Staff

John Jiang
Lab Manager

EDUCATION
Northeast Forestry University (China, 1982), Biological Science, BS

BIOGRAPHY
John has worked at Boston University’ department of biomedical engineering for 20 years. He is an experienced animal surgeon and had helped plan and execution of many animal research projects which involved pig and rodent micro/macro surgery. Before joining the Neurophotonics Center, he was a research scientist and lab manager at professor Ed. Damiano’s lab where he played a major role in carrying out the preclinical studies for the development of an artificial pancreas. Currently John is helping manage the Boas’s lab and surgically preparing the mouse models for neurovascular imaging study of the brain and the development of microscopic imaging techniques.

Parya Farzam
Research Fellow

parya@bu.edu

EDUCATION
Azad University (Iran), Software Engineering, BS

BIOGRAPHY
Parya is a research fellow at the Neurophotonics Center. She uses functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to perform cognitive neuroscience study and mainly focuses on the brain function of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Prior to joining BU, she was a visiting student at the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital. She has a bachelor’s in Software Engineering. She has hands-on experience with fNIRS in the research field of cognitive neuroscience, and also using DCS on patients with Stroke.

PUBLICATIONS
Google Scholor of publications

Jack Giblin

Jack Giblin, Ph.D.
NPC Research fellow

jgiblin@bu.edu

EDUCATION
Georgia Institute of Technology, Biomedical Engineering,BS

BIOGRAPHY
Jack Giblin is a PhD candidate in Biomedical Engineering. He received his BS in Biomedical Engineering from Georgia Tech in May 2017 with a minor in computer science. In undergraduate, he worked with Dr. Hang Lu studying spatial and temporal encoding of mechanosensation in C.elegans. Jack will be utilizing the optical imaging tools developed in the lab to study neurovascular changes and cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s Disease. MS

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Alzheimer’s, aging, neurovascular coupling, SFDI.

profile_pic_sreekanth_kura Sreekanth Kura
Research Fellow

skura@bu.edu

EDUCATION
University of Louisville, Electrical engineering, MS

BIOGRAPHY
Sreekanth completed his master’s degree in Electrical engineering at University of Louisville. He is now a research fellow working on image analysis algorithms and software for bio optical imaging.

PUBLICATIONS
Google Scholar list of publications

Bernhard Zimmermann, Ph.D.
Senior Research Scientist

bzim@bu.edu

EDUCATION
Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH Zurich), Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, MSc
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, PhD (2017)

BIOGRAPHY
Bernhard Zimmermann is a Senior Scientist at the Boston University Neurophotonics Center. He received his MSc from ETH Zurich in electrical engineering and his PhD from MIT in electrical engineering and computer science. His main research interests are the development of novel instrumentation for diffuse optical techniques such as functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS).

RESEARCH INTERESTS
NIRS, fNIRS, DCS, TD-DCS

PUBLICATIONS
Google Scholar list of publications

Aishwarya Veerkumar
Graduate Research Assistant

aishveer@bu.edu

EDUCATION
B.Tech Biomedical Engineering, VIT University, India
MBA, Amity University, Dubai
Masters in Public Health, BU

BIOGRAPHY

Aishwarya Veerkumar is a Graduate Research Assistant at the Bio Optical & Acoustic Spectroscopy (BOAS) Lab, specializing in lab management, regulatory compliance, and Institutional Review Board (IRB) processes. With a background in biomedical engineering and an MBA, she is currently pursuing an MPH in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, combining technical expertise with regulatory and administrative leadership.

In lab management, she oversees ordering supplies, maintaining inventory, and coordinating audits to ensure operational efficiency and compliance. Additionally, they facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing by organizing lab meetings, seminars, and conferences, helping to disseminate research findings and strengthen internal and external partnerships.

Through their multidisciplinary expertise, Aishwarya contributes to the BOAS Lab’s research and operational success, fostering a compliant, efficient, and collaborative research environment.

Emily Long
Graduate Research Assistant

elong@bu.edu

EDUCATION
Boston University, Neuroscience, BA

BIOGRAPHY

Emily is a research assistant in the BOAS lab. Motivated by her passion for medicine and stroke research, she joined the lab during her sophomore year at Boston University. After earning her BA in Neuroscience through early graduation, she continues in the lab during her gap year before medical school, leading projects on tissue dynamics and recovery following ischemic stroke.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Ischemic stroke, tissue dynamics, optical imaging, laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI), optical coherence tomography (OCT)

Eric Hazen

Senior Research Engineer

hazen@bu.edu

EDUCATION
Boston University, Neuroscience, BA

BIOGRAPHY

Eric is a Senior Research Engineer in the Boston University College of Engineering; he has worked at Boston University for almost 40 years. He develops custom instrumentation for the BOAS and BOTLAB groups as well as mentoring students in the Senior Capstone program. Previously, he was the Director of the Electronics Design Facility where he developed many large instrumentation systems for many researchers in various scientific disciplines, notably for the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. He is skilled in analog and digital circuit design, PCB layout, embedded software and programmable logic.

Pier Bressan

Graduate Research Assistant

pbressan@bu.edu

EDUCATION

Boston University, Neuroscience & Psychology, BA

BIOGRAPHY

Pier Bressan is a research assistant in the BOAS Lab, where he studies ischemic stroke physiology and recovery. A member of the lab since his sophomore year, he earned his BA in Neuroscience & Psychology with a minor in Physics from Boston University in May 2025. After completing his Honors Thesis in Neuroscience, Pier is now leading a project exploring a novel therapeutic approach to ischemic stroke, while preparing for a future career in medicine.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Ischemic stroke, optical imaging, vascular oscillations, LSCI, IOSI