Mark Anastasio

Mark Anastasio is the Donald Biggar Willett Professor in Engineering and Head of the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). He holds affiliate faculty positions in the Department of Computer Science, Beckman Institute, Carle-Illinois College of Medicine, and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. His research focuses on bioimaging at multi-scales, biophotonics, and medical imaging technologies. He earned his Ph.D. in Medical Physics from the University of Chicago in 2001.

Dr. Anastasio’s work spans image reconstruction, signal processing, and machine learning applications in biomedical optics. He leads the Anastasio Lab, pioneering advancements in photoacoustic tomography, quantitative phase imaging, and AI-driven medical imaging tools. Notable contributions include AI models for embryo health assessment and breast cancer imaging innovations. He is a Fellow of IAMBE and IEEE.

Professionally, he serves on committees such as the Big Ten Chairs, BMES Council of Chairs, and Carle-Illinois AI Working Group. His service includes leadership roles in academic governance and imaging technology development. Key achievements include a $1.7M NIH grant for computational tool development and leadership in virtual imaging trials using stochastic digital human phantoms.