Dinish U. S

Biography

Dinish serves as a group leader in the Translational Biophotonics Laboratory at A*STAR Skin Research Labs, A*STAR Singapore. He also holds an Adjunct Associate Professor position at the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (SPMS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. Dinish has extensive expertise in developing biophotonics technologies, including photoacoustic imaging (PAI), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), fluorescence imaging, and multimodal imaging techniques for various clinical applications in skin health, vascular health, women’s health, and specific biomarker detection.

Notably, Dinish has pioneered "first-in-human" clinical studies employing PAI for accurate non-invasive mapping of skin cancer, assessing the severity of inflammatory conditions, and monitoring treatment efficacy. He is the principal investigator (PI) of the joint virtual international lab "FiberMed," a prestigious collaboration between A*STAR, CNRS, and the University of Limoges, France. Dinish also serves as PI and co-PI on numerous national and international research grants totaling over S$12 million. Additionally, he has contributed to the development of over 25 patents and patent applications and has published approximately 170 significant journal papers and conference proceedings.

Currently, Dinish serves as an editorial board member for Scientific Reports (Nature Publishing Group) and as a series editor for Springer's book series Progress in Optical Science and Photonics, where he has edited more than 20 books. He is a co-inventor of Auretek, a handheld confocal Raman spectroscopy system that was selected as one of the Top 30 A*STAR Innovations and Inventions in 2021. In 2023, Dinish was also recognized as one of the world’s top 2% of scientists by Stanford University.

Research interests

Dinish is interested in developing biophotonics technologies (photoacoustic imaging (PAI), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), fluorescence imaging, multimodal imaging etc.) to tackle unmet needs in skin health, vascular health and women’s health as well as the clinical translation of these platforms. Research will focus on the development of innovative photonics technologies to monitor functional and structural information in tissues, identification of tissue specific biochemicals as markers, and novel nanophotonics enabled biosensor platforms.  

Selected publications

Baptiste Moeglen-Paget, Jayakumar Perumal, Georges Humbert*, Malini Olivo*, U. S. Dinish*, “Optofluidic Photonic Crystal fiber Platform for sensitive and reliable fluorescence based biosensing”, Biomeical Optics Express, 15 (7), 4281-4291, https://doi.org/10.1364/BOE.527248, 2024

Xiuting Li, Yik Weng Yew, Keertana Vinod Ram, Hazel H. Oon, Steven Tien Guan Thng*,      U. S. Dinish*, Malini Olivo *, Structural and functional imaging of psoriasis for severity assessment and quantitative monitoring of treatment response using high-resolution optoacoustic imaging”, Photoacoustics, 38, 100611, doi: 10.1016/j.pacs.2024.100611, 2024.

Flavien Beffara, G. Humbert*, J. L. Auguste, M. Olivo*, U. S. Dinish*, Innovative Suspended Ring Core Fiber for SERS Application”, Optics Express, 32 (10), 18216-18223, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.516023, 2024.

Amine Benazza, Flavien Beffara, Jean-Louis Auguste, Malini Olivo*, U.S Dinish*, Georges Humbert*. “Reliable and easy-to-use SERS spectroscopy probe using a tapered opto-fluidic photonic crystal fiber”, Optics Express, 32(3):3440-3450. doi: 10.1364/OE.501911, 2024.

U. S. Dinish*, Susan Logan*, Ghayathri Balasundaram, Valerie Teo Xinhui, Keertana Vinod Ram, Zhang Ruochong, Steffie Silvani, Kee Hua Cheng, Xu Xia, Goh Giap Hean, Mahesh Choolani and Malini Olivo*. “Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and imaging for non-invasive objective assessment of genitourinary syndrome of menopause: a pilot study”, Scientific Reports, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-49655-414, 1085, 2024.

Baptiste Moeglen Paget, Keertana Vinod Ram, Shuyan Zhang, Jayakumar Perumal, Sylvain Vedraine, Georges Humbert*, Malini Olivo* and U. S. Dinish*, “A Review on Photonic Crystal Fiber based Fluorescence Sensing for Chemical and Biomedical Applications” Sensors and Actuators B, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2023.134828, 400, 134828, 2024.

