Jason M. Zara

Jason M. Zara

Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies and Professor

Department: Biomedical Engineering

Contact:

Email: Jason M. Zara

Office Phone: (202) 994-2402

SEH 2885D | Office hours: T: 1:00 – 3:00 pm

Professor Jason Zara has worked for 18 years in the development of novel imaging instrumentation and software to approach the detection and evaluation of epithelial cancers, epilepsy, and other human diseases. In 2006, Professor Zara received the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation Early Career Translational Research Award for his work in microfabricated OCT scanners. He holds seven U.S. patents and previously founded two start-up companies, including a GW spin-off, Lumacoustic Systems, LLC.

Education

B.S., University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, 1996
Ph.D., Duke University, 2001

Publications

Mills P, Zara J, “3D Simulation of an Audible Ultrasonic Electrolarynx Using Difference Waves.” PLOS ONE, 9(11) e113339, 2014.
Li J, Liu X, Zhou J, Gullapalli RP, Zara JM, “An Automatic Rat Brain Extraction Based on a Deformable Surface Model.” Neuroscience Methods 218, 72-82, 2013.
Ejofodomi OA, Zderic V, Zara JM, “Development of novel imaging probe for optical/acoustic radiation imaging (OARI).” Medical Physics, 40(11), 1119190-1-111, 2013.
Oweis KJ, Berl MM, Duke E, Blackstone K, Loew MH, Gaillard WD, Zara JM, “The Forward Scanning-Contagious Voxel Algorithm: 3D Connected Components Algorithm.” Dirasat, Engineering Sciences, Volume 39, No. 1, 2013.
Ejofodomi OA, Zderic V, Zara JM, “Optical/Acoustic Radiation Imaging in Tissue-Mimicking Bladder Wall Phantoms.” Proceedings of the 2011 International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging, 524-527, 2011.
Li J, Liu X, Zhuo J, Gullapalli RP, Zara JM, “A Deformable Surface Model Based Automatic Rat Brain Extraction Method.” Proceedings of the 2011 International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging, 1741-1745, 2011.
Ejofodomi O, Zderic V, Zara JM, “Soft Tissue Phantoms for Acoustic, Optical, and Elasticity Imaging.” Medical Physics, 37 (4): 1440-1448, 2010.

Distinctions

GWU Engineer’s Council Biomedical Engineering Professor of the Year – 2014, 2015, 2016
Faculty Director of Undergraduate Recruiting - The George Washington University, School of Engineering and Applied Science (September 1, 2011-present)
Co-Founder - Lumacoustic Systems, LLC. Start up company investigating the use of acoustic radiation force in conjunction with OCT imaging to improve the detection of epithelial cancers. (June 2009-August 2011)
Co-Founder and Consultant - Memscept, Inc. (Dec. 2001-December 2005)
Member: SPIE, IEEE, OSA
Study Section Member – NIH Biomedical Imaging Technology Study Section, NSF FDA-SIR Review Panel, NSF Biophotonics Review Panel, NSF Major Research Instrumentation Review Panel

Recent Extramural Grant Support

Cyrus and Myrtle Katzen Foundation, “Concurrent Imaging and Treatment of Epithelial Cancers using Optical Coherence Tomography and Cold Plasmas: Imaging and Treatment of Excised Oral Cavity Tumors”, Role: Co-PI, Project Period 4/01/2014-3/31/2015. Total Funds: $50,000.
Cyrus and Myrtle Katzen Foundation, “Concurrent Imaging and Treatment of Epithelial Cancers using Optical Coherence Tomography and Cold Plasmas”, Role: PI, Project Period 3/15/2012-9/15/2013. Total Funds: $75,000.
Imalux Corporation, “Advanced Probes for Optical Coherence Tomography”, Role: PI, Project Period 2/1/10-12/31/10. Total Funds: $28,473.
Imalux Corporation, “Microfabricated Unimorphs for Optical Fiber Steering”, Role: PI, Project Period 11/1/08-4/30/09. Total Funds: $22,000.
Imalux Corporation, “Computer-Aided Diagnosis of OCT Images of the Urinary Bladder”, Role: PI, Project Period 9/1/08-8/31/12. Total Funds: $20,000.
Wallace H. Coulter Foundation Early Career Translational Research Award, “Microfabricated Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging Probes”, Role: PI, Project Period 8/1/06-3/31/09. Total Funds: $234,904.
Army Research Laboratory, “Integrated Fabrication of Piezoelectrically Actuated Polyimide Scanning Probes”, In Kind Support – Project Period: 4/1/06-5/30/09 -$200,000

Patents

U.S. Patent #8,400,697, "Scanner apparatus having electromagnetic radiation devices coupled to MEMS actuators". Smith SW, Gentry KL, Zara JM, Bobbio SM, Issued 3/19/13. Filed by Duke University.
U.S. Patent #8,184,351 "Amplified Bimorph Scanning Mirror, Optical System and Method of Scanning" Mills P, Patterson P, Zara JM, Smith SW. Issued 5/22/2012. Filed by The George Washington University.
U.S. Patent # 7,999,945 “Optical Coherence Tomography / Acoustic Radiation Force Imaging Probe”, Zara JM, Issued 8/16/11. Filed by The George Washington University.
U.S. Patent #7,706,039 “Scanner Apparatus Having Electromagnetic Radiation Devices Coupled to MEMS Actuators”, Smith SW, Gentry KL, Zara JM, Bobbio SM, Issued 4/27/10 . Filed by Duke University.
U.S. Patent # 7,573,627 “Amplified Bimorph Scanning Mirror”, Zara JM, Mills P, Patterson P, Smith SW, Issued 8/11/09. Filed by The George Washington University.
U.S. Patent # 7,420,724 “Scanner Apparatus Having Electromagnetic Radiation Devices Coupled to MEMS Actuators”, Smith SW, Gentry KL, Zara JM, Bobbio SM, Issued 9/2/08. Filed by Duke University.
U.S. Patent # 6,849,910 “Systems and Methods for Improving the Performance of Sensing Devices Using Oscillatory Devices”, Oberhardt BJ, Smith SW, Zara JM, Issued 2/1/05. Filed by Memscept, Inc.