Chemical Imaging and AI: Multiscale Insight and Control into Materials' Properties at the Push of a Button by Professor Rohit Bhargava
MSE Distinguished Speaker Series 2026 Hosted by Assistant Professor Prashant Kumar
Abstract
Molecular composition, orientation, chirality, compartments of species, and macroscopic shape all combine to determine function in synthetic and natural materials. Among the fundamental contrasts to measure these properties, the strongest molecular absorption occurs in the mid-infrared (IR) part of the spectrum but is challenging to harness for imaging. I describe our engineering of a series of imaging instruments that use molecular vibrational signals to provide a quantitative, sensitive, and reproducible fingerprint of a sample’s composition. The quantitative, well-understood signal is highly amenable to integration with artificial intelligence workflows. Two case studies will be presented on translatingintegrated AI-imaging systems to provide critical information at the push of a button. The first describes our progress to develop chemical imaging as a standard tool for the detection and diagnosis of human diseases. The second describes the combination of harnessing materials science, chemical imaging, and AI to generate tumors in the laboratory that enable us to study cancer at high volume and remarkable detail.
Professor Rohit Bhargava
Professor Rohit Bhargava is Grainger Distinguished Chair in Engineering and Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Bhargava has pioneered the field of infrared chemical imaging, where his contributions range from providing foundational theory and developing several new components and full instruments. He has been recognized with awards such as the Lippincott award, the SAS gold medal, the Craver award and elected as a fellow to scientific societies, including NAI, AAAS, Optica, AIMBE, and SAS. Rohit is the founding Director of the Cancer Center at Illinois, the first cancer center at the intersection of engineering and oncology, where he continues to serve as the Phillip & Ann SharpDirector.