Karissa Tilbury

Karissa Tilbury is an Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering at the University of Maine. She leads the Tilbury Biophotonics Group, focusing on advanced optical imaging techniques to study biological systems, particularly in the context of disease pathology and tissue engineering.

Her research interests include:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cancer and Extracellular Matrix Remodeling
• Cellular Metabolism
• Non-linear Microscopy, especially Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) and Multiphoton Microscopy
• Spatial Frequency Domain Imaging
• STEM Education

The recent publications highlight a consistent focus on SHG microscopy for label-free, high-resolution imaging of collagen in various diseases, especially cancer and fibrosis. Her work spans pancreatic, ovarian, and breast cancers, pulmonary fibrosis, adipose tissue, and cartilage, demonstrating a multiscale approach from molecular to tissue-level analysis. The integration of polarization, 3D texture analysis, and open-source instrumentation (e.g., OpenSFDI) reflects a strong emphasis on methodological innovation and accessibility.

Scientific contributions and collaborations are evident through publications in high-impact journals such as Frontiers in Oncology, eLife, Journal of Biomedical Optics, and Scientific Reports.

She advises students through her research lab and has been involved in numerous collaborative grants and projects, particularly in developing imaging platforms for cancer and tissue analysis. While specific grants are not listed, her work involves instrumentation development, computational image analysis, and translational applications.

Karissa leads the Tilbury Biophotonics Group, which develops and applies cutting-edge optical tools to understand biological interactions at spatio-temporal scales relevant to disease progression and therapeutic response.