Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

Please, contact Dr. Mihaela Balu via email (mbalu@uci.edu) to request any electronic copies of publications.

2025

  1. S. Ranjit, B. Torrado, A. Vallmitjana, A. Durkin, A. Dvornikov, A.K. Ganesan, K.M. Kelly and M. Balu. “Label-free human skin imaging: enhanced molecular contrast via time-resolved fluorescence and advanced phasor analysis.” Commun. Biol. , Dec 2025.
  2. B. Torrado, A. Vallmitjana, S. Ranjit, M. Far-Hadian, A. Durkin, A. Dvornikov, A.K. Ganesan, K.M. Kelly, P. Chang and M. Balu “In vivo human skin imaging: distinguishing cellular and fibrillar components with fluorescence lifetime microscopy” J. Investig. Dermatol., Nov 2025.
  3. Vallmitjana A, Durkin A, Dvornikov A, Torrado B, K.M. Kelly, J. Shiu, A.K. Ganesan and Balu M. “Label-free multiphoton microscopy of human skin: longitudinal studies capturing cell dynamics” Biomed. Opt. Express 16(10), Sep 2025.
  4. Vallmitjana A, Torrado B, Durkin A, Dvornikov A, Rajil N, Ranjit S and Balu M. “GSLab: Open-Source Platform for Advanced Phasor Analysis in Fluorescence Microscopy.” Bioinformatics 41(4), Apr 2025. PMID: 40233242.

    5. 2024

  5. Driscoll W, Golbari NM, Vallmitjana A, Durkin AF, Balu M, Zachary CB. “Intradermal Delivery of Calcium Hydroxylapatite With Fractionated Ablation.” Lasers Surg Med. 57(1):46-53. Jan 2025. Epub 2024 Aug 19. PMID: 39160686
  6. Balu M. “Collagen remodeling in murine melanoma therapy response through second-harmonic generation imaging.” Biophotonics Discovery 1(3), 030501. Dec 2024.

    7. 2023

  7. Shiu J, Lentsch Polleys C, Mobasher P, Ericson M, Georgakoudi I, Ganesan A., Balu M, “Non-invasive Imaging Techniques for Monitoring Cellular Response to Treatment in Stable Vitiligo”. 2023 Aug 17:2023.08.15.553419. doi: 10.1101/2023.08.15.553419. Update in: J Invest Dermatol. 2024 Apr;144(4):912-915.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.jid.2023.10.006. PMID: 37645823; PMCID: PMC10462045.

    8. 2022

  8. Shiu J, Zhang L, Lentsch G, Flesher J, Jin S, Polleys C, Jin Jo S, Mizzoni C, Mobasher P, Kwan J, Ruis-Diaz F, Tromberg B, Georgakoudi I, Nie Q, Balu M, Ganesan A. “Multimodal analyses of vitiligo skin identifies tissue characteristics of stable disease” Journal of Clinical Investigation Journal of Clinical Investigation 7(13):e154585 (2022) PMID: 35653192 PMCID: PMC9310536
  9. Vicente JR, Durkin A, Shrestha K, Balu M. “In vivo imaging with a fast large-area multiphoton exoscope (FLAME) captures the melanin distribution heterogeneity in human skin,” Scientific Reports 12, 8106 (2022)
  10. Lentsch G, Baugh EG, Lee B, Aszterbaum M, Zachary CB, Kelly KM, Balu M. “Research Techniques Made Simple: Emerging Imaging Technologies for Noninvasive Optical Biopsy of Human Skin” Journal of Investigative Dermatology 142 (5) 1243-52 (2022) PMID: 35461534

    11. 2021

  11. McAleer S, Fast A, Xue Y, Seiler MJ, Tang WC, Balu M, Baldi P, Browne AW. “Deep Learning-Assisted Multiphoton Microscopy to Reduce Light Exposure and Expedite Imaging in Tissues With High and Low Light Sensitivity” Transl Vis Sci Technol. (2021) Oct 4;10(12):30. PMID: 34668935; PMCID: PMC8543395.
  12. Mehrabi J, Fast A, Lentsch G, Balu M, Kelly KM, “A clinical perspective on the automated analysis of reflectance confocal microscopy in dermatology” Lasers Surg Med. 2021 Oct;53(8):1011-1019 PMID: 33476062
  13. Potma EO, Knez D, Chen Y, Davydova Y, Durkin A, Fast A, Balu M, Norton-Baker B, Martin RW, Baldacchini T, Fishman DA, “Rapid chemically selective 3D imaging in the mid-infrared,” Optica 8, 995-1002 (2021)

