Michael L Oelze
Michael L Oelze
Professor
(217) 333-9226
4251 Beckman Institute

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Education

  • PhD in Physics, University of Mississippi, 2000

Teaching Statement

Professor Oelze is interested in teaching wave propagation, acoustics, ultrasonic imaging, electromagnetics, biomedical imaging and mentoring students in research activities.

Research Statement

Professor Oelze has three thrusts of his research all based on ultrasound: Imaging, therapy, and devices. For imaging, Prof. Oelze is using quantitative ultrasound techniques with applications in breast cancer and identifying the response of patients to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. He is working with clinical and industry partners to develop these technologies. Prof. Oelze has developed nonlinear beam formation strategies, called null subtraction imaging (NSI), which allows the creation of B-mode images for larger pitch arrays without grating lobes. NSI also can provide super resolution imaging. Prof. Oelze has applied these super resolution imaging techniques to imaging the microvasculature with or without contrast agents. Prof. Oelze has developed beam visualization techniques to observe the therapy beam for focused ultrasound applications in real time. Prof. Oelze is working with collaborators from across campus to develop mechanophores that are activated by ultrasound and capable of producing therapeutic effects at depth. Prof. Oelze is working on small implantable devices that are powered by and controlled by ultrasound imaging. He has developed techniques that can stream high definition (4k) video through tissues.

Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Several projects are available for undergraduate research including the use of coding schemes to enhance ultrasonic imaging capabilities, devising improved measurement and calibration techniques for ultrasonic imaging, and quantifying materials using ultrasound. Students involved in these research opportunities will learn to characterize and calibrate ultrasonic sources, process data, and develop important laboratory skills.

Research Interests

  • Acoustic Communications
  • Ultrasound therapy
  • Coded Excitation and Ultrasound
  • Ultrasound Computed Tomography
  • Bioeffects of ultrasound
  • Treatment monitoring using ultrasound
  • Cancer diagnosis using ultrasound
  • Quantitative ultrasound imaging
  • Ultrasound backscatter microscopy

Research Areas

Research Topics

  • Healthcare and medical technologies
  • Imaging science and systems
  • Machine learning
  • Medical imaging
  • Point-of-care diagnostics
  • Sensing systems

Honors

  • Invited participant, 2014 Japan-America Frontiers of Engineering Symposium (JAFOE), Sponsored by the NAE and Japan Science and Technology Agency, Tokyo, Japan, 2014
  • Senior member, IEEE and IEEE Ultrasonics, Ferroelectronics, and Frequency Control
  • Fellow, American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
  • Fulbright Scholar, 2012-2013
  • HP Travel Award, 2012-2013
  • 3M Nontenured faculty award, 2006, 2007 and 2008
  • F32 NIH Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2002-2004
  • National Dean's list, 1999-2000
  • Physics Graduate Student of the Year, 1998-1999
  • Phi Kappa Phi, 1998
  • Alpha Chi, 1993

Teaching Honors

  • Teacher Ranked as Excellent by Students, Spring 2015
  • Teacher Ranked as Excellent by Students, Fall 2014
  • Teacher Ranked as Excellent by Students, Spring 2014
  • Teacher Ranked as Excellent by Students, Fall 2013
  • Teacher Ranked as Excellent by Students, Spring 2012 (for both ECE 472 and ECE 473)
  • Teacher Ranked as Excellent by Students, Spring 2011 (Listed as Outstanding)
  • Teacher Ranked as Excellent by Students, Spring 2010
  • Teacher Ranked as Excellent by Students, Spring 2008
  • Teacher Ranked as Excellent by Students, Fall 2006

Research Honors

  • 2nd Place Student Paper Competition, 153rd meeting of ASA (2007)

Public Service Honors

  • Officer, Basic Science and Instrumentation Community of Practice, AIUM, 2013-
  • Technical Program Committee, IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium, 2013-
  • Associate Editor, Ultrasonic Imaging, 2013-
  • Associate Editor, IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control, 2013-2018
  • Associate Editor, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, 2012-
  • Member, Advisory Editorial Board, Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology, 2008-2016

Recent Courses Taught

  • ECE 445 - Senior Design Project Lab
  • ECE 472 - Biomedical Ultrasound Imaging
  • ECE 473 (TAM 413) - Fund of Engrg Acoustics
  • ECE 590 BRL (ECE 590 D) - Bioaccoustics