Malini Olivo

Malini_Olivo

Prof. Malini Olivo, F.SNAS, F.AIMBE, F.Optica

Distinguished A*STAR Fellow
Distinguished Principal Scientist
Email: Malini_Olivo@asrl.a-star.edu.sg

Research themes: Medtech, Biophotonics, Nanobiophotonics

Biography

Malini Olivo is the Distinguished A*STAR Fellow and Distinguished Principal Scientist at the A*STAR Skin Research Labs (A*SRL), where she leads the Translational Biophotonics Laboratory. She is concurrently an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, National University Health System (NUS), Singapore, the LKC School of Medicine at NTU, Singapore, and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Widely regarded as a pioneer in clinical applications of optical diagnostics and therapeutics, she has made groundbreaking contributions to photomedicine and biophotonics. With over 30 years of experience, she has led advancements in biophotonics, analytical point-of-care technologies, and wearable devices, addressing critical needs in oncology, dermatology, cardiology, respiratory health, and women’s health. She has spearheaded five first-in-human clinical trials utilizing biophotonics innovations to improve healthcare outcomes, particularly in skin cancer, breast cancer, and inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. Her research has bridged the gap between cutting-edge optical technologies and unmet clinical needs.

Prof. Malini has published over 500 scientific papers and holds more than 75 patents in medical technology platforms. She has secured over $50 million in competitive research funding globally, supporting innovations in photoacoustic hybrid imaging, confocal Raman spectroscopy, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, and diffuse optics for clinical imaging and biosensing. She also co-founded two MedTech companies, further translating her research into impactful healthcare solutions. Her international prominence and scientific excellence have earned her prestigious accolades, including the SingHealth Research Excellence Award for cancer diagnostics and therapeutics. In 2024, she received the òòò½ÍøPresident’s Technology Award for her team's groundbreaking integration of biophotonics, machine learning, and clinical data in developing Respiree.

Prof. Malini is widely recognized as a leading woman in photonics, honored by SPIE, OPTICA, and AIMBE for her contributions. She has been elected as a Fellow of the Optical Society of America (OPTICA), the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), the Institute of Physics, and the òòò½ÍøNational Academy of Science (SNAS). She ranks among the top 2% of the world’s most cited scientists, according to Stanford University. Her advisory roles extend across numerous international boards, contributing to the advancement of photomedicine globally. She has also been a member of the Nobel subcommittee, further solidifying her impact on the field. Prof. Malini's work continues to influence the development of next-generation medical technologies, ensuring her legacy as a trailblazer in translational biophotonics.

Research Interest

Her current research interest is in Medtech and nano-biophotonics and its applications in translational medicine. Her efforts include bridging the gap between cutting edge optical technologies and unmet clinical needs by developing in-house photonics-based devices for various industries. 


OPTIMAS
This project aims to provide unparalleled insights into skin structure and biochemistry, drive healthcare equity for skin of color, with applications spanning dermatology, consumer skincare, and pediatrics. It advances skin metrology through innovative imaging and spectroscopy systems tailored for Asian skin types by integrating photoacoustic imaging, Raman spectroscopy, and AI-assisted analysis. Ultimately, it seeks to enable clinical translation and industry partnerships for transformative skin health solutions.

Ultrasound guided photoacoustic imaging for breast cancer margin assessment 
The project develops a novel ultrasound-guided photoacoustic (US-PA) imaging system for real-time assessment of surgical margins in breast-conserving surgeries. Based on encouraging results from over 100 specimens, the team aims to create a compact, user-friendly prototype that improves surgical precision and patient outcomes.

Ovasers
A rapid, accurate assay using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) was developed to quantify ovarian cancer biomarkers. A proprietary low-cost reader and an automated system for assay and readout were created to enable commercialization. This innovation aims to enhance ovarian cancer management in low- and middle-income countries.

Confocal Raman for skin chemical analysis
A dual-excitation-wavelength confocal Raman system with a flexible handheld probe is developed to measure the skin chemical compositions at different layers noninvasively. The system can be used for assessing skin disorders like eczema, as well as for evaluating the effectiveness of skincare products. 

Deltagrowth
 A LiDAR based 3D imaging technology and AI-assisted algorithm are developed to monitor the foetal growth. This technology will empower pregnant ladies to monitor their own wellbeing more efficiently, and assist mum-to-be to have a smoother pregnant expience. 

