Francesco Saverio Pavone

Dr. Francesco Saverio Pavone- LENS - European Laboratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopy, University of Florence

From Brain Structure to Biomarkers: AI-Driven Multimodal Imaging and Liquid Biopsy for Human Brain Mapping

 

Abstract:

 

This seminar will present an innovative multimodal approach to the study of the human brain, based on the integration of advanced 3D imaging techniques and AI-assisted data analysis. A central focus will be the extraction of structural features through the coregistration of optical imaging, OCT, and MRI, enabling the investigation of brain organization across multiple spatial scales. Particular attention will be devoted to the mapping of cells, vascular architecture, and fiber pathways, highlighting how these features can be reconstructed and interpreted to improve our understanding of brain structure in health and disease.

The seminar will also discuss the role of artificial intelligence in supporting image registration, segmentation, and multimodal feature extraction, showing how AI tools can enhance the value of neuroimaging data and reveal patterns that are not easily accessible through conventional analysis alone. This integrated framework offers new opportunities to connect microscopic and macroscopic information, strengthening the biological interpretation of MRI findings.

In addition, the seminar will introduce emerging strategies for liquid biopsy based on plasma, cerebrospinal fluid, and saliva, and will examine how these biomarkers can be related to imaging datasets. The possibility of linking molecular information from biofluids with structural signatures derived from MRI and optical methods represents a promising step toward less invasive and more accessible diagnostic approaches.

A key translational perspective of the seminar will concern neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. In this context, the combination of optical biopsy, liquid biopsy, and multimodal imaging may help reduce dependence on repeated MRI or PET examinations, while still providing clinically meaningful information for diagnosis and disease monitoring. Overall, the seminar will outline a vision for future diagnostic workflows in which imaging and molecular data are brought together to generate more precise, scalable, and patient-friendly tools for brain research and clinical practice.

Bioscketch:

Pavone’s research activity spans a broad and highly interdisciplinary spectrum, ranging from single-molecule biophysics to biomedical imaging, neuroimaging, and big data machine learning. A unifying element across these areas is the development of advanced optical and computational methods to investigate complex biological systems at multiple scales, from individual molecules to tissues and the human brain. Overall, Pavone’s research is characterized by the integration of photonics, imaging, and artificial intelligence to create innovative tools for the study of biological complexity and for advanced applications in biomedicine and neuroscience.

Pavone is the Leader of the Italian node EBRAINS Research Infrastructure and the Italian delegate in the Board of Directors of the EurobioImaging Research Infrastructure. He is a member of the evaluation panel of the European Research Council (PE3) and the DFG (Germany), a fellow of SPIE, AIMBE, and OSA. In 2024, he was awarded the Enrico Fermi Prize by the Italian Physical Society. Pavone has also founded multiple companies: Light4tech(ww.l4t.it) in 2005, Emoled (www.emoled.com) in 2016, and NSight Dynamics srl in 2025.