Bhaskar Banerjee

Interests

Teaching

Education of fellows in gastroenterology. Clinical teaching of residents and medical students. Training of students outside of medicine, in multi-disciplinary approach to solving clinical challenges.

Research

Development of biomedical optical systemsMulti- photon imaging Multi-spectral and hyper-spectral imagingNative fluorescence of tissues and cells and their mathematical computation

Courses

No activities entered.

Scholarly Contributions

Books

• Banerjee, B. (2010). National Management of Digestive Disorders.

Chapters

• Kathi, P., Babaria, R., & Banerjee, B. (2021). Imact of Heliobacter pylori on human physiology and digestive disorders.. In Nutrition and Functional Foods in Boosting Digestion, Metabolism and Immune Health(pp 193-202). Elsevier.
• Tiwari, P., Kaur, M., & Banerjee, B. (2010). Management of Chronic Malabsorption. In Nutritional Management of Digestive Disorders. CRC Press. doi:10.1201/9781420086553-13

Journals/Publications

• Farshidpour, M., Kim, D., Farshidpour, M., & Banerjee, B. (2020). S0163 Pathological and Endoscopic Significance of Bowel Wall Thickening on Abdominal Computed Tomography in Patient With Negative History of Gastrointestinal Disease. The American Journal of Gastroenterology, 115(1). doi:10.14309/01.ajg.0000702700.10361.e4
• Pham, T., Banerjee, B., Mehrevar S,, S., Cromey, B., Amirsolaimani, B., Skovan, B., Chen, H., & Kieu, K. (2020). Feasibility of multi-photon microscopy to facilitate surgical margin assessment in pancreatic cancer. Applied Optics, 59, 1-7.
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  http://ao.osa.org/abstract.cfm?URI=ao-59-22-G1
• Wycoff, J. N., Thompson, C., Nguyen, V., Kim, D., Kathi, P., Fotouhie, A., & Banerjee, B. (2020). Sa1664 MINIATURIZED MULTI-VIEW IMAGING DEVICE TO IMPROVE COLON POLYP DETECTION. Gastroenterology, 158(6), S-374. doi:10.1016/s0016-5085(20)31628-0
• Kim, D., Stavrakis, D., Roe, D. J., Kim, D. H., Cui, H., & Banerjee, B. (2019). 317 Increased Interval Between Screening and Surveillance Colonoscopy Is Associated With Decreased Withdrawal Time. The American Journal of Gastroenterology, 114(1), S187-S188. doi:10.14309/01.ajg.0000590800.44182.40
• Kim, D., Wycoff, J. N., Kim, D. H., Kemmerly, T., Hu, C., Banerjee, B., & Aggarwal, A. (2019). Su2059 – Novel Multi-View Imaging Device to Improve Colon Polyp Detection. Gastroenterology, 156(6), S-701. doi:10.1016/s0016-5085(19)38681-0
• Stavrakis, D., Roe, D. J., Kim, D. H., Cui, H., & Banerjee, B. (2019). 316 Colonoscopic Withdrawal Patterns in a Tertiary Academic Medical Center. The American Journal of Gastroenterology, 114(1), S186-S187. doi:10.14309/01.ajg.0000590796.67053.62
• Stavrakis, D., Roe, D. J., Kim, D., Cui, H., & Banerjee, B. (2019). Sa1047 SHORTER CECAL INTUBATION TIMES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH COLONOSCOPIES SCHEDULED EARLIER IN THE DAY, BUT NOT HIGHER ADENOMA DETECTION RATE. Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, 89(6), AB153-AB154. doi:10.1016/j.gie.2019.03.065
• Cromey, B., McDaniel, A., Matsunaga, T., Vagner, J., Kieu, K. Q., & Banerjee, B. (2018). Pancreatic cancer cell detection by targeted lipid microbubbles and multiphoton imaging. Journal of biomedical optics, 23(4), 1-8.
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  Surgical resection of pancreatic cancer represents the only chance of cure and long-term survival in this common disease. Unfortunately, determination of a cancer-free margin at surgery is based on one or two tiny frozen section biopsies, which is far from ideal. Not surprisingly, cancer is usually left behind and is responsible for metastatic disease. We demonstrate a method of receptor-targeted imaging using peptide ligands, lipid microbubbles, and multiphoton microscopy that could lead to a fast and accurate way of examining the entire cut surface during surgery. Using a plectin-targeted microbubble, we performed a blinded in-vitro study to demonstrate avid binding of targeted microbubbles to pancreatic cancer cells but not noncancerous cell lines. Further work should lead to a much-needed point-of-care diagnostic test for determining clean margins in oncologic surgery.
• Kim, D. H., Junna, S., Golden, T., & Banerjee, B. (2018). A Rare Case of an Aggressive Duodenal Neuroendocrine Tumor (NET): 2550. The American Journal of Gastroenterology, 113(Supplement), S1420. doi:10.14309/00000434-201810001-02549