TBIP
Being awarded and led an $8.3 mil IAF-PP grant programme, Translational Biophotonics Innovation Platform programme focuses on developing innovative medtech solutions for skin, vascular, and women’s health from biophotonic technologies.

 

Selected publications

Li, X., Yew, Y. W., Ram, K. V., Oon, H. H., Thng, S. T. G., Dinish, U. S., & Olivo, M. (2024). Structural and functional imaging of psoriasis for severity assessment and quantitative monitoring of treatment response using high-resolution optoacoustic imaging. Photoacoustics, 38, 100611. Published on 7 Aug. 2024.

Zhang, R., A’dawiah, R., Choo, T. W. J., Li, X., Balasundaram, G., Qi, Y., Goh, Y., Bi, R., & Olivo, M. (2024). Navigating challenges and solutions in quantitative photoacoustic imaging. Applied Physics Reviews, 11(3). Published on 16 Jul. 2024.

Bi, R., Zhang, R., Meng, L., Du, Y., Low, J., Qi, Y., Rajarahm, P., Lai, A. Y. F., Tan, V. S. Y., Ho, P., & Olivo, M (2024). A portable optical pulsatile flowmetry demonstrates strong clinical relevance for diabetic foot perfusion assessment. APL bioengineering, 8(1). Published on 21 Feb. 2024.

Zhang, S., Wu, S. Q. Y., Hum, M., Perumal, J., Tan, E. Y., Lee, A. S. G., Teng, J., Dinish, U. S., & Olivo, M. (2024). Complete characterization of RNA biomarker fingerprints using a multi-modal ATR-FTIR and SERS approach for label-free early breast cancer diagnosis. RSC advances, 14(5), 3599-3610. Published on 23 Jan. 2024.

Dinish, U. S., Logan, S., Balasundaram, G., Xinhui, V. T., Vinod Ram, K., Ruochong, Z., Renzhe, B., Silvani, S., Hua Cheng, K., Xia, X., Giap Hean, G., Choolani, M., & Olivo, M. (2024). Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and imaging for non-invasive objective assessment of genitourinary syndrome of menopause: a pilot study. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 1085. Published on 11 Jan. 2024.

S. Zhang, K. Vinod Ram, Z.T. Chua, C.Y.Foo, P. Jayakumar*, U. S Dinish *, M. Olivo*, "Biophotonics Technologies for the Detection of VOCs in Healthcare Applications: Are We There Yet?" Applied Physics Reviews, vol. 10, no. 3, p. 031304, Published 21 Jul. 2023.

Y. Qi, R. Zhang, P. Rajarahm, S. Zhang, A. B. Ebrahim Attia, R. Bi*, and M. Olivo, "Simultaneous Dual-Wavelength Source Raman Spectroscopy with a Handheld Confocal Probe for Analysis of the Chemical Composition of In Vivo Human Skin," Analytical Chemistry, vol. 95, no. 12, pp. 5240–5247, Published on 17 Mar. 2023.

Shuyan Zhang, Qing Yang Steve Wu, Yi Fan Chen, Melissa Hum, Dave Chi Lok Wong, Ern Yu Tan, Ann Siew Gek Lee*, Jinghua Teng*, Dinish U.S* and Malini Olivo*, “Label-free detection of MiRNA biomarkers using broadband multi-resonant infrared metasurfaces for early breast cancer diagnosis”, Nanoscale, vol. 15, no. 23, pp. 10057–10066, Published on 24 May 2023.

Zhang, S., Bi, R., Zhang, R., Qi, Y., Salim, R. B. S. M., & Olivo, M. (2022). An all metasurface-based fiber needle probe for Raman spectroscopy. Frontiers in Physics, 10, 1093284. Published on 20 Dec. 2022.

Choo, T. W. J., Zhang, R., Bi, R., & Olivo, M. (2022). Experimental characterization of diffuse speckle pulsatile flowmetry system. Frontiers in Physics, 10, 1006484. Published on 26 Sept. 2022.

Xiuting Li, Mohesh Moothanchery, Cheng Yi Kwa, Wan Ling Tan, Yik Weng Yew, Steven Tien Guan Thng, U.S. Dinish, Amalina Binte Ebrahim Attia, Malini Olivo. “Multispectral raster-scanning optoacoustic mesoscopy differentiate lesional from non-lesional atopic dermatitis skin using structural and functional imaging markers.” Photoacoustics, DOI: 10.1016/j.pacs.2022.100399. Published on 27 Aug. 2022.

