Location: Leikam Brewing - 5812 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97215
Date: Thursday, March 12, 2026, Time: 6 pm to 9 pm
Speaker: Professor Lei Wang, Oregon Health & Science University
Event Details:
Join us for our monthly lecture series at Leikam Brewing featuring Dr. Lei Wang, Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Oregon Health & Science University. This event includes a cocktail hour, catered dinner from a local Portland eatery, and lecture by Dr. Wang. All ages welcome and encouraged.
Lecture Title: The Chemistry Behind Improved Surgical Outcomes with Fluorescent Contrast Agents
Lecture Summary: Contrast agents for fluorescence-guided surgery traces its roots to nineteenth-century dye chemistry, when early synthetic colorants launched the dye industry and, ultimately, the development of fluorescent molecules used throughout biology and medicine today. In cancer surgery, however, a major gap remains between preoperative imaging and intraoperative reality. Surgeons still rely heavily on visual and tactile cues to identify tumor margins and avoid critical structures such as nerves. Positive margins can worsen outcomes and necessitate additional therapy, while iatrogenic nerve injury can lead to persistent numbness, pain, or functional deficits. Fluorescence-guided surgery offers real-time, high-contrast visualization, but clinically useful nerve imaging agents remain limited. Many reported fluorophores show high nonspecific uptake and emit at visible wavelengths, reducing performance in tissue. In this lecture, we will discuss examples from our laboratory showing how small-molecule fluorophore design, guided by medicinal chemistry and photophysical principles, can produce contrast agents with the properties suitable for clinical translation. The talk will close with a view of where the field is heading, including multi-channel imaging and next-generation probes for surgical guidance and early disease detection.
Speaker Bio: Dr. Lei Wang is a faculty member in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) with a joint appointment in the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute. With expertise in fluorescence chemistry and optical imaging, Dr. Wang leads an innovative research program aimed at developing novel fluorescent probes and imaging technologies to address clinical challenges. His research interests include near-infrared (NIR) contrast agents for real-time surgical navigation, smart molecular probes for cancer-targeted imaging, and NIR fluorophores for the early detection of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. Wang's research is supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health, Knight Cancer Institute, Brenden Colson Center for Pancreatic Care, and Collins Medical Trust. Motivated by transformative potential of chemistry-driven solutions in precision medicine, Dr. Wang and his team are devoted to bridging the gap between clinical needs and basic sciences through innovative imaging technologies.
Reserve your dinner using the form below before the event for $25/person ($15 for undergraduate students, high school teachers, unemployed members). $5 added for tickets purchased at the event.
