Our Team

Dr. Hewitt has over 25 years’ experience applying Raman spectroscopy to problems in biology, chemistry, earth sciences and physics.  During his appointment as Visiting Associate professor in the molecular imaging labs of Sanjiv Gambhir at Stanford University, he refined the use of nanotechnology platforms for cancer imaging and is currently developing a novel approach to molecular imaging by combining Raman spectroscopy with holography.  He has co-authored several publications with collaborators Haishan Zeng and Ian Alwayn, is the winner of a national award for Professional Excellence and has collaborated with CTF Systems – British Columbia, on their Magnetoencephalography (MEG) systems for mapping brain activity.

Dr. Tikhomirov is a Research Associate at the Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science at Dalhousie University. His interests include design, development, and implementation of novel optical and spectroscopic instruments for laboratory and field studies in various areas including atmospheric science and biomedical optics. He has a high level of expertise in optics, spectroscopy, electronics and experiment automation. Dr. Tikhomirov is a co-founder of HeAlZe Optics & Photonics, together with Hao Guo.

Hao Guo focuses on translational research on real-time and noninvasive pre-transplant assessment of donor livers using Raman Spectroscopy. He takes an active part in innovation programs and seeks for boosting the commercialization of the Hewitt Lab’s cool technologies. Hao can touch his nose with his tongue, which is a skill as rare as Raman scattering in scatterings.

Hao was awarded the William Leiper Memorial Scholarship for his impressive achievements in translating knowledge in disease detection, diagnosis, and prevention for the eventual benefit of all Canadians who are impacted by limited organ availability. He transferred from MSc to PhD in September 2020 and secured the 2-year Vitamin Scholarship starting from May 2021

Ben specializes in the development of novel Raman imaging techniques for biomedical research, with a current focus on stimulated Raman holography. To enable this work, he has built a modular stimulated Raman spectroscopy system. When not doing research, Ben enjoys learning guitar, yoga, and bouldering.

Ben received a Teaching Assistant Award and William Leiper Memorial Scholarship at the departmental 2021 Virtual Awards Ceremony. He transferred from MSc to PhD in September 2020 and currently holds an NSERC CGS-D scholarship and a Dalhousie University President’s Award

You can contact Ben at Ben.Hansson@dal.ca