Curriculum vitae

Jenu Varghese Chacko · Scientist, Optics and Imaging

Cell Imaging · Laboratory for Optical and Computational Instrumentation (LOCI) · University of Wisconsin–Madison

I specialize in optical instrumentation and data-driven biomedical imaging, including microscope development and autofluorescence techniques for assessing tissue metabolism.

Email · GitHub · LinkedIn · ORCID · PubMed · Publications on Google Scholar · Peer review record

Education

• 2011–2014 · PhD in NanoSciences, University of Genoa and Italian Institute of Technology, Genoa, Italy. With Benjamin Harke and Alberto Diaspro.
• 2004–2009 · Integrated MSc in Photonics, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin, India. Five-year integrated master’s degree.

Research appointments

• 2017–present · University of Wisconsin–Madison, LOCI and Cell and Molecular Biology. Scientist II (2019–present); Postdoctoral Scholar in Quantitative Cell Imaging (2017–2019). With Kevin Eliceiri.
• 2014–2017 · Postdoctoral Scholar in Biomedical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering and Laboratory for Fluorescence Dynamics, University of California, Irvine. With Michelle Digman and Enrico Gratton.
• 2009–2010 · Research Fellow in Microscopy, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India. Supervised by Sudipta Maiti.

Methods and software

• Fluorescence: TR-anisotropy, FLIM, FCS, iPCF, iMSD, PCF, N&B and ICS.
• Imaging: multiphoton and confocal microscopy, STED, AFM, STORM/PALM, SHG, THG and Raman.
• Optics: 3D orbital tracking, W-FLIM, OPO and MIRA/Tsunami.
• Programming: Python, Java, C/C++, JavaScript and MATLAB.

Editorial roles

• Editor, Microscopy Research and Technique (Wiley).
• Editor, Scientific Reports (Springer Nature).
• Topical Advisory Panel, Biology (MDPI).

Professional service and recognition

• October 2026–present · ERB member, QUAREP-LiMi, through participation in Working Group 15 on fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM).
• Co-chaired the UW Academic Staff Research Professor Titles ad hoc committee, 2025.
• Session chair, 30th year of the Multiphoton Imaging Conference, BIOS, SPIE, 2020.
• Selected as a top reviewer in Cross-Field, September 2019.
• Reviewed more than 300 papers as of October 2025.
• Centre for Complex Biological Systems Career Opportunity Award, 2016.
• International Students Travel Award for the Biophysical Meeting, 2014.

Primary and co-primary author publications

Full publication list and citation record: Google Scholar · ORCID.

• Hyperdimensional Imaging Contrast Using an Optical Fiber. Chacko, J.V., Lee H.N., Wu W., Otegui M.S., Eliceiri K.W. Sensors 21.4 (2021): 1201
• A Shift in Central Metabolism Accompanies Virulence Activation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Perinbam K. & Chacko, J.V., Kannan K., Digman M.A., Siryaporn A. Mbio 11 (2), 2020
• NAD(P)H fluorescence lifetime measurements in fixed biological tissues Chacko, J.V., and Eliceiri, K.W. Methods Appl. Fluoresc.,7(5),2019
• Autofluorescence Lifetime Imaging of cellular metabolism: Sensitivity towards cell density, pH, intracellular and intercellular heterogeneity. Chacko, J.V., and Eliceiri, K.W. Cytometry: Part A 2018.
• Feasibility study on mouse live imaging after spinal cord injury and poly(lactide-co-glycolide) bridge implantation. Anzalone, A. & Chacko, J.V., Nishi, R.A., Dumont, C., Smith, D., Shea, L.D., Digman, M.A., Cummings, B.J., and Anderson, A.J. J. Biomed. Opt. 23(6) 2018
• Single–particle analysis unveils dynamics of parvovirus capsid passage through nuclear pore complex. Mäntylä, E. & Chacko, J.V., Aho, V., Parrish, C.R., Shahin, V., Kann, M., Digman, M.A., Gratton, E., and Vihinen-Ranta, M. Scientific Reports, 2018.
• Cellular level nanomanipulation using atomic force microscope aided with superresolution imaging. Chacko, J.V., Harke, B., Canale, C., and Diaspro, A. J. Biomed. Opt. 19(10) 105003. 2014.
• Probing cellular structures by coupling optical super-resolution and atomic force microscopy techniques for a correlative approach. Chacko, J.V., Zanacchi, F.C., and Diaspro, A. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken, NJ); 2013.
• Sub-Diffraction Nano Manipulation Using STED AFM Chacko J.V., Canale, C., Harke, B., and Diaspro, A. PLoS ONE 8(6), 2013.
• A novel nanoscopic tool by combining AFM with STED microscopy Harke, B., Chacko, J.V., Haschke, H., Canale, C. and Diaspro, A. Optical Nanoscopy 1, article 3 (2012).

