Andrew Bower

Andrew Bower, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. A biomedical engineer and vision scientist, his work focuses on advancing optical imaging technologies for clinical applications in retinal disease diagnostics.

• B.S. in Optical Engineering and Physics, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (2012)
• M.S. and PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2014, 2019)
• Postdoctoral Fellow at the National Eye Institute (2025)

His research integrates adaptive optics, optical coherence tomography, and fluorescence lifetime imaging to achieve cellular-resolution visualization of retinal structures, particularly the retinal pigment epithelium. These tools aim to enable early detection and monitoring of degenerative retinal diseases.

Key publication trends show a focus on:

• Development of multimodal clinical imaging systems
• Label-free metabolic analysis for apoptosis detection
• Translational applications bridging engineering and ophthalmology

Scientific recognition includes:

• NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award

His lab emphasizes collaboration with clinical teams to refine next-generation imaging modalities for patient diagnostics, particularly in retinal disease progression assessment.