Mohesh Moothanchery, Jayakumar Perumal, Aniza Puteri Mahyuddin, Gurpreet Singh, Mahesh Choolani, Malini Olivo*. Rapid and sensitive detection of ovarian cancer biomarker using a portable single peak Raman detection method. Sci Rep 12, 12459 (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13859-x. Published on 21 Jul. 2022.

Yonggeng Goh, Ghayathri Balasundaram, Hui Min Tan, Thomas Choudary Putti, Siau Wei Tang, Celene Wei Qi Ng, Shaik Ahmad Buhari, Eric Fang, Mohesh Moothanchery, Renzhe Bi, Malini Olivo*, Swee Tian Quek. “Biochemical "decoding" of breast ultrasound images with optoacoustic tomography fusion: First-in-human display of lipid and collagen signals on breast ultrasound.” Photoacoustics, DOI: 10.1016/j.pacs.2022.100377. Published on 15 Jun. 2022.

Jayakumar Perumal, Hann Qian Lim, Amalina Binte Ebrahim Attia, Riazul Raziq, David Ian Leavesley, Zee Upton, U S Dinish, Malini Olivo*. “Novel Cellulose Fibre-Based Flexible Plasmonic Membrane for Point-of-Care SERS Biomarker Detection in Chronic Wound Healing,” International Journal of Nanomedicine 2021; 16: 5869-5878 DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S303130. Published on 27 Aug. 2021.

Ruochong Zhang, Renzhe Bi, Chris Ho Jun Hui, Poongkulali Rajarahm, U.S. Dinish, and Malini Olivo*. "A Portable Ultrawideband Confocal Raman Spectroscopy System with a Handheld Probe for Skin Studies", ACS Sensors. 2021, 6, 8, 2960–2966, DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.1c00761. Published on 11 Aug. 2021.

Amalina Binte Ebrahim Attia, Mohesh Moothanchery, Xiuting Li, Yik Weng Yew, Steven Tien Guan Thng, U.S. Dinish, Malini Olivo. “Microvascular imaging and monitoring of hemodynamic changes in the skin during arterial-venous occlusion using multispectral raster-scanning optoacoustic mesoscopy,” Photoacoustics. 2021; 22: 100268. DOI: 10.1016/j.pacs.2021.100268. Published on 20 Apr. 2021.

Jayakumar Perumal, Yusong Wang, Amalina Binte Ebrahim Attia, U.S. Dinish *, Malini Olivo* (*joint corresponding authors). “Towards point-of-care SERS sensor for biomedical and food analysis applications: a review of recent advancements,” Nanoscale. 2021; 13(2): 553-580. DOI: 10.1039/D0NR06832B. Published on 8 Dec. 2020. 

Yew, Y.W., Dinish, U., Kuan, A.H.Y., Li, X., Dev, K., Attia, A.B.E., Bi, R., Moothanchery, M., Balasundaram, G., Aguirre, J. and Ntziachristos, V. (2020). Raster-scanning optoacoustic mesoscopy (RSOM) imaging as an objective disease severity tool in atopic dermatitis patients. J. Am. Acad. Dermatol, 84, 1121-1123. Published on 16 Jun. 2020.

Renzhe Bi, Yao Du, Gurpreet Singh, Chris Jun-Hui Ho, Shuyan Zhang, Amalina Binte Ebrahim Attia, Xiuting Li, Malini Olivo. “Fast pulsatile blood flow measurement in deep tissue through a multimode fiber,” Journal of Biomedical Optics, 2020; 25(5): 055003. DOI: 10.1117/1.JBO.25.5.055003. Published on 13 May 2020.

Jayakumar Perumal, Aniza Mahyuddin, Ghayathri Balasundaram, Douglas Goh, U.S. Dinish, Mahesh Choolani and Malini Olivo. “SERS-Based Detection of Haptoglobin in Ovarian Cyst Fluid as a Point-of-Care Diagnostic Assay for Epithelial Ovarian cancer,” Cancer Management and Research, 2019, 2019(11), Pages 1115-1124. Published on 31 Jan. 2019.

 

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