K.V. Sreekanth, Jayakumar Perumal, U. S. Dinish, P. Prabhathan, Yuanda Liu, Ranjan Singh, Malini Olivo and Jinghua Teng, “Tunable Tamm plasmon cavity as a scalable biosensing platform for surface enhanced resonance Raman spectroscopy”, Nature Communications 14, 7085, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-42854-7, 2023.

U. S. Dinish*, Yik Weng Yew, Keertana Vinod Ram, Renzhe Bi, Amalina Binte Ebrahim Attia, Teo Xinhui Valerie, Poongkulali Rajarahm, Hazel Hweeboon Oon, Steven Tien Guan Thng*, Malini Olivo*, “Non-invasive biochemical analysis and comparison of Atopic Dermatitis and Psoriasis skin using handheld confocal Raman spectroscopy”, J. Biophotonics, https://doi.org/10.1002/jbio.202300191, 2023.

Shuyan Zhang, Keertana Vinod Ram, Ran Zhi Tong Chua, Jodie Yue Foo Chuan, Jayakumar Perumal*, Dinish U. S* and Malini Olivo*, “Biophotonics Technologies for the Detection of VOCs in Healthcare Applications: Are We There Yet?”, Applied Physics Review, 10, 031304, 2023. 

Shuyan Zhang, Qing Yang Steve Wu, Yi Fan Chen, Melissa Hum, Chi Lok Wong, Ern Yu Tan, Ann Siew Gek Lee*, Jinghua Teng*, U. S. Dinish*, Malini Olivo*, “Label-Free Detection of MiRNA Biomarkers Using Broadband Multi-Resonant Infrared Metasurfaces for Early Breast Cancer Diagnosis”, Nanoscale, 15, 10057-10066, 2023.

Xiuting Li, Mohesh Moothanchery, Cheng Yi Kwa, Wan Ling Tan, Yik Weng Yew, Steven Tien Guan Thng, U.S. Dinish*, Amalina Binte Ebrahim Attia*, Malini Olivo*. “Multispectral raster-scanning optoacoustic mesoscopy differentiate lesional from non-lesional atopic dermatitis skin using structural and functional imaging markers.” Photoacoustics, DOI: 10.1016/j.pacs.2022.100399. 28:100399, 2022

Amalina Binte Ebrahim Attia, Mohesh Moothanchery, Xiuting Li, Yik Weng Yew, Steven Tien Guan Thng, U. S. Dinish* and Malini Olivo*, “Microvascular Imaging and Monitoring of Hemodynamic Changes in the Skin during Arterial-Venous Occlusion using Multispectral Raster-scanning Optoacoustic Mesoscopy”, Photoacoustics 2021; 22: 100268. DOI: 10.1016/j.pacs.2021.100268, 2021

Sojeong Park, Shier Nee Saw, Xiuting Li Mahsa Paknezhad, David Coppola, Dinish U. S, Amalina Binte Ebrahim Attia, Yew Yik Weng, Steven Thng Tien Guan, Hwee Kuan Lee, and Malini Olivo, “Model Learning Analysis of 3D Optoacoustic Mesoscopic Images for the Classification of Atopic Dermatitis” Biomedical Optics Express, 2021; 12(6): 3671-3683. DOI: 10.1364/BOE.415105, 2021

Jayakumar Perumal, Yusong Wang, Amalina Binte Ebrahim Attia, U. S. Dinish* and Malini Olivo*, “Towards a point-of-care SERS sensor for biomedical and agri-food analysis applications: a review of recent advancements”, invited review, Nanoscale, 13, 553-580, 2021.

Yik Weng Yew1, Dinish U. S1, Li Xiuting, Kapil Dev, Amalina Binte Ebrahim Attia, Renzhe Bi, Mohesh Moothanchery, Ghayathri Balasundaram, Juan Aguiree, Vasilis Ntziachristos, Malini Olivo, Steven Tien Guan Thng, “Raster-scanning optoacoustic mesoscopy (RSOM) Imaging as an objective disease severity tool in atopic dermatitis patients” (1:- joint first authors) J. American Academy of Dermatology, 84(4):1121-112,doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2020.06.045, 2021

Flavien Beffara, Humbert Georges* , Jean-Louis Auguste, Jayakumar Perumal, U. S Dinish*, Malini Olivo, “Optimization and Performance Analysis of SERS-active Suspended Core Photonic Crystal Fiber”, Optics Express, 28 (16), 23609-23619, https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.393251, 2020

