflects the significant contributions she has made to the field of mentoring and her contributions in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Dr. Hasan is one of only 12 individual recipients for this year in the nation. Established by Congress in 1995, this award honors the hard work and dedication mentors exhibit in broadening participation in STEM pathways. PAESMEM specifically honors individuals and organizations that have demonstrated excellence in mentoring individuals from groups that are underrepresented in STEM education and the workforce. Over the course of Dr. Hasan’s career, she has graciously mentored over 300 candidates who are successfully making huge impacts in their fields.