Amy Oldenburg PhD

Amy L. Oldenburg, Ph.D., is a Professor of Physics & Astronomy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she leads research at the intersection of physics, biomedical imaging, and biophotonics. She is also a member of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, reflecting the strong biomedical focus of much of her work.

Dr. Oldenburg’s academic journey began with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Physics from the California Institute of Technology, followed by a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. After completing her doctoral studies, she pursued postdoctoral research in biomedical optics at the Beckman Institute before joining UNC Chapel Hill in 2008, where she founded the Coherence Imaging Laboratory.

Her research focuses on the development and application of innovative optical and acoustic imaging technologies for biomedical research and clinical applications. This includes work on optical coherence tomography (OCT) and ultrasonic imaging, as well as the design of novel contrast mechanisms—such as using nanoparticles—to enhance imaging sensitivity and specificity. A key aspect of her work is applying these imaging tools to study tumor biology and breast cancer, including imaging tumor initiation and growth and characterizing stromal–epithelial interactions.