Improving healthcare with light and sound
Open Positions
We have a fully funded PhD position immediately available at the MRC Doctoral Training Partnership in Biomedical Sciences. Prospective Chinese students are also encouraged to apply for the prestigious K-CSC PhD programme. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you are interested!
PhD project 1: Photoacoustic imaging for guiding minimally-invasive sperm retrieval (Click for details)
Scientific Basis and Translational Aspects:
Non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) causes severe sperm production impairment, with surgical sperm retrieval as the only option for biological parenthood. The current gold standard, microdissection testicular sperm extraction (microTESE), is invasive and often fails due to reliance on visual cues. Metabolically active testicular regions are more likely to contain sperm, but current imaging methods lack accuracy (ultrasound) or accessibility (MRI). This project explores photoacoustic (PA) imaging—a technique combining light and ultrasound to image tissue oxygenation and metabolism—to non-invasively identify sperm-rich areas. Using cost-effective, portable LED illumination rather than traditional lasers enhances accessibility and clinical translation potential.
Aims:
Develop and validate a novel LED-based dual-modal PA/ultrasound system to visualize blood oxygen saturation, flow, and metabolic rate in testicular tissue, aiming to guide sperm retrieval and improve outcomes.
Objectives:
• Year 1: Build and characterise the PA/ultrasound system with LED illumination; fabricate anatomically realistic tissue-mimicking phantoms (TMMs) for initial testing.
• Year 2: Validate system sensitivity, resolution, and metabolic imaging using TMMs.
• Year 3: Conduct healthy volunteer studies to assess feasibility in detecting metabolic markers linked to spermatogenesis.
• Year 4: Evaluate system performance in a mouse NOA model to demonstrate guidance potential for sperm retrieval.
Skills and Techniques:
The student will gain expertise in photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging, LED optical system design, image processing, phantom fabrication, and preclinical/clinical research methodologies—equipping them for biomedical imaging or translational research careers.
Rotation Project (3 months):
Design and fabricate tissue-mimicking phantoms replicating testicular optical and acoustic properties. These will serve as testbeds to validate the PA/ultrasound system during early development.
Figure 1 microTESE: Microdissection Testicular Sperm Extraction
Representative Publications
• Xia W, editor. Biomedical Photoacoustics: Technology and Applications. Springer Nature; 2024. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-61411-8 2. Zhao T, Desjardins AE, Ourselin S, Vercauteren T, Xia W. Minimally invasive photoacoustic imaging: Current status and future perspectives. Photoacoustics. 2019 Dec 1;16:100146. DOI:10.1016/j.pacs.2019.100146 3. Xia W, Kuniyil Ajith Singh M, Maneas E, Sato N, Shigeta Y, Agano T, Ourselin S, J. West S, E. Desjardins A. Handheld real-time LED-based photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging system for accurate visualization of clinical metal needles and superficial vasculature to guide minimally invasive procedures. Sensors. 2018 May 1;18(5):1394. DOI: 10.3390/s18051394
• Yap T. Fertility in Klinefelter Syndrome: The Need for a Multidisciplinary Approach. Frontiers in Reproductive Health. 2021 Nov 24;3:792479. DOI:10.3389/frph.2021.792479 2. Chakrabarti R, Sluzar P, Yap T. IP25-33 A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW ON FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE POOR CANCER SURVIVORSHIP OUTCOMES IN SEXUAL & GENDER MINORITY PATIENTS. The Journal of Urology. 2025 May;213(5S):e1299. DOI: 10.1097/01.JU.0001110172.53107.6f.33 3. Fanshawe JB, Hughes T, Briggs K, Sandher R, Khalaf Y, Yap T, Kopeika J, Shabbir M. Oncological microdissection testicular sperm extraction (Onco‐microTESE) outcomes for fertility preservation of patients with testicular cancer with azoospermia or severe oligoasthenoteratozoospermia. BJU international. 2025 Feb;135(2):295-302. DOI: 10.1111/bju.16553
