Engineering prof named SPIE Fellow

By Mark Reid

A University of Calgary professor has been named as a fellow of the prestigious International Society for Optical Engineering.

Rangaraj M. Rangayyan, a professor in the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, was chosen to be a SPIE Fellow in recognition of his “numerous contributions” to the fields of biomedical signal and image analysis.
“ This annual recognition of Fellows provides an opportunity for us to acknowledge outstanding members for their service to the general optics community,” said SPIE President Anthony Maria.

The International Society of Optical Engineering annually honours researchers and scholars who make significant and technical contributions in the fields of optics, photonics and imaging.

With his selection, Rangayyan joins more than 450 scholars worldwide who have also been named SPIE fellows.

Rangayyan was cited for his outstanding work in the fields of biomedical signal and image analysis.

His numerous contributions to the field include the development of methods of computer-aided diagnosis of breast cancer and knee-joint cartilage pathology.
A method for contrast enhancement mammograms, developed by Rangayyan, has allowed radiologists to differentiate between malignant and non-malignant disease of the breast, leading to earlier detection of breast cancer than was possible with original films.

Rangayyan has also developed other methods for detection and analysis of breast cancer signs, such as calcifications of tumors .

His work on knee-joint cartilage pathology included development of methods for non-invasive computer-aided diagnosis via analysis of joint vibration signals, which could be used to monitor the effectiveness of treatment.

In addition to research and development work, Rangayyan is very active teaching courses, research seminars and tutorials.