• Kim, D. H., Junna, S., Golden, T., & Banerjee, B. (2018). Spinal Metastases: An Initial Presenting Sign of Signet Ring Cell Adenocarcinoma: 2668. The American Journal of Gastroenterology, 113(Supplement), S1487. doi:10.14309/00000434-201810001-02667
• Banerjee, B., Medda, B. K., Zhang, J., Tuchscherer, V., Babygirija, R., Kannampalli, P., Sengupta, J. N., & Shaker, R. (2016). Prolonged esophageal acid exposures induce synaptic downscaling of cortical membrane AMPA receptor subunits in rats. Neurogastroenterology and motility : the official journal of the European Gastrointestinal Motility Society, 28(9), 1356-69.
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  We recently reported the involvement of AMPA (α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid) receptor subunit upregulation and phosphorylation in the rostral cingulate cortex (rCC) as the underlying mechanism of acute esophageal acid-induced cortical sensitization. Based on these findings, we proposed to investigate whether prolonged esophageal acid exposures in rats exhibit homeostatic synaptic scaling through downregulation of AMPA receptor expression in rCC neurons. We intended to study further whether this compensatory mechanism is impaired when rats are pre-exposed to repeated esophageal acid exposures neonatally during neuronal development.
• Banerjee, B., Shaheen, N. J., Martinez, J. A., Hsu, C., Trowers, E., Gibson, B. A., Della'Zanna, G., Richmond, E., & Chow, H. S. (2016). Clinical Study of Ursodeoxycholic Acid in Barrett's Esophagus Patients. Cancer prevention research (Philadelphia, Pa.), 9(7), 528-33.
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  Prior research strongly implicates gastric acid and bile acids, two major components of the gastroesophageal refluxate, in the development of Barrett's esophagus and its pathogenesis. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), a hydrophilic bile acid, has been shown to protect esophageal cells against oxidative stress induced by cytotoxic bile acids. We conducted a pilot clinical study to evaluate the clinical activity of UDCA in patients with Barrett's esophagus. Twenty-nine patients with Barrett's esophagus received UDCA treatment at a daily dose of 13 to 15 mg/kg/day for 6 months. The clinical activity of UDCA was assessed by evaluating changes in gastric bile acid composition and markers of oxidative DNA damage (8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine), cell proliferation (Ki67), and apoptosis (cleaved caspase-3) in Barrett's esophagus epithelium. The bile acid concentrations in gastric fluid were measured by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. At baseline, UDCA (sum of unchanged and glycine/taurine conjugates) accounted for 18.2% of total gastric bile acids. After UDCA intervention, UDCA increased significantly to account for 93.4% of total gastric bile acids (P < 0.0001). The expression of markers of oxidative DNA damage, cell proliferation, and apoptosis was assessed in the Barrett's esophagus biopsies by IHC. The selected tissue biomarkers were unchanged after 6 months of UDCA intervention. We conclude that high-dose UDCA supplementation for 6 months resulted in favorable changes in gastric bile acid composition but did not modulate selected markers of oxidative DNA damage, cell proliferation, and apoptosis in the Barrett's esophagus epithelium. Cancer Prev Res; 9(7); 528-33. ©2016 AACRSee related article by Brian J. Reid, p. 512.
• Bhattacharyya, A. K., Jayaraj, M., Bhattacharyya, A. K., & Banerjee, B. (2016). Duodenal Villous Blunting: Hint for Underlying Malignancy: 2234. The American Journal of Gastroenterology, 111, S1073-S1074. doi:10.14309/00000434-201610001-02234
• Harpel, K., Baker, R. D., Amirsolaimani, B., Mehravar, S., Vagner, J., Matsunaga, T. O., Banerjee, B., & Kieu, K. (2016). Imaging of targeted lipid microbubbles to detect cancer cells using third harmonic generation microscopy. Biomedical optics express, 7(7), 2849-60.
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  The use of receptor-targeted lipid microbubbles imaged by ultrasound is an innovative method of detecting and localizing disease. However, since ultrasound requires a medium between the transducer and the object being imaged, it is impractical to apply to an exposed surface in a surgical setting where sterile fields need be maintained and ultrasound gel may cause the bubbles to collapse. Multiphoton microscopy (MPM) is an emerging tool for accurate, label-free imaging of tissues and cells with high resolution and contrast. We have recently determined a novel application of MPM to be used for detecting targeted microbubble adherence to the upregulated plectin-receptor on pancreatic tumor cells. Specifically, the third-harmonic generation response can be used to detect bound microbubbles to various cell types presenting MPM as an alternative and useful imaging method. This is an interesting technique that can potentially be translated as a diagnostic tool for the early detection of cancer and inflammatory disorders.
