Revolutionizing Imaging with AI: Welcoming Kevin C. Zhou to U-M BME
One of Dr. Zhou’s bold initiatives involves reimagining imaging systems from scratch.
U-M BME is excited to welcome the department’s newest faculty member, Kevin C. Zhou, Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering and EECS – Electrical and Computer Engineering (affiliate faculty), whose ultimate goal is to help spark a revolution in high-throughput optical imaging systems by integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into imaging instrumentation development.
As Dr. Zhou settles into his new role, his vision is clear: To develop imaging systems that break conventional boundaries, by offering high resolution, large fields of view, high speed, and 3D capabilities in a single platform. These are attributes that traditional microscopes–even the most advanced ones–find challenging to achieve simultaneously.
One of Dr. Zhou’s bold initiatives involves reimagining imaging systems from scratch. “Overcoming the throughput limitations of conventional imaging systems requires a complete overhaul of the design,” he explained. “What I envision is something fundamentally different from what we currently consider as a microscope.”
Dr. Zhou believes that the solution will involve computational imaging, whereby the computer software and imaging hardware work together to form the desired image. “Both the optical imaging instrumentation and the algorithms need to be scaled up–advances in neither alone will be enough to achieve our goals in high-throughput imaging.”
Dr. Zhou joins the U-M BME Department from UC Berkeley, where he was a Schmidt Science Fellow and postdoctoral scholar in Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences. Prior to that, he completed his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering at Duke University, where he was supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, and earned his B.S. in Biomedical Engineering at Yale University, supported by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship.
His focus on computational imaging integrates optics and computation, creating systems that are greater than the sum of their parts. Within this realm, machine learning and AI are not just add-ons—they are integral in the development process. AI’s role, Dr. Zhou explained, spans image reconstruction, visualization, and downstream image analysis, pushing the capabilities of current imaging systems to new heights. “Our high-throughput imaging systems will be able to generate hundreds of gigabytes to terabytes of data in a matter of seconds, creating exciting challenges and opportunities for AI.”
Dr. Zhou is exploring collaborative opportunities within the U-M ecosystem. While keeping his application focus broad, he is particularly drawn to neuroscience and behavioral imaging and is working with faculty member Anne Draelos, Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering and Computational Medicine & Bioinformatics, on a potential collaboration. “We’re excited to develop new high-speed, wide-field imaging systems that can capture neural activity of even multiple freely behaving zebrafish,” Dr. Zhou said.
Dr. Zhou acknowledges that while his aspirations for imaging systems involve substantial short-term advancements, achieving his long-term goals will depend on collaboration with Michigan’s brightest minds, both students and faculty.
He is eager to explore other collaboration opportunities. “There’s a lot of exciting organoid research going on at U-M. I think organoids are an ideal target for the types of imaging systems I envision constructing and would love to explore collaborations,” he said. “Additionally, I’m interested in developing imaging technology for real-time 3D surgical guidance. U-M BME offers synergies with the Medical School, as well as other broad interdisciplinary opportunities through various collaborative institutes, making such innovative projects feasible.”