Richard Lopata is a Full Professor at the TU/e, leading the PULS/e lab (Photoacoustics & Ultrasound Laboratory Eindhoven) within the department of Biomedical Engineering. The PULS/e lab is dedicated to pioneering research in ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging technologies, focusing on both fundamental and applied sciences to enhance clinical decision-making.

Research Focus:

• Ultrasound Functional Imaging: Development of advanced 2-D and 3-D ultrasound imaging techniques for the assessment of anatomy, multi-perspective ultrasound imaging, tissue characterization, and functional imaging (biomechanical measurements). These techniques aim to provide detailed measurements necessary for clinical applications and were validated through rigorous testing.
• Photoacoustic Imaging: Innovations in photoacoustic imaging techniques targeting plaque vulnerability assessment., osteoarthritis, and skin disease These techniques are developed and validated in preclinical settings, with a focus on improving imaging depth and quality.
• Biomechanical Modeling: Creation of patient-specific biomechanical models of organs, i.e., diseased arteries, to better assess rupture risk in vulnerable arteries, such as aneurysms and plaques. Ultrasound technology is utilized to provide detailed information on vessel geometry and mechanics, creating a digital twin of the artery to predict its development over time, thereby aiding in precise diagnosis and monitoring.

Collaborations and Impact: Lopata's work is characterized by close collaborations with clinical and technical partners, ensuring the successful translation of innovative techniques from the lab to the clinic. These partnerships are crucial to catalyze clinical introduction of these concepts and technologies, as well as future valorization.

Vision: The overarching vision of the PULS/e lab is to replace costly and hazardous imaging modalities with safe, cost-effective ultrasound and photoacoustic technologies. By advancing these technologies, the lab aims to support clinicians in their daily decision-making processes, from early diagnosis to treatment planning and monitoring, thereby enhancing the quality of healthcare.

Education:

• MSc in Biomedical Engineering: Richard studied Biomedical Engineering at TU/e, receiving his MSc in 2004 with a focus on pharmacokinetic parameter estimation in dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI.
• PhD in Biomedical Engineering: From 2004 to 2009, he conducted PhD research at the Clinical Physics Laboratory of Radboud University Medical Center (Radboudumc) in Nijmegen, resulting in his thesis titled "2D and 3D Ultrasound Strain Imaging: Methods & In Vivo Applications."
  
  

Career:

• Postdoctoral Researcher: Richard worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Maastricht University Medical Center and TU/e from 2010 to 2011. During this period, he was awarded the NWO-TTW VENI grant in 2011.
• Assistant Professor: In 2012, he became an assistant professor at TU/e, working within the Cardiovascular Biomechanics research group. In 2014, he founded the PULS/e lab, focusing on ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging technologies.
• Associate Professor: In January 2017, Richard was appointed associate professor and received an ERC starting grant later that year. During this period, he secured several EU-funded grants (ERC, FP7, H2020) and national grants (VIDI).
• Groupleader: In 2021 Richard’s leadership was formalized by appointing him as group leader of the (now) PULS/e group. This new research group had exponentially grown in the last years. Most notably, two staff members, dr. Min Wu and dr. Hans-Martin Schwab were recruited to strengthen and broaden the profile of the group
• Full Professor: In 2024, Richard was promoted to full professor, leading the PULS/e group together with Schwab and Wu.
  
  

Research and Supervision:

• His research focuses on advanced ultrasound acquisition techniques, photoacoustic imaging, and ultrasound-based biomechanical modeling for improved clinical decision-making. Clinical applications include vascular disease, cardiology, musculoskeletal and orthopaedics, and obstetrics.
• Richard has graduated over 80 MSc students and 28 PhD students. He is currently supervising 18 PhD students, 2 post-docs, and 7 MSc students.

Publications:

• Richard has authored and co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles. His work has been published in leading journals such as Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology, IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control, Journal of Biomechanics, and Scientific Reports.
  
  Some notable publications include:

• "In vivo bistatic dual-aperture ultrasound imaging and elastography of the abdominal aorta" by Van Hal et al. in Frontiers in Physiology (2024), which explores advanced imaging techniques for assessing abdominal aortic aneurysms
• "Multiperspective Ultrasound Strain Imaging of the Abdominal Aorta" by De Hoop et al. in IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging (2020), focusing on improving motion tracking and strain estimation using multiperspective ultrasound imaging
• "Blind spectral unmixing for characterization of plaque composition based on multispectral photoacoustic imaging" by Cano et al. in Scientific Reports (2023), which discusses advanced methods for analyzing plaque composition using photoacoustic imaging
• "Spectroscopic photoacoustic imaging of osteoarthritis" by Wu et al., in Osteoarthritis & Cartilage (2021), which explores the use of photoacoustic imaging for assessing cartilage damage in osteoarthritis
• "Quantification of aortic stiffness and wall stress in healthy volunteers and abdominal aortic aneurysm patients using time-resolved 3D ultrasound: a comparison study" by Van Disseldorp et al. in European Heart Journal - Cardiovascular Imaging (2019), which evaluates aortic stiffness and wall stress for better AAA risk assessment.
• "Performance assessment of 2D speckle tracking echocardiography" by Lopata et al., which provides a comprehensive evaluation of 2D speckle tracking techniques for cardiac function assessment
  
  

Achievements:

• Richard has received numerous awards and distinctions, including an ERC starting grant, a VENI & VIDI (NWO-TTW), and the BME Teacher Award in 2014, 2017, 2020, 2024.
• He has been involved in various national and international research projects, contributing significantly to the fields of ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging.

I want to bridge the gap between innovative research and clinical application. By advancing ultrasonics, photoacoustics, and personalized modeling, we aim to bring these cutting-edge technologies from concept to clinical practice, ultimately improving patient care and outcomes.