Book chapters

• Fluorescence Lifetime: Techniques, Analysis, and Applications in the Life Sciences Chacko, J.V. , Sagar M.A.K., Eliceiri K.W. Imaging from Cells to Animals In Vivo (2020): 141.
• Nanobiophotonics and fluorescence nanoscopy in 2020: Book Chapter (6, NanoOptics) Chacko, J.V. Nano-Optics: Fundamentals, Experimental Methods, Elsevier, 2020
• Correlative Nanoscopy: AFM- STED/STORM -Chapter 8 Chacko, J.V, Zanacchi, F.C., Harke, B., Diaspro, A., Canale, C. Super-Resolution Imaging in Biomedicine, 2016.

Selected collaborative publications

• The autophagy receptor NBR1 directs the clearance of photodamaged chloroplasts Lee, H. N., Chacko J.V., Solís A.G., Chen K., Barros JAS, Signorelli S., Millar AH, Vierstra RD, Eliceiri K.W. Otegui M.S. Elife 12 (2023): e86030.
• Hardware-software co-design of an open-source automatic multimodal whole slide histopathology imaging system Li B, Nelson MS, Chacko JV, Cudworth N, Eliceiri KW. J. of Biomedical Optics 28(2),026501(2023)
• Optical fiber-based dispersion for spectral discrimination in fluorescence lifetime imaging Sagar M.A.K., Dai B., Chacko J.V., Weber J.J, Velten,A., Sanders S.T, White J.G, Eliceiri K.W. J. of Biomedical Optics, 25(1), 014506 (2019)
• Optimization of interstrand interactions enables burn detection with a collagen-mimetic peptide Dones, J.M., Tanrikulu,I.C., Chacko, J.V., Schroeder,A.B., Hoang,T.T., Gibson,A.L.F., Eliceiri,K.W., Raines R.T. Org. Biomol. Chem., 2019, 17, 9906-9912
• Nonparametric empirical Bayesian framework for fluorescence-lifetime imaging microscopy Wang S, Chacko, J.V., Sagar M.A.K., Eliceiri K.W., and Yuan M. Biomed. Opt. Express 10(5497),2019
• Coding Scheme Optimization for Fast Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging: Lee, J., Chacko, J.V., Dai, B., Reza, S.A., Sagar, A.K., Eliceiri, K.W., Velten, A., and Gupta, M. ACM Trans. Graph. 38(3), 26:1–26:16, 2019.
• Mechano-Responsive Stem Cells to Target Cancer Metastases Through Biophysical Cues: Liu, L., Zhang, S.X., Liao, W., Farhoodi, H.P., Wong, C.W., Chen, C.C., Ségaliny, A.I., Chacko, J.V., Nguyen, L.P., Lu, M., Polovin, G., Pone, E.J., Downing, T.L., Lawson, D.A., Digman,M.A, Zhao, W. Science translational medicine, 2017.
• Elucidation of Exosome Migration Across the Blood-Brain Barrier Model In Vitro: Chen, C.C., Liu, L., Ma, F., Wong, C.W., Guo, X.E., Chacko, J.V., Farhoodi, H.P., Zhang, S.X., Zimak, J., Ségaliny, A., Riazifar, M., Pham, V., Digman, M.A., Pone E.J., Zhao, W. Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering, 1-21, Springer US,2016.
• Ultra-compact alignment-free single molecule fluorescence device with a foldable light path: Singh, N.K., Chacko, J.V., Sreenivasan, V.K., Nag, S., and Maiti, S. Journal of Biomedical Optics 16,025004 ,2011.

Selected conference presentations

• Autofluorescence lifetime imaging with low photon budget Optical Biopsy XXI: Toward Real-Time Spectroscopic Imaging and Diagnosis, SPIE Photonics West: PC123730E (Mar 6 2023).
• Hyper-dimensional Autofluorescence Imaging Multiphoton Microscopy in the Biomedical Sciences XX SPIE Photonics West BIOS: Paper 11244-112 Feb 2020
• A Novel Anisotropy Imaging Technique for NAD(P)H Autofluorescence Microscopy and Microanalysis Meeting 2019 : V2,S2, August 2019
• STED-AFM: Tip Probing Enhanced by Super-Resolved Targeting. Biophysical Journal Society Meeting 2014 : BPJ, 102 (2012): 224

Patent-related work

• Siryaporn, A., Digman, M., Chacko, J.V., Perinbam, K., Kannan, A., Hochbaum, A. and Whiteson, K. The Regents of the University of California, 2021. Compositions and methods for inhibiting bacterial virulence and Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy-based device and method for antibiotic susceptibility testing.

Curriculum vitae · Editorial service updated October 2026 · Review count reported as of October 2025.