Flavien Beffara, Jayakumar Perumal, Jean-Louis Auguste, Sylvain Vedraine, Aniza Puteri Mahyuddin, Mahesh Choolani, Humbert Georges*, U. S Dinish*, Malini Olivo*, Development of highly reliable and sensitive SERS-active photonic crystal fiber probe, and its application for the detection of ovarian cancer biomarker in biofluid”, J. Biophotonics, 13(3):e201960120, https://doi.org/10.1002/jbio.201960120, 2020

Yik Weng Yew1, U. S Dinish1, Renzhe Bi, Chris Jun Hui Ho,  Kapil Dev, Xiuting Li, Amalina Binte Ebrahim Attia, Melvin Kai Weng Wong, Ghayathri Balasundaram, Vasilis Ntziachristos, Malini Olivo, Steven Tien Guan Thng, “Investigation of Morphological, Vascular and Biochemical Changes in the Skin of an Atopic Dermatitis (AD) Patient in Response to Dupilumab Using Raster Scanning Optoacoustic Mesoscopy (RSOM) and Handheld Confocal Raman Spectroscopy (CRS)” J. Dermatological Sciences, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdermsci.2019.07.003;  2019  (1:- Equal contribution and joint first authors).

Tingting Wu, Kaiwei Li, Nan Zhang, Juan Xia, Qingsheng Zeng, Xinglin Wen, U. S. Dinish, Malini Olivo, Zexiang Shen, Zheng Liu, Qihua Xiong, Yu Luo, Stefan A. Maier, Lei Wei, “Ultra-wideband Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering in Hybrid Graphene Fragmented-gold Substrates via Cold-etching”, Advanced Optical Materials, 7, 1900905, 2019

Kapil Dev1, U. S Dinish1*, Smarajit, Shigeki Sugii, Stefan Anderson-Engels, Malini Olivo*, “Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy in NIR II Window for In-vivo Quantitative Adipose Tissue Browning”, J. Biophotonics, DOI: 10.1002/jbio.201800135, 2018, (1:- Equal contribution and joint first authors)

Amalina Binte Ebrahim Attia, Sai Yee Chuah, Daniel Razansky, Chris Jun Hui Ho, Pinky Malempati, Dinish U. S, Renzhe Bi, Chit Yaw Fu, Steven J. Ford, Joyce Siong See Lee, Wee Ping Tan, Malini Olivo, Steven Thng, “Noninvasive Real-time Characterization of Non-melanoma Skin Cancers with Handheld Optoacoustic Probes,” Photoacoustics, 7, 20-26, 2017

Dinish U. S, Wong Chi Lok, Sandhya Sriram, Ghayathri B, Ong Wee Kiat, Shigeki Sugii, Malini Olivo, “Diffuse Optical Spectroscopy and Imaging to Detect and Quantify Adipose Tissue Browning”, Scientific Reports, 7, 41357, 2017 

Wong Chi Lok, Dinish U. S, Malini Olivo, “Recent advances in SPR and SERS for sensitive translational medical diagnosis, Photonics & Lasers in Medicine, Invited Review Paper, 4, 119–149, 2015

U. S Dinish, Zhegang Song, Chris Jun Hui Ho, Ghayathri Balasundaram, Amalina Binte Ebrahim Attia, Xianmao Lu, Ben Zhong Tang, Bin Liu, Malini Olivo, “Single Molecule with Dual Function on Nano-gold: Biofunctionalized Construct for in vivo Photoacoustic Imaging and SERS Biosensing”,  Advanced Functional Materials 25, 2316-2325, 2015

Stefano Vavassori, Anil Kumar, Gan Siok Wan, Gundimeda S. R, Marco Cavallari, Sary El Daker, Travis Beddoe, Alex Theodossis, N. K. Williams, Emma Gostick, D. A. Price, Dinish U. S., Kong Kien Voon, Malini Olivo, Jamie Rossjohn, Lucia Mori, Gennaro De Libero, “Butyrophilin 3A1 binds phosphorylated antigens and stimulates human γδ T cells”, Nature Immunology, 14 (9), 908-916, 2013