Urban Lab

 

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About the lab

 

 

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Our laboratory develops multiscale optical imaging and spectroscopy platforms spanning nanoscopic to macroscopic scales for both biological and materials studies. By integrating volumetric super-resolution microscopy with high-speed, time-resolved spectroscopies, we uncover the fundamental links between structure and function in tissues and materials.
This approach enables early detection of disease markers in intact tissues, aiming to relieve the burden on the healthcare system through novel diagnostics and innovations.
We also apply these tools to characterize soft biomaterials and hard semiconductors, revealing structure–property relationships that inform next-generation material design. By pushing the limits of imaging depth, speed, and resolution, we strive to drive advances that benefit both fundamental science and society’s future health and technology needs.

 

 

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Members

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▶Dr. Ben Urban

 Associate Professor
 Co-Creation Institute for Advanced Materials
 Research keywords:
  https://researchmap.jp/burban

 

Publications

Papers

【Journal】

B. E. Urban, H. M. Subhash, L. Kilpatrick-Liverman, "Measuring changes in blood volume fraction during induced gingivitis of healthy and unhealthy populations using hyperspectral spatial frequency domain imaging: a clinical study", Scientific Reports, 2022, 12, 1, pp. 1-8

B. E. Urban, S. L. Jacques, H. M. Subhash, "Spectral imaging of normal, hydrated, and desiccated porcine skin using polarized light", Journal of Biomedical Optics, 2022, 27, 10, pp. 1-10

B. E. Urban, H. M. Subhash, "Multimodal hyperspectral fluorescence and spatial frequency domain imaging for tissue health diagnostics of the oral cavity", Biomedical Optics Express, 2021, 12, 11, pp. 6954-6968

B. E. Urban, B. Dong, X. Zhang, H. Yang, H. F. Zhang, "Patterned-illumination second harmonic generation microscopy of collagen fibrils in rat sclera", Optics Letters, 2018, 43, 21, pp. 5190-5192

B. E. Urban, L. Xiao, B. Dong, S. Chen, Y. Kozorovitskiy, H. F. Zhang, "Imaging neuronal structure dynamics using 2-photon super-resolution patterned excitation reconstruction microscopy", Journal of Biophotonics, 2018, 11, 3, pp. 1-9

B. E. Urban, L. Xiao, S. Chen, H. Yang, B. Dong, Y. Kozorovitskiy, H. F. Zhang, "In vivo super-resolution imaging of neuronal structure in the mouse brain", IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, 2017, 65, 1, pp. 232-238

S. Butler, P. Neogi, B. Urban, Y. Fujita, Z. Hu, A. Neogi "ZnO nanoparticles in hydrogel polymer network for bio-imaging", Global Journal of Nanomedicine, 2017, 1, pp. 555572

B. Dong, L. M. Almassalha, B. T. Soetikno, J. E. Chandler, T.-Q. Nguyen, B. E. Urban, C. Sun, H. F. Zhang, V. Backman, "Stochastic fluorescence switching of nucleic acids under visible light illumination", Optics Express, 2017, 25, 7, pp. 7929-7944

B. Dong, L. Almassalha, B. E. Urban, T.-Q. Nguyen, S. Khuon, T.-L. Chew, V. Backman, C. Sun, H. F. Zhang, "Super-resolution spectroscopic microscopy via photon localization", Nature Communications, 2016, 7, 1, pp. 1-8

B. E. Urban, B. Dong, T.-Q. Nguyen, V. Backman, C. Sun, H. F. Zhang, "Subsurface super-resolution imaging of unstained polymer nanostructures", Scientific Reports, 2016, 6, 1, pp. 1-9

B. Dong, L. M. Almassalha, Y. Stypula-Cyrus, B. E. Urban, J. E. Chandler, T.-Q. Nguyen, C. Sun, H. F. Zhang, V. Backman, "Super-resolution intrinsic fluorescence imaging of chromatin utilizing native, unmodified nucleic acids for contrast", Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2016, 113, pp. 9716-9721

B. E. Urban, J. Yi, S. Chen, B. Dong, Y. Zhu, S. H. DeVries, V. Backman, H. F. Zhang, "Super-resolution two-photon microscopy via scanning patterned illumination", Physical Review E, 2015, 91, 4, pp. 1-6

