Muyinatu A. Lediju Bell, PhD
Assistant Professor & PULSE Lab Director
Dr. Muyinatu A. Lediju Bell (informally known as “Bisi”) is an assistant professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering with a joint appointment in the Biomedical Engineering Department. Dr. Bell obtained a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Duke University and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering (BME minor) from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In addition, Dr. Bell spent a year abroad as a Whitaker International Fellow, conducting research at the Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden Hospital in the United Kingdom. Prior to joining the faculty, Dr. Bell was a postdoctoral fellow with the Engineering Research Center for Computer-Integrated Surgical Systems and Technology at Johns Hopkins University. She published over 40 scientific journal articles and conference papers, holds a patent for SLSC beamforming, and is the recipient of numerous awards, grants, and fellowships, including the NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award, MIT Technology Review’s Innovator Under 35 Award, the NSF CAREER Award, and the NIH Trailblazer Award.
Dr. Bell leads a highly interdisciplinary research program that integrates optics, acoustics, robotics, electronics, and mechanics, as well as signal processing and medical device design, to engineer and deploy innovative biomedical imaging systems that simultaneously address unmet clinical needs and significantly improve the standard of patient care. As the director of the Photoacoustic and Ultrasonic Systems Engineering (PULSE) Lab, Dr. Bell develops theories, models, and simulations to investigate advanced beamforming techniques for improving ultrasonic and photoacoustic image quality. In parallel, she designs and builds novel light delivery systems for photoacoustic imaging and incorporates medical robots to improve operator maneuverability and enable standardized procedures for more personalized medicine. The technologies developed in her lab are then interfaced with patients to facilitate clinical translation. These technologies have applications in neurosurgical navigation, cardiovascular disease, women’s health, and cancer detection and treatment.
Education
Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, 2012
B.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2006
Professional and Academic Appointments
Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins University, 2017-present
Interim Assistant Research Professor, Johns Hopkins University, 2016
Postdoctoral Fellow, Johns Hopkins University, 2012-2016
Academic Visitor, Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden Hospital, UK, 2009-2010
Research Interests
- ultrasound imaging
- photoacoustic imaging
- image quality improvements
- advanced beamforming methods
- light delivery systems
- laser-tissue interactions
- medical robotics
- image-guided surgery
- technology development
- clinical translation
Honors and Awards
NIH Trailblazer Award, 2018
Johns Hopkins Discovery Award, 2018
National Academy of Engineering, U.S. Frontiers of Engineering Symposium Participant, 2018
NSF CAREER Award, 2018
MIT Technology Review, Innovator Under 35, 2016
Best Paper Award Honorable Mention, IEEE International Conference on Advanced Robotics, 2015
NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award, 2015
Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2013
UNCF/Merck Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2013
NextProf Workshop at University of Michigan, 2012
IEEE Student Travel Award, International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging, 2012
UNCF/Merck Graduate Dissertation Fellowship, 2011
Whitaker International Fellowship, 2009
NIH Supplement to Promote Diversity in Biomedical Research, 2008
IEEE Student Travel Award, International Ultrasonics Symposium, 2008
Duke Endowment Fellowship, 2006
Xerox Technical Minority Scholarship, 2005
MIT Ilona Karmel Prize in Engineering Writing, 2005
Pi Tau Sigma Mechanical Engineering Honor Society, 2004
Selected Publications
*published under surnames Lediju and Lediju Bell
- Lediju Bell MA, Guo X, Song DY, Boctor EM. Transurethral light delivery for prostate photoacoustic imaging, Journal of Biomedical Optics, 20(3):036002, 2015.
- Lediju Bell MA, Kuo N, Song DY, Kang J, Boctor EM. In vivo visualization of prostate brachytherapy seeds with photoacoustic imaging,Journal of Biomedical Optics, 19(12):126011, 2014.
- Lediju Bell MA, Kuo N, Song DY, Boctor EM. Short-lag spatial coherence beamforming of photoacoustic images for enhanced visualization of prostate brachytherapy seeds, Biomedical Optics Express, 4(10): 1964-77. 2013.
- Lediju Bell MA, Goswami R, Kisslo JA, Dahl JJ, Trahey GE. Short-lag spatial coherence (SLSC) imaging of cardiac ultrasound data: Initial clinical results, Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology, 39(10):1861–74. 2013.
- Lediju Bell MA, Byram BC, Harris EJ, Evans PM, Bamber JC. In vivo liver tracking with a high volume rate 4D ultrasound scanner and a 2D matrix array probe, Physics in Medicine and Biology, 57(5):1359-74. 2012.
- Lediju MA, Trahey GE, Byram BC, Dahl JJ. Spatial coherence of backscattered echoes: Imaging characteristics, IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control, 58(7):1377-88. 2011.
- Lediju MA, Pihl MJ, Hsu SJ, Dahl JJ, Gallippi CM, Trahey GE. A motion-based approach to abdominal clutter reduction. IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control, 56(11):2437-49. 2009.
- Lediju MA, Pihl MJ, Hsu SJ, Dahl JJ, Trahey GE. Quantitative assessment of the magnitude, impact, and spatial extent of ultrasonic clutter.Ultrasonic Imaging, 30(3):151-168. 2008.
mledijubell@jhu.edu