    14. 2020

  14. Lentsch G, Valdebran M, Saknite I, Smith J, Linden KG, Konig K, Barr RJ, Harris RM, Tromberg BJ, Ganesan AK, Zachary CB, Kelly KM, Balu M. Non-invasive optical biopsy by multiphoton microscopy identifies the live morphology of common melanocytic nevi. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res. 33(6) 869-877 (2020) PMID: 32485062
  15. Fast A, Lal A, Durkin AF, Zachary CB, Ganesan AK, Balu M. Fast, large area multiphoton exoscope (FLAME) for macroscopic imaging with microscopic resolution of human skin. Scientific Reports 10(1), 18093 (2020)

    16. 2019

  16. Lentsch G, Balu M, Williams J, Lee, S, Harris, R, Koenig, K, Ganesan, A, Tromberg, B, Nair N, Santhanam U, Misra M, “In vivo multiphoton microscopy of melasma”, Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research 32 (3), 403-411 (2019)
  17. Lin J, Saknite I, Valdebran M, Balu M, Lentsch G, Williams J, Koenig K, Tromberg B, Mesinkovska NA, “Feature characterization of scarring and non-scarring types of alopecia by multiphoton microscopy”, Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, 51(1), 95-103 (2019)
  18. Hu AC, Hong EM,  Toubat O,  Sivoraphonh R,  Barnes C,  Moy WJ, Krasieva TB, Wong BJF, “Multiphoton Microscopy of Collagen Structure in Ex Vivo Human Skin Following Electrochemical Therapy”, Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, first published 24 May 2019

    19. 2018

  19. Lentsch G, Balu M, Koenig K, Tromberg BJ, Zachary, BC, Smith J, “In vivo multiphoton microscopy of scabies”, JAAD Case Reports 4 (10), 985-987 (2018)
  20. Chang R, Castillo J, Zambon AC, Krasieva TB, Fisher MJ, Sumbria RK, “Brain Endothelial Erythrophagocytosis and Hemoglobin Transmigration Across Brain Endothelium: Implications for Pathogenesis of Cerebral Microbleeds”, Front Cell Neurosci, 12:279 (2018)
  21. Verdel N, Lentsch G, Balu M, Tromberg BJ, and Majaron B, “Noninvasive assessment of skin structure by combined photothermal radiometry and optical spectroscopy: coregistration with multiphoton microscopy,” Appl. Opt. 57 (18), D117-D122 (2018)
  22. Amber KT, Valdebran M, Makdisi J, De Feraudy S, Balu M, Kelly KM “A case of photodistributed multicentric reticulohistiocytosis: correlation with multiphoton microscopy imaging”, JDDG: Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft, 1:6 (6), 781-783 (2018)
  23. Shin D, Christie C, Ju D, Nair RK, Molina S, Berg K, Krasieva TB, Madsen SJ, Hirschberg H, “Photochemical internalization enhanced macrophage delivered chemotherapy”, Photodiagnosis Photodyn Ther., 21:156-162 (2018)
  24. Madsen SJ, Christie C, Huynh K, Peng Q, Uzal FA, Krasieva TB, Hirschberg H., “Limiting glioma development by photodynamic therapy-generated macrophage vaccine and allo-stimulation: an in vivo histological study in rats”, J Biomed Opt. , 23(2): 1-7 (2018)

