Research
The Laser-Assisted Medical Physics and Engineering (LAMPE) Lab is among a select few medical physics optics laboratories in Canada. We develop advanced Raman Spectroscopy (RS) and multimodal NonLinear Optical (NLO) imaging microscopy platforms, including stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy, along with innovative measurement and analytical methods for radiation medicine.
We bring expertise in optical instrumentation, quantitative imaging and analytical methods to interdisciplinary collaborations spanning physics, radiation biology, dosimetry, data science and engineering.
Our partnerships span Carleton, federal research labs (Health Canada, National Research Council), clinical partners (the Ottawa Hospital, CHUM), and international institutions (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA). We also collaborate with industry partners including Light Machinery Inc. and Conexus Nuclear Inc. to support translation to practical applications.
Our approach uses near-infrared laser light to probe molecular bond vibrations through Raman spectroscopy (RS) and nonlinear optical interactions through NLO microscopy. Together, these techniques provide detailed biochemical, metabolic, and structural information from cells and tissues in real time, without requiring external contrast agents (label-free imaging). When combined with machine learning, they enable us to identify, quantify, and differentiate cellular and tissue responses to various sources of oxidative stress, including ionizing radiation [Gagnon JR, et al., Sci Reps. 2026], [Ghasemi M, et al., Submitted 2026], cancer-associated processes [Gagnon JR, et al., Sci Reps. 2025], and nanoparticle exposure [Buragina T, et al., Submitted 2026] .
Current Projects
Characterize cellular response to ionizing radiation using Multimodal Nonlinear Optical (NLO) microscopy
Radiation-induced oxidative stress can alter cellular metabolism, yet conventional approaches for assessing radiobiological responses often rely on population-averaged measurements that obscure cell-to-cell variability and spatial heterogeneity, and often fail to capture concurrent changes in key cellular macromolecules.
We pioneered the application of multimodal NLO microscopy to quantify single-cell responses to high-dose (2 Gy or higher) irradiation at multiple post-exposure time points. Our custom NLO microscopy platform integrates three NLO techniques, Stimulated Raman scattering (SRS), Two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) and Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) microscopy enabling complementary assessment of biochemical composition (e.g., lipids and proteins), mitochondrial metabolic activity, and collagen structure respectively.
By combining SRS and TPEF, we demonstrated simultaneous, label-free characterization of radiation-induced changes in cellular lipids, protein-associated signals, and mitochondrial redox metabolism [Gagnon JR, et al., Sci Reps. 2026]. Importantly, this approach revealed increased spatial co-localization of lipid droplets with mitochondria at 72 hours post-irradiation, suggesting coordinated organelle-level adaptation to radiation-induced stress.
In a new NSERC Alliance project, we are developing novel NLO-SRS microscopy techniques to identify biomarkers of low-dose ionizing radiation exposure. The goal is to characterize the response of human lung fibroblasts IMR90 cells exposed to either low-moderate dose range of X-rays (0.05, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2 Gy) or low mean absorbed doses of alpha particles (0.1 Gy of Am-241 α-particles). Stay tuned!
Characterize tissue responses to ionizing radiation using multimodal NLO-SRS microscopy
Tissue-level radiation responses involve complex DNA repair, inflammatory, and immune processes not fully captured by cell models. Skin is a promising target for biodosimetry because radiation induces biochemical and structural changes in the epidermis, sebaceous gland (SG), dermal collagen, and hair follicles.
Multimodal NLO-SRS microscopy offers label-free characterization of radiation-induced tissue responses through complementary molecular and structural signatures. In this project, we are investigating the temporal progression of radiation-induced changes in mice skin tissue collected at Days 1, 6, and 14 from mice that were whole body irradiated (4 Gy; X-rays) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA.
Biodosimetry based on RS of biofluids to identify exposure to ionizing radiation.
Biodosimetry is a critical tool for assessing individual radiation exposure during radiological emergencies. Conventional methods are costly, laboratory-dependent, and time-consuming, motivating the need for rapid, accessible alternatives.
We pioneered Raman Spectroscopy (RS) combined with multivariate analysis to detect radiation-induced biochemical changes in human blood [Ciobanu C, et al., Radiation Research 2023]. We demonstrated that plasma-based RS reduces hemoglobin interference and improves discrimination between irradiated and control samples [Beausoleil-Morrison A, et al., J. Radiol. Prot. 2025].
Through NSERC Alliance funding, we are expanding our work to a 50-donor human plasma study for high-throughput biodosimetry.
Novel system for micron-scale dosimetry and radiobiological response analysis at low doses
The stochastic nature of ionizing radiation interactions produces spatially heterogeneous energy deposition at cellular and subcellular scales, potentially leading to substantial variability in biological responses. Hence a new experimental framework is needed for characterizing the spatial heterogeneity at micrometer scales in low-dose radiobiological responses.
We have demonstrated micron-scale optical readout of conventional dosimeters including radiochromic films (RCFs) at low doses using Raman Spectroscopy [McNairn C, et al., Med Phys 2025] and photostimulable storage phosphors based on Two photon-Optical Stimulated Fluorescence [Boukouris Z, Murugkar S and Xu T, Submitted 2026].
Collaborators
 | Health CanadaDr. Vinita Chauhan, Dr. Sami Qutob and Dr. Ruth Wilkins in the Consumer and Clinical Radiation Protection. | |
 | University of TorontoDr. Brian Wilson, Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto and the Princess Margaret Cancer Center, Toronto. | |
 | The Centre hospitalier de l’Université de MontréalDr. Frederic Leblond and Dr. Dominique Trudel, Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal |
Funding
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