We are a multidisciplinary research team. The central theme of all our studies focuses on improving personalized healthcare through molecular imaging methods and tools, namely MRI, PET, and photoacoustic imaging, that can noninvasively diagnose diseases at early stages and assess early response to therapeutic regimens, and improve surgical outcomes through image-guidance. We discover, develop, and translate molecular imaging biomarkers through an interplay of chemistry, molecular biology, and molecular imaging. Our molecular imaging agents and methods aim to quantify changes in physiological biomarkers of the tumor microenvironment, such as pH, hypoxia, and enzyme activity, as well as tumor-specific cell surface receptors. We use preclinical rodent models to validate and translate our imaging probes and methods within an in vivo setting, with the ultimate goal of clinical translation.