4DB Center: Physics of Metastasis over Time and Space

Dr. Jacques received his Ph.D. degree in biophysics and medical physics from the University of California-Berkeley in 1984, where he used dielectric microwave measurements to explore the in vivo distribution of water in the stratum corneum of human skin. His postdoctoral work was at Massachusetts General Hospital, rising to the position of Lecturer in Dermatology/Bioengineering, Harvard Medical School. His work was on laser effects in skin, both experimental and theoretical. He developed the use of Monte Carlo computer simulations to study optical transport in biological tissues, which is now widely used in the field of biophotonics. In 1988, he joined the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer as an Assistant Professor of Urology/Biophysics and established a laboratory developing novel laser and optical methods for medicine, later achieving a tenured position as Associate Professor. He developed a hand-held spectrometer and the analysis software to noninvasively measure hyperbilirubinemia in newborns. This device was patented, licensed, and FDA approved to replace heel stick tests, and is now becoming accepted practice in neonatal care. In 1996, he moved to Oregon, and joined the Oregon Health and Science University, where he now serves as Professor of Dermatology and Biomedical Engineering. His work continues on developing novel uses of optical technologies for both therapy and diagnosis. Currently, he has developed a hand-held polarized light camera to visualize skin cancer margins and guide surgical excision, now in clinical trials. He has developed in vivo sub-nm measurements of vibration of the cochlear membrane of the inner ear in animal models. He is developing novel microscopes sensitive to the ultrastructure of cells and tissues. Dr. Jacques has authored over 96 papers.