Adam de la Zerda

Adam de la Zerda is an Associate Professor at Stanford University's Department of Structural Biology (School of Medicine) and Electrical Engineering (by courtesy). He develops advanced optical molecular imaging technologies combining nanoparticle contrast agents and adaptive OCT systems for cancer and ophthalmic disease research.

• Technion-Israel Institute of Technology (BSc, 2005)
• Stanford University (PhD, 2011)
• UC Berkeley (Postdoctoral Fellowship)

Research Themes:

• Virtual biopsy using machine learning-enhanced OCT
• Gold nanorod-based molecular contrast agents
• Speckle noise reduction for cellular resolution
• Needle beam optical coherence tomography angiography

His 15 most recent publications demonstrate technical innovations in:

• Metasurface optics for extended depth-of-field
• Spectral deconvolution of multiple contrast agents
• Speckle modulation for improved diagnostic clarity
• Noninvasive lymphatic system mapping

Scientific Honors:

• Pew-Stewart Scholar for Cancer Research
• AFOSR Young Investigator
• NIH Early Independence Award
• Forbes 30 Under 30 (x2)
• Chan Zuckerberg BioHub Investigator

His lab team has developed clinical prototypes including OcuBell Inc.'s ophthalmic imaging systems and Visby Medical's diagnostic platforms. Current research spans from in vivo glycoprotein imaging to de novo biosensor development for real-time disease monitoring in awake animal models.