PhD
My research is focused on developing mobile optical devices and mathematical models that enable non-invasive quantification of physiological parameters (e.g., tissue hematocrit content and oxygenation) to inform about health and diseases. These techniques include time-resolved near-infrared spectroscopy, diffuse correlation spectroscopy and hyperspectral spectroscopy. I am also developing methods for 4D spectral tomographic imaging, for the quantification of tissue hemodynamics (e.g., blood flow and vascular permeability) and oxygen metabolism.
Dr. Diop graduated from University Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar (Senegal) where he also completed an MSc in physics under the supervision of Prof. Ahmadou Wague. In 2004 he was awarded a PhD degree in Physics from Laval University (Quebec) for his work on 3D Colloidal Photonic Crystals, under the supervision of late Prof. Roger A. Lessard. He then joined the group of Dr. Rod Taylor at the Institute for Microstructural Sciences of the National Research Council of Canada (NRC, Ottawa) for a 2-year postdoctoral position to work on optical trapping of cells. In 2006 he moved to London (Ontario) to take a 2nd postdoctoral position in the group of Dr. Keith St Lawrence at the Lawson Health Research Institute (LHRI). Two years later, Dr. Diop became a Research Associate then a LHRI Research Scientist in 2013. His work at LHRI has led to significant technological advancements, including a method that can continuously monitor absolute cerebral blood flow and oxygen metabolism at the bedside. Dr. Diop is also an assistant Prof. in the department of Medical Biophysics and the school of Biomedical engineering at Western University where he leads the Translational Biophotonics Lab.