K. M. Lee, J. Y. Hwang, B. Urban, A. Singh, A. Neogi, S. K. Lee, T. Y. Choi, "Origin of broadband emissions of 3C-silicon-carbide nanowire by temperature- and time-resolved photoluminescence study", Solid State Communications, 2014, 204, pp. 16-18

B. E. Urban, J. Yi, V. Yakovlev, H. F. Zhang, "Investigating femtosecond-laser-induced two-photon photoacoustic generation", Journal of Biomedical Optics, 2014, 19, 8, pp. 1-6

B. E. Urban, P. Neogi, K. Senthilkumar, S. K. Rajpurohi, P. Jagadeeshwaran, S. Kim, Y. Fujita, A. Neogi, "Bioimaging using the optimized nonlinear optical properties of ZnO nanoparticles", IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, 2012, 18, 4, pp. 1451-1456

R. Shimada, B. Urban, M. Sharma, A. Singh, V. Avrutin, H. Morkoç, A. Neogi, "Energy transfer in ZnO-anthracene hybrid structure", Optical Materials Express, 2012, 2, 5, pp. 526-533

B. E. Urban, P. B. Neogi, S. J. Butler, Y. Fujita, A. Neogi, "Second harmonic imaging of plant tissues and cell implosion using two-photon processes in ZnO nanoparticles", Journal of Biophotonics, 2012, 5, 3, pp. 283-291

B. E. Urban, J. Lin, O. Kumar, K. Senthilkumar, Y. Fujita, A. Neogi, "Optimization of nonlinear optical properties of ZnO micro and nanocrystals for biophotonics", Optical Materials Express, 2011, 1, 4, pp. 658-658

K. Senthilkumar, M. Tokunaga, H. Okamoto, O. Senthilkumar, J. Lin, B. Urban, A. Neogi, Y. Fujita, "Multiphonon scattering and non-radiative decay in ZnO nanoparticles", physica status solidi c, 2010, 7, 6, pp. 1586-1588

K. Miyamoto, K. Furumai, B. E. Urban, H. Kondo, S. Zaima, "Nitrogen-content dependence of crystalline structures and resistivity of Hf–Si–N gate electrodes for metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors", Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, 2009, 48, 045505, pp. 1-4

【Proceedings】

V. Jain, B. E. Urban, M. C. Pierce, H. M. Subhash, "Ultra-widefield multimodal microscope using a 250 megapixel sensor", Multiscale Imaging and Spectroscopy, Proc. SPIE, 2025, 13327, pp. 26-29

T. Livecchi, A. Pilvar, B. E. Urban, H. M. Subhash, S. L. Jacques, D. Roblyer, M. C. Pierce, "Shortwave-infrared spatial frequency domain imaging for quantifying water and lipid concentrations in tissue", Multiscale Imaging and Spectroscopy, Proc. SPIE, 2023, 12363, pp. 50-55

B. E. Urban, S. L. Jacques, H. M. Subhash, "Polarized light reflectance anisotropy measurement of hydrated and desiccated superficial porcine skin", Polarized Light and Optical Angular Momentum for Biomedical Diagnostics, Proc. SPIE, 2022, 11963, pp. 48-53

S. L. Jacques, B. Urban, H. M. Subhash, "Polarized light reflectance and the sub-diffuse regime during optical imaging of skin", Polarized Light and Optical Angular Momentum for Biomedical Diagnostics, Proc. SPIE, 2021, 116460J, pp. 1-7

B. E. Urban, J. Yi, V. Yakovlev, H. F. Zhang, "Two-photon photoacoustic generation induced by NIR femtosecond pulses", Biomedical Optics, 2014, BS3A, pp. 72-77

B. Urban, "Zinc oxide nanoparticles for nonlinear bioimaging, cell detection and selective cell destruction", University of North Texas Library, 2013

B. Urban, P. Neogi, Y. Fujita, A. Neogi, "Colloidal ZnO nanoparticles for nonlinear optical probes and selective cell destruction", Proc. SPIE, 2013, 85950M, pp. 1-8

D. K. Marble, B. Urban, and J. Pacheco, "Compact detection system for high-sensitivity hydrogen profiling of materials by nuclear reaction analysis", AIP Conference Proceedings, 2009, V1099, pp. 1-4

 

Books