Events Calendar

Sensing the Environment Across Scales: From Medical Imaging to the Global Climate and Ecosystems

Mahta Moghaddam, University of Michigan:
Abstract: Active microwave sensing is key in noninvasive characterization of complex targets in a variety of high-impact applications today. These include remote sensing of the Earth for global weather and climate studies, planetary exploration, detection and characterization of underground or underwater structures, construction technologies, exploration of subsurface natural resources, and high-resolution medical imaging. Accurate characterization of spatial distribution and material properties of complex objects on scales as large as the globe and as small as the interior of the human body requires a suite of analytical, computational, and experimental tools. For example, it requires efficient numerical forward scattering algorithms based on wave theory, appropriate inversion techniques based on stochastic nonlinear optimization approaches, availability of sufficient laboratory and field measurements, and well characterized and optimized instruments and measurement parameters.
This talk will start with a brief introduction to the forward electromagnetic scattering solutions at both large and small spatial scales for surface and subsurface structures, followed by a summary of our research on inversion and estimation techniques applied to quantitative remote sensing of the Earth subsurface and 3D super-resolution medical imaging. The commonalities and distinctions of approaches among different scales will be discussed. Examples will be shown using various measurement scenarios with emphasis on two classes of applications, namely, environmental sensing of hydrologic and carbon cycle processes and medical imaging. This research will be discussed in the context of several current high-priority programs identified by scientific and government organizations.BIOGRAPHY: MAHTA MOGHADDAM received the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana, in 1989 and 1991, respectively. She is currently a Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where she has been since 2003. From 1991 to 2003, she was with the Radar Science and Engineering Section, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), in Pasadena, CA. At JPL, she served many technical and leadership roles such as Systems Engineer for the Ku-band Cassini Radar, the "Science Chair" of the JPL Advanced Mission Studies Team (Team X), and the JPL Science Team Lead for LightSAR. She led a number of research projects at JPL, including a major NASA Instrument Incubator Program project involving a team of more than 40 people from JPL and other industry and academic institutions. During the past nearly 20 years of active involvement in the remote sensing community, Dr. Moghaddam has introduced a number of innovative approaches for quantitative interpretation of synthetic aperture radar imagery. Her most recent contributions include the development of new radar instrument and measurement technologies for subsurface and subcanopy characterization, development of forward scattering models and inverse scattering techniques for scattering from layered random media including those with rough interfaces, and transforming concepts of radar remote sensing to high-resolution near-field and medical imaging. She is and has been the Principal and Co-investigator on numerous research projects and has authored or coauthored over 200 journal and conference papers. She has served a number of editorial roles in prominent IEEE journals. Dr. Moghaddam is a member of the NASA Soil Moisture Active and Passive (SMAP) Science Definition Team, Chair of the Algorithms Working Group for SMAP, and the Principal Investigator for AirMOSS, a new NASA Earth Ventures Mission. She has chaired and co-chaired numerous workshops and conference sessions. She has received four Certificates of Recognition from NASA for her technical contributions to instrument and mission development. Dr. Moghaddam leads a vibrant research group at Michigan, consisting of 11 graduate students, 2 post-docs, and several undergraduate students. She is a member of URSI Commission B, the Electromagnetics Academy, Phi Kappa Phi, Tau Beta Pi, and Eta Kappa Nu. She is a Fellow of IEEE.

Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150

Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

Contact: Marilyn Poplawski