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OSSC Meeting Feb 11, 2026 - Illuminating intelligence and life with light

About this event

Corporate Member Appreciation Event

Combined In-Person Meeting & Webinar
Illuminating intelligence and life with light 

Fei Xia, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Beckman Laser Institute, University of California Irvine

Lab website

Wednesday Feb. 11, 2026

6:00 pm: In-Person Reception
7:00 pm: On-line Login & Networking
7:00 pm: Dinner
7:15 pm: OSSC Business
8:00 pm: Technical Presentation

Dinner Fee
Members: $40, Non-Members: $50, Student Members: $10
Late Fees of $10, after 11:59 pm Feb. 6
(No Fee for attending without dinner)

Registration Required
Online Registration until Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026


Abstract:

The brain is a remarkable organ that supports both our health and our intelligence. This talk will focus on how light can help us better understand the brain and inspire smarter optical technologies. I will begin by introducing new advances in optical microscopy and computational imaging that let us visualize fundamental cellular building blocks in the brain. Using short-wave infrared light, adaptive optics, and AI-based reconstruction, these methods reveal more detailed information of the brain than ever before. I will then describe our work on brain-inspired optical systems that use the physics of light to encode and process information efficiently. These approaches make it possible to perform large-scale data processing directly in optical hardware, reducing energy and computational cost.  Together, these efforts show how light can illuminate both biological intelligence and artificial intelligence. I will conclude by discussing future opportunities to develop optical tools for studying brain function and disease, as well as light-driven technologies for next-generation intelligent systems.

 

About our Speaker:
Fei Xia is an Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) at the University of California, Irvine. She completed her Ph.D. at Cornell and her postdoc at École Normale Supérieure (ENS) in Paris. She leads a research team working at the interface of optics, computation, and the brain, with a particular interest in designing smart optical systems to image, sense, and process biomedical information probed by light. She aims to provide innovative solutions to challenging biomedical needs through the co-design of hardware and software.  Fei has been recognized by several major awards and honors, including the Scialog Fellow for Research Corporation for Science Advancement Initiative, Rising Star in Light, Optica Foundation Challenge Award, Seal of Excellence for Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship, the SPIE Women in Optics, Data Open Championship and the Mong NeuroTech Fellowship.

 


Download Meeting Flyer

You must be an OSSC Student Member to receive the meal discount. Student Members are Individual Members who are currently enrolled in school at least part-time and are not working full-time.  Please email Russell Rauch (Memberships@ossc.org) to update your membership type if needed.




Date and Time

Wednesday, February 11, 2026, 6:00 PM until 9:30 PM

Location

UC Irvine - Division of Continuing Education
UCI - DCE - Rent our space
510 E Peltason Dr.
Irvine, CA  92697
USA
949-824-9742

Contacts(s)

Russell Rauch
Membership Chair (Registration & Student Issues)
(626) 833-1046 (p)


Robert F Cartland
Webmaster (Technical Issues)
626-485-4148 (c)

Category

OSSC Regular Meeting

Registration Info

Registration is temporarily unavailable
Payment in Full In Advance Or At Event
CODE OF CONDUCT: Attendees are expected to conduct themselves professionally and respectfully at OSSC events. Violation of this code of conduct may result in exclusion from future OSSC events and/or the suspension or termination of OSSC membership.

RELEASE OF LIABILITY: You, as an Attendee of the event, agree to release, indemnify and hold harmless Optical Society of Southern California, Inc. and their respective officers, directors, members, employees, agents, and others associated with this event from and against any and all liabilities, expenses, damages and costs, including reasonable attorney’s fees, and from any and all liability for any acts, omissions or occurrences which may result, directly or indirectly, in injury to the Attendee, or Attendee's personal property, as a result of participation in or association with the event, including travel to and from the event.

CONSENT TO BE PHOTOGRAPHED: Your registration, attendance and/or presence at this event, constitutes your consent to be photographed, filmed and/or otherwise recorded. Your entry constitutes your consent to such photography, filming and/or recording and to any use, in any and all media throughout the universe in perpetuity, of your appearance, voice and name for any purpose whatsoever in connection with the event. You understand that all photography, filming and/or recording will be done in reliance on this consent given by you and by your attendance. If you do not agree to the foregoing, please do not attend this event.
Registration cancellations will be accepted until Monday, February 9, 2026 at 12:00 AM
Cancellation Policy:
Please let the Arrangements Chair (Events@ossc.org) know as soon as possible if you need to cancel.

Payments made in advance will normally be issued a credit that may be applied to future payments (membership or events). Please contact the Treasurer (Treasurer@ossc.org) if this posses a problem.

Member's typical receive a meal discount. Non-members may join OSSC to receive the discount.

MEMBERS - REMEMBER TO LOG IN BEFORE REGISTERING.
Activities/Items (Click the down-arrow to view details)
Meeting, Presentation & Dinner (In-Person)
Corporate Member Table Top Exhibit Space
Meeting & Presentation Only (In-Person, No Dinner) No Fee
Meeting, Presentation & Chat (On-line Virtual Event) No Fee
Sponsor a Table
Sponsor a Student
Donate to the OSSC (Suggested Donation)

Box 228, 2312 Park Avenue

Tustin, California 92782



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