Biography

Arjun Yodh received his B.Sc. degree from Cornell, and his Ph.D. degree from Harvard in Atomic Physics under the guidance of Tom Mossberg. He carried out postdoctoral research at AT&T Bell Laboratories, working with Steven Chu and Harry Tom. Yodh joined the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Pennsylvania as an Assistant Professor in 1988. Today, he is the James M. Skinner Professor of Science at Penn. He has taken on various leadership roles during this time. Notably, he was Director of Penn’s Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter (LRSM) and its NSF-funded Materials Science and Engineering Research Center (MRSEC) for 11 years from 2009-2020. Currently, he is the Chair of Penn’s Department of Physics and Astronomy. Yodh’s research is multi-faceted. He is a pioneer in the field of biomedical optics. He was recently recognized by the Optical Society in 2021 with the Feld Prize in Biophotonics for his contributions to the development of the theoretical framework and clinical translation of diffuse optical spectroscopy and tomography technologies. He and his group were among the first to predict and experimentally demonstrate wave-like propagation properties of diffuse photon density waves, and to develop the image reconstruction algorithms needed to generate 3D tomographic images based on diffuse optical and diffuse correlation measurements. His more recent work includes demonstrating and clinically translating light diffusion concepts for noninvasive imaging and monitoring of tissue blood flow, hemodynamics, metabolic responses, and therapeutics in cancer and brain. Finally, Yodh is a dedicated mentor, advising and having advised more than 100 Ph.D. students and postdoctoral associates, and playing an influential role in several educational outreach programs that promote STEM activities at all levels. Director, Laboratory for Research on Structure of Matter (LRSM) and NSFMRSEC (2009-2020), James M. Skinner Professor of Science, University of Pennsylvania (2000-present), Professor of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania (1997 – present), Associate Professor of Physics, University of Pennsylvania (1993-97), Assistant Professor of Physics, University of Pennsylvania (1988-93), Postdoctoral Research Associate with Harry W. K. Tom, AT&T Bell Labs (1987-88), Postdoctoral Research Associate with Steven Chu, AT&T Bell Labs (1986-87).