Lab Members

Richard Bouchard received his B.S. degree in biomedical and electrical engineering and cultural anthropology from Duke University in 2004 and received his Ph.D. degree in Biomedical Engineering from Duke University in 2010. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Ultrasound Imaging and Therapeutics Research Laboratory at the University of Texas at Austin in 2012.  Dr. Bouchard is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Imaging Physics at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center where he directs the Photoacoustic Imaging Research Lab and serves as Core Leader for ultrasound imaging in MD Anderson’s Small Animal Imaging Core Facility. His research interests include preclinical and clinical photoacoustic-ultrasonic imaging and ultrasound-based elasticity imaging.  

Cayla Zandbergen received her B.S. degree in Engineering Physics in 2014 and her M.S. degree in Applied Physics in 2015, both from Colorado School of Mines. She received her Ph.D. in Medical Physics in 2021 from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Wood is currently a Medical Physics Fellow in the Department of Imaging Physics at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center where she is completing a residency in Imaging Physics and continuing her research in the Photoacoustic Imaging Research Lab. Her research interests include preclinical and clinical photoacoustic-ultrasonic imaging for diagnostics and therapy guidance.

Claire Jones received her B.S. in Animal Sciences and Technologies in 2015 from Louisiana State University. She received her M.S. degree in 2018 and her Ph.D. in 2021, both in Molecular Science and Nanotechnologies from the department of Applied and Natural Sciences at Louisiana Tech University. Dr. Jones completed postdoctoral training in nanoparticle delivery of therapeutics in a preclinical model of traumatic brain injury at Clemson University in 2023. She is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow in the department of Imaging Physics at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center where she is sponsored by a T32 NIH Cancer Nanotechnology Postdoctoral Training Fellowship. Her research interests include the study of preclinical photoacoustic-ultrasonic imaging for diagnostics and therapy, molecular imaging, cancer biology and neuroscience.

Charles Dyall received his B.S. degree in Physics with a concentration in Computational Physics from Rice University in 2023. He is currently working as a research assistant at MD Anderson Cancer Center within the Photoacoustic Imaging Research Lab. His research interests include the applications of optical, acoustic and quantum systems in developing and improving imaging modalities, applying these systems in innovative ways for treatment delivery, and computational methods to improve image processing. Charles plans to pursue a Ph.D. in the near future and build a career in research.

Krithik Vishwanath is an undergrad pursuing degrees in Computational Engineering, Mathematics and Chemistry from The University of Texas at Austin. Krithik currently works as a research assistant with Dr. Bouchard in the Photoacoustic Imaging Research Lab at MD Anderson Cancer Center. He hopes to attend an M.D./Ph.D. program after graduation and work as a physician-scientist. His research focuses on computational, precision and imaging technology for applications in cardiology and cancer.

Sai Ranganath Mikkilineni received his B.Tech. in Computer Science and Engineering from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University-Kakinada, India, in 2015. He received his M.S. and Ph.D. in Computer Science degrees from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2017 and 2023, respectively. Dr. Mikkilineni is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Photoacoustic Imaging research lab. His research interests include photoacoustic imaging, artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Paula Aguilera Rodriguez received her B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Texas A&M University in 2023. She is currently working as a research assistant with Dr. Richard Bouchard in the Photoacoustic Imaging Research Lab at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Her research interests include the development of innovative ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging systems for early cancer detection, diagnostics, and therapeutic applications. She is also dedicated to advancing post-processing techniques for acquired imaging data, aiming to improve both the accuracy and clinical relevance of these technologies.

Diana Barr received her B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering with a concentration in Biochemical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2023. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Imaging Physics and Bioengineering at MD Anderson Cancer Center within the Photoacoustic Imaging Research Lab and Rice University within the Lu Lab. She is sponsored by a T32 NIH Cancer Nanotechnology predoctoral training fellowship. Her research interests focus on photoacoustic-ultrasonic Imaging, nanotechnology and protein engineering, with applications in therapeutics and diagnostics.