Miguel A. Pleitez

Prof. Miguel A. Pleitez is an Assistant Professor of Translational Optoacoustics at Technische Universität München and Group Leader at the Bioengineering Center IBMI. He specializes in developing mid-infrared optoacoustic technologies for non-invasive metabolic monitoring, including blood glucose sensing and live-cell imaging. His research bridges fundamental biophysics with clinical translation, notably contributing to DiaMonTech AG and co-developing the MiROM (Mid-infrared Optoacoustic Microscopy) platform.

Education: PhD in Biophysics from Goethe-University Frankfurt (DAAD-funded), followed by postdoctoral work at Washington University in St. Louis. His academic career includes roles at TU-Munich/Helmholtz Munich since 2016.

Research focuses on optothermal microscopy, label-free metabolic analysis, and fast histological assessment. Recent work highlights include non-invasive blood glucose measurement via time-gated mid-IR signals (Nature Metabolism 2024) and phase-shifting optothermal microscopy for live-cell studies (Science Advances 2024). These advancements target diabetes management and cellular metabolic diagnostics.

His lab’s technologies aim for clinical translation in metabolic disorders and non-invasive diagnostics. Future work emphasizes scaling optoacoustic systems for broader biomedical applications.