I completed my BSc in Physics and Mathematics (1997) from St. Josephs College, Bangalore, India. Computing and learning about computing had always interested me and after college, I landed a job with WIPRO Systems Inc. After a brief sojourn of 6 months on the corporate "bench", life inside a software company was not as I'd imagined. I found a position to use computational tools in Dr. Upi Bhalla's group as a junior research fellow at the National Center for Biological Sciences. Soon, I moved to the United States seeking a graduate degree in Physics, looking for research projects with a computational focus and applied toward studying biological systems.

After obtaining a MS in Physics from Dartmouth College Ph.D from the University of Michigan with Dr. Mary-Ann Mycek in 2005. I held post-doctoral research positions at Michigan till 2006 and then at Duke till 2012. I worked with the Optics and Photonics division at Radiation Monitoring Devices, Inc. as a senior research scientist for a few years, till I found my position in the Physics Department at Miami University in 2014.

At Miami, I direct the OSIM lab here, where we explore the use of optics to understand and solve biomedical problems. I like working with students and researchers across disciplinary boundaries by applying physics-centric principles for understanding living systems.

Undergraduate Degree: Physics, MES College, Bangalore, India
Research Project: Time-domain diffuse optics: theory and experiments
At OSIM from: 2021

"I am a combined BS/MS student in biomedical engineering. My project at the OSIM Lab involves Mesh-based MC modeling of photon propagation in tissues.

Undergraduate degree: Biomedical Engineering, Miami University
Research Project: Mesh-based MC modeling of photon transport
At OSIM from: 2023

Class of: 2024
Major(s): Biological Physics
At OSIM from: 2019

I am a sophomore physics and premed major interested in the medical applications of noninvasive, light-based imaging. I became involved in the lab late in the fall semester of 2019 after Dr. Vishwanath presented his research group to my PHY185 class and my interest was piqued. I hope to use this semester to learn what properties of probes work best for specific tissues, with the hope that I will be able to build usable probes for specific tissues in the spring. Right now, my goal for this lab is to explore my interest in the field and build a wealth of practical knowledge for future research.

Class of: 2025
Major(s): Biological Physics (Premed program)
At OSIM from: 2022

I am a junior biological physics and pre-medical studies major. I joined the lab during my second semester freshman year after being fascinated with the various research projects. I am currently exploring the relationship between temperature and the results produced utilizing diffuse correlation spectroscopy. Within the next year I hope to continue developing my inquiry and generate results to present in academic settings. I feel that being a part of this lab will help enhance my education, giving me a unique perspective on the applications of this field. Overall, I am incredibly excited to be a part of this lab and see where this experience takes me.

Class of: 2025
Major(s): Biological Physics
At OSIM from: 2022

My name is Audrey Mannella and I am a first year student at Miami University. I’m majoring in Biological Physics, as well as Pre-Medical Studies. This is my first year being apart of the OSIM lab, so I am looking forward to gaining research experience and exploring the use of optics to solve problems in medicine.

Class of: 2026
Major(s): Biological Physics
At OSIM from: 2022

I am a sophomore physics major with a co-major in business analytics and I run cross-country and track at Miami University. I started doing independent research with OSIM in the spring of 2023. I am currently researching non-invasive diagnostic methods by measuring optical properties of biological tissue. I am looking forward to continuing my undergraduate research with Dr. Vishwanath this year.

Class of: 2026
Major(s): Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering
At OSIM from: 2023

Research Project: TBD