<a href="https://bme.fiu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/romella.jpg"><img class="alignleft wp-image-4991 size-medium" src="https://bme.fiu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/romella-199x300.jpg" alt="romella" width="199" height="300" /></a>In an article published in the journal <em>Biomedical Optics Express</em>,  Jessica Ramella-Roman, associate professor of biomedical engineering and ophthalmology, introduces an imaging system that could potentially re-shape how clinicians treat wound care patients. The system is a novel polarized multispectral imaging system combining out-of-plane Stokes Polarimetry and Spatial Frequency Domain Imaging. The imagining enables the researchers to assess the pathophysiology (hemoglobin, blood oxygenation, water, and melanin) and structural features (cellularity and roughness) of HTS.

Although much of Ramella-Roman’s research involves the development of novel and non-invasive technologies for the diagnosis of retinal disease, she also focuses on skin damage and recovery including skin burns, pressure wounds, and skin damage associated with spinal cord injury. Her article addresses hypertrophic scars (HTS), which are a pathologic reaction of the skin and soft tissue to burns or other traumatic injuries. Ramella-Roman writes that scar management strategies, specifically scar assessment techniques, are vital to improved clinical outcome.

The article, her fifth paper of the year and her 39<sup>th</sup> paper overall,  is titled, “A polarized multispectral imaging system for quantitative assessment of hypertrophic scars”. While serving as an associate professor at FIU, Ramella-Roman holds two patents to go along with her extensive publications. She also serves as chair of many national and international conferences, and has been guest editor in the <em>Biomedical Optics Express</em> journal.

More information on Ramella-Roman’s research can be found at web.eng.fiu.edu/jramella