Eighth SLEIGHT science event: present and future of photonic technologies for health & space

A high-level scientific program geared towards the health sector

This year’s ten guest speakers (see column on the right) gave high-level lectures, providing an opportunity for graduate students to discover new disciplines. They discussed the design of medical imaging devices for detecting tumors and cancers, assistive technologies to improve tissue imaging, deep learning approaches for cell tracking, laser-assisted biofabrication in tissue engineering, biosensor design, and new techniques and instruments available to diagnose skin cancer and treat corneal blindness.

A special day focusing on photonics in space

When it comes to space exploration, an astronaut’s health is of paramount importance. Four guest speakers talked about bone loss, how to measure it, how machine learning can improve medical imaging, and possible solutions to counteract this phenomenon. They also discussed the issue of radiation exposure during solar storms, and how it affects the human body, thus setting the stage for the next five speakers. The LUMINA team then presented their fiber-optic radiation dosimeter, which was sent to the International Space Station in 2021 and used by French ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet to measure radiation exposure during solar flares. They also discussed a range of other topics, including satellites, robotic explorers and optical sensors in space.


Find out more about the eighth SLEIGHT Science Event