Howard Gifford

Howard Gifford is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Houston, part of the Cullen College of Engineering. His research focuses on biomedical image formation and system design, particularly in medical imaging technologies such as PET/SPECT and X-ray imaging. He explores how humans extract information from images, emphasizing the optimization of imaging systems for decision-making in clinical settings.

Dr. Gifford holds a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from the University of Arizona (1997) and a Bachelor’s in Applied Physics from Harvey Mudd College. Before joining UH in 2012, he was an Associate Professor of Radiology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. His professional affiliations include SPIE and the Medical Imaging Perception Society.

His research interests include task-based technology assessment, visual perception variability, and reconstruction algorithms for PET/SPECT. Key areas of application involve optimizing tomographic gamma-ray imaging and x-ray imaging for breast cancer detection. Recent work emphasizes model observers for medical image quality assessment and adaptive feature selection strategies.

Dr. Gifford’s publications span model observer development, image reconstruction techniques, and optimization of imaging parameters. He currently offers postdoctoral research opportunities in medical imaging science.