Physics major's thesis gets under the skin

by Steven Schultz
For physics major Anthony Miller, the experience of writing a senior thesis has been everything it is supposed to be. He worked closely with a faculty member, developed an idea and grappled with major intellectual challenges in bringing it to fruition. Along the way, he gained the kind of appreciation for his field that only independent work outside the classroom can bring.

It also had a bonus: Miller's research is helping scientists create new methods for detecting cancer and studying the brain.

Miller is investigating an idea for using ultrafast pulses of light to probe beneath the surface of the body and produce detailed images of certain tissues and cells. Although his major is physics, he is bridging disciplines by working in the lab of Warren Warren, the Ralph Dornte Professor in Chemistry. Miller's work is a key part of Warren's imaging projects in his labs at Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania, where he is an adjunct professor of radiology.

"Anthony is an exceedingly bright young man," said Warren, "and is working on a conceptually very challenging project to dramatically improve our ability to see into tissue and diagnose disease."

Read the full story in the Weekly Bulletin.