    25. 2017

  25. Balu M, Lentsch G, Korta D, Koenig K, Kelly KM, Tromberg BJ, Zachary CB “In vivo multiphoton-microscopy of picosecond-laser-induced optical breakdown in human skin”, Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, 49, 555-62 (2017)
  26. Chen, C.F., Ruiz-Vega, R., Vasudeva, P., Espitia, F., Krasieva, T.B., de Feraudy, S., Tromberg, B.J., Huang, S., Garner, C.P., Wu, J., Hoon, D.S., and Ganesan, A.K. (2017). “ATR Mutations Promote the Growth of Melanoma Tumors by Modulating the Immune Microenvironment”, Cell Rep 18, 2331-2342, (2017)
  27. Ruiz R, Jahid S, Harris M, Marzese DM, Espitia F, Vasudeva P, Chen CF, de Feraudy S, Wu J, Gillen DL, Krasieva TB, Tromberg BJ, Pavan WJ, Hoon DS, Ganesan AK, “The RhoJ-BAD signaling network: An Achilles’ heel for BRAF mutant melanomas”, PLoS Genetics 13(7):e1006913 · (2017)

    28. 2016

  28. Balu M, Mikami H, Hou J, Potma EO, and Tromberg BJ, “Rapid mesoscale multiphoton microscopy of human skin,” Biomed. Opt. Express 2016; 7, 4375-4387 PMC5119580
  29. Pouli D, Balu M, Alonzo CA, Liu Z, Quinn KP, Rius-Diaz F, Harris RM, Kelly KM, Tromberg BJ, Georgakoudi I “Imaging mitochondrial dynamics in human skin reveals depth-dependent hypoxia and malignant potential for diagnosis”, Science Translational Medicine, 8, 367ra169 (2016)
  30. Sumbria RK, Grigoryan MM, Vasilevko V, Krasieva TB, Scadeng M, Dvornikova AK, Paganini-Hill A, Kim R, Cribbs DH, Fisher MJ. “A murine model of inflammation-induced cerebral microbleeds”, J Neuroinflammation. 13(1):218 (2016)
  31. Gonzales J, Nair RK, Madsen SJ, Krasieva T, Hirschberg H. “Focused ultrasound-mediated sonochemical internalization: an alternative to light-based therapies” J Biomed Opt. 21(7):78002. (2016)
  32. Sahni K, Khashai F, Forghany A, Krasieva T, Wilder-Smith P. “Exploring Mechanisms of Biofilm Removal” Dentistry (Sunnyvale), 6(4) (2016)
  33. Liu-Smith F, Krasieva TB, Liu J, Liu J, Meyskens FL Jr. “Measuring Redox Status of Melanoma Cells” Methods Mol Biol. [Epub ahead of print] (2016)
  34. Madsen SJ, Shih EC, Peng Q, Christie C, Krasieva T, Hirschberg H.”Photothermal enhancement of chemotherapy mediated by gold-silica nanoshell-loaded macrophages: in vitro squamous cell carcinoma study” J Biomed Opt. 21(1):18004 (2016)

    35. 2015

  35. Balu M, Saytashev I, Hou J, Dantus M, Tromberg BJ. “Sub-40 fs, 1060-nm Yb-fiber laser enhances penetration depth in nonlinear optical microscopy of human skin” J Biomed Opt. 20(12):120501. (2015)
  36. Krasieva TB, Ehren J, O’Sullivan T, Tromberg BJ, Maher P. “Cell and brain tissue imaging of the flavonoid fisetin using label-free two-photon microscopy” Neurochem Int. 89:243-8 (2015)
  37. Balu M, Tromberg, BJ. “Multiphoton microscopy for non-invasive optical biopsy of human skin” RoJCED 2(3):160-6 (2015)
  38. Saager RB, Balu M, Crosignani V, Sharif A, Durkin AJ, Kelly KM, Tromberg BJ. “In vivo measurements of cutaneous melanin across spatial scales: using multiphoton microscopy and spatial frequency domain spectroscopy” J Biomed Opt. 20(6):066005 (2015)
  39. Balu M, Zachary CB, Harris RM, Krasieva TB, Koenig K, Tromberg BJ, Kelly MK. “In Vivo Multiphoton Microscopy of Basal Cell Carcinoma” JAMA Dermatology 151(10): 1068-74 (2015)

    40. 2014

  40. Balu M, Kelly MK, Zachary CB, Harris RM, Krasieva TB, Koenig K, Durkin AJ, Tromberg, BJ. “Distinguishing between benign and malignant melanocytic nevi by in vivo multiphoton microscopy” Cancer Research 74(10), 2688-97 (2014)