Francisco Robles, PhD

Research Program

Discovery and Developmental Therapeutics
Phone Number

404-385-2989
Email Address

francisco.e.robles@emory.edu

Biography

Francisco Robles, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech School of Engineering and Emory University School of Medicine.

Dr. Robles is a member of the Discovery and Developmental Therapeutics Research Program at Winship Cancer Institute.

Education

Dr. Robles received his PhD in Medical Physics from Duke University, where he also completed his postdoctoral training.

Titles & Roles

Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering

Georgia Tech School of Engineering and Emory University School of Medicine

Research

Dr. Robles leads the Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy Lab, which seeks to continue advancing optical technologies to help improve our understanding of biological processes and our ability to identify disease. Specifically, the team focuses on developing and applying label-free linear and nonlinear imaging and spectroscopic methods, along with advanced signal processing/computational methods. Through this work, the Robles group pursues novel forms of structural, functional and molecular contrast for a variety of applications, including cancer detection, tumor margin assessment, hematology and neuron functional imaging.

Publications

Title/Journal	Authors	Publication Date
Rapid, Point-of-Care Bone Marrow Aspirate Adequacy Assessment Via Deep Ultraviolet Microscopy. Laboratory investigation; a journal of technical methods and pathology	V Gorti, AR Subramanian, A Ojaghi, J Nsonwu-Farley, R Tran, EK Williams, O Torres, A Aljudi, W Aumann, FE Robles	05/01/2025
Acetic acid enabled nuclear contrast enhancement in epi-mode quantitative phase imaging. Journal of biomedical optics	Z Guang, A Jacobs, PC Costa, Z Li, FE Robles	02/01/2025
Quantifying UV-induced photodamage for longitudinal live-cell imaging applications of deep-UV microscopy. Biomedical optics express	V Gorti, K McCubbins, D Houston, AD Silva Trenkle, A Holberton, CE Serafini, L Wood, G Kwong, FE Robles	01/01/2025
Non-invasive label-free imaging analysis pipeline for in situ characterization of 3D brain organoids. Scientific reports	CE Serafini, S Charles, P Casteleiro Costa, W Niu, B Cheng, Z Wen, H Lu, FE Robles	09/27/2024
GAN-based quantitative oblique back-illumination microscopy enables computationally efficient epi-mode refractive index tomography. Biomedical optics express	Z Li, P Casteleiro Costa, Z Guang, C Filan, FE Robles	08/01/2024
Non-Invasive Label-free Analysis Pipeline for In Situ Characterization of Differentiation in 3D Brain Organoid Models. Research square	C Filan, S Charles, P Casteleiro Costa, W Niu, BF Cheng, Z Wen, H Lu, FE Robles	04/01/2024
Label-free functional analysis of root-associated microbes with dynamic quantitative oblique back-illumination microscopy. Scientific reports	CE Serafini, M Green, A Diering, MT Cicerone, LS Cheung, JE Kostka, FE Robles	03/09/2024
Label- and slide-free tissue histology using 3D epi-mode quantitative phase imaging and virtual hematoxylin and eosin staining. Optica	TM Abraham, P Casteleiro Costa, C Filan, Z Guang, Z Zhang, S Neill, JJ Olson, R Levenson, FE Robles	12/20/2023
Real-time semantic segmentation and anomaly detection of functional images for cell therapy manufacturing. Cytotherapy	RQ Chen, B Joffe, P Casteleiro Costa, C Filan, B Wang, S Balakirsky, F Robles, K Roy, J Li	12/01/2023
Label-Free Functional Analysis of Root-Associated Microbes with Dynamic Quantitative Oblique Back-illumination Microscopy. Research square	C Filan, M Green, A Diering, MT Cicerone, LS Cheung, JE Kostka, FE Robles	11/02/2023
Analysis of structural effects of sickle cell disease on brain vasculature of mice using three-dimensional quantitative phase imaging. Journal of biomedical optics	C Filan, H Song, MO Platt, FE Robles	09/01/2023
Label- and slide-free tissue histology using 3D epi-mode quantitative phase imaging and virtual H&E staining. ArXiv	TM Abraham, PC Costa, C Filan, Z Guang, Z Zhang, S Neill, JJ Olson, R Levenson, FE Robles	06/01/2023
Partially coherent broadband 3D optical transfer functions with arbitrary temporal and angular power spectra. APL photonics	P Ledwig, FE Robles	04/01/2023
Compact and low-cost deep-ultraviolet microscope system for label-free molecular imaging and point-of-care hematological analysis. Biomedical optics express	V Gorti, N Kaza, EK Williams, WA Lam, FE Robles	03/01/2023
