Samuel Achilefu, Ph.D. Titles and Appointments Professor & Chair Endowed Title Lyda Hill Distinguished University Chair in Biomedical Engineering School Medical School Department Biomedical Engineering | Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center | Radiology Graduate Programs Biomedical Engineering Biography Dr. Samuel Achilefu is a professor and the inaugural chair of the Biomedical Engineering Department at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW) in Dallas, where he holds the Lyda Hill Distinguished University Chair. He also serves as a professor in the Department of Radiology and the Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center. Before joining UTSW in February 2022, Dr. Achilefu spent over two decades at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, where he was the Michel M. Ter-Pogossian Professor of Radiology and professor in the departments of Biomedical Engineering, Medicine, and Biochemistry & Biophysics. An international leader in optical and multimodal imaging as well as cancer treatment, Dr. Achilefu’s research spans image-guided cancer surgery, portable imaging devices, nanotechnology, and the development of novel contrast agents for biomedical applications. Through a multidisciplinary team of investigators, he has guided multiple research endeavors from concept to clinic, launching start-up companies to commercialize his innovative products. Dr. Achilefu is a highly productive researcher and prolific inventor with more than 300 published scientific articles and over 70 issued U.S. patents. His contributions to science and engineering have been recognized by his induction into the National Academies of Medicine, Engineering, and Inventors. He also serves on the SPIE Board of Directors and has been a member of the National Advisory Council for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. A recipient of more than 20 national and international honors and awards for research excellence and leadership, Dr. Achilefu was the first to receive the Distinguished Investigator Award from the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program. His honors also include the Britton Chance Biomedical Optics Award and the St. Louis Award, among others. Dr. Achilefu is an elected Fellow of numerous prestigious professional societies, including the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, SPIE, Optica (formerly OSA), the Royal Society of Chemistry, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Royal Society of Medicine. He is also a chartered scientist (UK). His enduring commitment to scientific innovation and translational research continues to shape the future of molecular imaging, biomedical engineering, and cancer treatment worldwide. Research Interest Molecular imaging, nanotechnology, devices, and therapeutic interventions Publications Featured Publications Differential chromatin accessibility and transcriptional dynamics define breast cancer subtypes and their lineages. Iglesia MD, Jayasinghe RG, Chen S, Terekhanova NV, Herndon JM, Storrs E, Karpova A, Zhou DC, Naser Al Deen N, Shinkle AT, Lu RJ, Caravan W, Houston A, Zhao Y, Sato K, Lal P, Street C, Martins Rodrigues F, Southard-Smith AN, Targino da Costa ALN, Zhu H, Mo CK, Crowson L, Fulton RS, Wyczalkowski MA, Fronick CC, Fulton LA, Sun H, Davies SR, Appelbaum EL, Chasnoff SE, Carmody M, Brooks C, Liu R, Wendl MC, Oh C, Bender D, Cruchaga C, Harari O, Bredemeyer A, Lavine K, Bose R, Margenthaler J, Held JM, Achilefu S, Ademuyiwa F, Aft R, Ma C, Colditz GA, Ju T, Oh ST, Fitzpatrick J, Hwang ES, Shoghi KI, Chheda MG, Veis DJ, Chen F, Fields RC, Gillanders WE, Ding L, Nat Cancer 2024 Oct Frugal engineering-inspired wearable augmented reality goggle system enables fluorescence-guided cancer surgery. Shmuylovich L, O'Brien CM, Nwosu K, Achilefu S, Sci Rep 2024 Oct 14 1 24402 Identification of hyperoxidized PRDX3 as a ferroptosis marker reveals ferroptotic damage in chronic liver diseases. Cui S, Ghai A, Deng Y, Li S, Zhang R, Egbulefu C, Liang G, Achilefu S, Ye J, Mol Cell 2023 Oct Gold nanoparticle-enhanced X-ray microtomography of the rodent reveals region-specific cerebrospinal fluid circulation in the brain. Pan S, Yang PH, DeFreitas D, Ramagiri S, Bayguinov PO, Hacker CD, Snyder AZ, Wilborn J, Huang H, Koller GM, Raval DK, Halupnik GL, Sviben S, Achilefu S, Tang R, Haller G, Quirk JD, Fitzpatrick JAJ, Esakky P, Strahle JM, Nat Commun 2023 Jan 14 1 453 Quantitative tumor depth determination using dual wavelength excitation fluorescence. O'Brien CM, Bishop KW, Zhang H, Xu X, Shmuylovich L, Conley E, Nwosu K, Duncan K, Mondal SB, Sudlow G, Achilefu S, Biomed Opt Express 2022 Nov 13 11 5628-5642 Selective imaging of solid tumours via the calcium-dependent high-affinity binding of a cyclic octapeptide to phosphorylated Annexin A2. Shen D, Xu B, Liang K, Tang R, Sudlow GP, Egbulefu C, Guo K, Som A, Gilson R, Maji D, Mondal S, Habimana-Griffin L, Akers WJ, Li S, Liu Y, Bloch S, Kurkure S, Nussinov Z, Seidel A, Tsen SD, Achilefu S, Nat Biomed Eng 2020 03 4 3 298-313 Radionuclides transform chemotherapeutics into phototherapeutics for precise treatment of disseminated cancer. Kotagiri N, Cooper ML, Rettig M, Egbulefu C, Prior J, Cui G, Karmakar P, Zhou M, Yang X, Sudlow G, Marsala L, Chanswangphuwana C, Lu L, Habimana-Griffin L, Shokeen M, Xu X, Weilbaecher K, Tomasson M, Lanza G, DiPersio JF, Achilefu S, Nat Commun 2018 01 9 1 275 Breaking the depth dependency of phototherapy with Cerenkov radiation and low-radiance-responsive nanophotosensitizers. Kotagiri N, Sudlow GP, Akers WJ, Achilefu S, Nat Nanotechnol 2015 Apr 10 4 370-9 Real-time fluorescence image-guided oncologic surgery. Mondal SB, Gao S, Zhu N, Liang R, Gruev V, Achilefu S, Adv Cancer Res 2014 124 171-211 Hands-free, wireless goggles for near-infrared fluorescence and real-time image-guided surgery. Liu Y, Bauer AQ, Akers WJ, Sudlow G, Liang K, Shen D, Berezin MY, Culver JP, Achilefu S, Surgery 2011 May 149 5 689-98 Results 1-10 of 25 1 2 3 Next Last Honors & Awards Member, National Academy of Engineering (2025) Herman Beerman AwardSociety for Investigative Dermatology (2024) Weinbaum AwardRensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY (2024) Member, National Academy of Medicine (2021) Britton Chance Award in Biomedical OpticsSPIE - the international professional society for optics and photonics technology (2019) Carl and Gerty Cori Faculty Achievement AwardWashington University in St. Louis, MO (2018) Fellow, National Academy of Inventors (2018) St. Louis AwardGreater St. Louis City and County, MO (2015) Medical Inventor AwardSt. Louis Business Journal (2014)