Label-free deep-UV microscopy detection and grading of neutropenia using a passive microfluidic device. Optics letters	A Ojaghi, E Kendall Williams, N Kaza, V Gorti, H Choi, J Torey, T Wiley, B Turner, S Jackson, S Park, WA Lam, FE Robles	11/15/2022
Prostate cancer histopathology using label-free multispectral deep-UV microscopy quantifies phenotypes of tumor aggressiveness and enables multiple diagnostic virtual stains. Scientific reports	S Soltani, A Ojaghi, H Qiao, N Kaza, X Li, Q Dai, AO Osunkoya, FE Robles	06/04/2022
Functional imaging with dynamic quantitative oblique back-illumination microscopy. Journal of biomedical optics	P Casteleiro Costa, B Wang, C Filan, A Bowles-Welch, C Yeago, K Roy, FE Robles	06/01/2022
Optimization of a flexible fiber-optic probe for epi-mode quantitative phase imaging. Optics express	Z Guang, P Ledwig, PC Costa, C Filan, FE Robles	05/23/2022
Deep UV Microscopy Identifies Prostatic Basal Cells: An Important Biomarker for Prostate Cancer Diagnostics. BME frontiers	S Soltani, B Cheng, AO Osunkoya, FE Robles	01/01/2022
Virtual Staining, Segmentation, and Classification of Blood Smears for Label-Free Hematology Analysis. BME frontiers	N Kaza, A Ojaghi, FE Robles	01/01/2022
Label-free automated neutropenia detection and grading using deep-ultraviolet microscopy. Biomedical optics express	A Ojaghi, P Casteleiro Costa, C Caruso, WA Lam, FE Robles	10/01/2021
Hemoglobin quantification in red blood cells via dry mass mapping based on UV absorption. Journal of biomedical optics	N Kaza, A Ojaghi, F Robles	08/01/2021
Label-free detection of brain tumors in a 9L gliosarcoma rat model using stimulated Raman scattering-spectroscopic optical coherence tomography. Journal of biomedical optics	S Soltani, Z Guang, Z Zhang, J Olson, F Robles	07/01/2021
Towards in-vivo label-free detection of brain tumor margins with epi-illumination tomographic quantitative phase imaging. Biomedical optics express	PC Costa, Z Guang, P Ledwig, Z Zhang, S Neill, JJ Olson, FE Robles	03/01/2021
Quantitative 3D refractive index tomography of opaque samples in epi-mode. Optica	P Ledwig, FE Robles	01/20/2021
Label-free hematology analysis using deep-ultraviolet microscopy. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America	A Ojaghi, G Carrazana, C Caruso, A Abbas, DR Myers, WA Lam, FE Robles	06/30/2020
Ultraviolet hyperspectral microscopy using chromatic-aberration-based iterative phase recovery. Optics letters	N Kaza, A Ojaghi, FE Robles	05/15/2020
Noninvasive white blood cell quantification in umbilical cord blood collection bags with quantitative oblique back-illumination microscopy. Transfusion	P Casteleiro Costa, P Ledwig, A Bergquist, J Kurtzberg, FE Robles	03/01/2020
Epi-mode tomographic quantitative phase imaging in thick scattering samples. Biomedical optics express	P Ledwig, FE Robles	07/01/2019
Analysis of Melanin Structure and Biochemical Composition in Conjunctival Melanocytic Lesions Using Pump-Probe Microscopy. Translational vision science & technology	FE Robles, S Deb, L Vajzovic, GK Vora, P Mruthyunjaya, WS Warren	05/01/2019
Deep UV dispersion and absorption spectroscopy of biomolecules. Biomedical optics express	S Soltani, A Ojaghi, FE Robles	02/01/2019
Coherently broadened, high-repetition-rate laser for stimulated Raman scattering-spectroscopic optical coherence tomography. Optics letters	FE Robles, H Linnenbank, F Mörz, P Ledwig, T Steinle, H Giessen	01/15/2019
Ultraviolet Hyperspectral Interferometric Microscopy. Scientific reports	A Ojaghi, ME Fay, WA Lam, FE Robles	07/02/2018
Dual-wavelength oblique back-illumination microscopy for the non-invasive imaging and quantification of blood in collection and storage bags. Biomedical optics express	P Ledwig, M Sghayyer, J Kurtzberg, FE Robles	06/01/2018
Comparison of pump-probe and hyperspectral imaging in unstained histology sections of pigmented lesions. Biomedical optics express	JW Wilson, FE Robles, S Deb, WS Warren, MC Fischer	08/01/2017
Label-Free Imaging of Female Genital Tract Melanocytic Lesions With Pump-Probe Microscopy: A Promising Diagnostic Tool. Journal of lower genital tract disease	FE Robles, S Deb, MC Fischer, WS Warren, MA Selim	04/01/2017

Awards

Dr. Robles received the Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Awards at the Scientific Interface and the National Science Foundation CAREER Award.