• Liu, Z., Gray, B. D., Barber, C., Bernas, M., Cai, M., Furenlid, L. R., Rouse, A., Patel, C., Banerjee, B., Liang, R., Gmitro, A. F., Witte, M. H., Pak, K. Y., & Woolfenden, J. M. (2016). Characterization of TCP-1 probes for molecular imaging of colon cancer. Journal of controlled release : official journal of the Controlled Release Society.
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  Molecular probes capable of detecting colorectal cancer (CRC) are needed for early CRC diagnosis. The objective of this study was to characterize c[CTPSPFSHC]OH (TCP-1), a small peptide derived from phage display selection, for targeting human CRC xenografts using technetium-99m ((99m)Tc)-labeled TCP-1 and fluorescent cyanine-7 (Cy7)-labeled form of the peptide (Cy7-TCP-1). (99m)Tc-TCP-1 was generated by modifying TCP-1 with succinimidyl-6-hydrazino-nicotinamide (S-HYNIC) followed by radiolabeling. In vitro saturation binding experiments were performed for (99m)Tc-TCP-1 in human HCT116 colon cancer cells. SCID mice with human HCT116 cancer xenografts were imaged with (99m)Tc-TCP-1 or control peptide using a small-animal SPECT imager: Group I (n=5) received no blockade; Group II (n=5) received a blocking dose of non-radiolabeled TCP-1. Group III (n=5) were imaged with (99m)Tc-labeled control peptide (inactive peptide). SCID mice with human PC3 prostate cancer xenografts (Group IV, n=5) were also imaged with (99m)Tc-TCP-1. Eight additional SCID mice bearing HCT116 xenografts in dorsal skinfold window chambers (DSWC) were imaged by direct positron imaging of (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) and fluorescence microscopy of Cy7-TCP-1. In vitro(99m)Tc-HYNIC-TCP-1 binding assays on HCT 116 cells indicated a mean Kd of 3.04±0.52nM. In cancer xenografts, (99m)Tc-TCP-1 radioactivity (%ID/g) was 1.01±0.15 in the absence of blockade and was reduced to 0.26±0.04 (P
• Liu, Z., Gray, B. D., Barber, C., Cai, M., Bernas, M., Furenlid, L. R., Rouse, A. R., Patel, C., Banerjee, B., Liang, R., Gmitro, A. F., Witte, M. H., Pak, K. Y., & Woolfenden, J. M. (2016). Characterization of TCP-1 molecular imaging probes in mouse models with xenografted human colon cancer.. J Control Release, 239, 223-230.
• Mehravar, S., Banerjee, B., Chatrath, H., Amirsolaimani, B., Patel, K., Patel, C., Norwood, R. A., Peyghambarian, N., & Kieu, K. (2016). Label-free multi-photon imaging of dysplasia in Barrett's esophagus. Biomedical optics express, 7(1), 148-57.
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  Barrett's esophagus (BE) is a metaplastic disorder where dysplastic and early cancerous changes are invisible to the naked eye and where the practice of blind biopsy is hampered by large sampling errors. Multi-photon microscopy (MPM) has emerged as an alternative solution for fast and label-free diagnostic capability for identifying the histological features with sub-micron accuracy. We developed a compact, inexpensive MPM system by using a handheld mode-locked fiber laser operating at 1560nm to study mucosal biopsies of BE. The combination of back-scattered THG, back-reflected forward THG and SHG signals generate images of cell nuclei and collagen, leading to label-free diagnosis in Barrett's.
• Pham, T. N., Mehravar, S., Kieu, K., Banerjee, B., & Amirsolaimani, B. (2016). Su2074 Label-Free Multi-Photon Microscopy As a Diagnostic Imaging Modality for Pancreatic Cancer. Gastroenterology, 150(4), S628. doi:10.1016/s0016-5085(16)32156-4
• Tey, K. R., Kemmerly, T., & Banerjee, B. (2016). NSAID-induced pyloric stenosis leading to oesophageal intramucosal dissection. BMJ case reports, 2016.
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  We describe a rare case of a 75-year-old woman with significant non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use who presented with haematemesis. Upper endoscopy revealed a large (9 cm) intramucosal dissection of the oesophagus without extension into the gastro-oesophageal junction and a severely narrowed pylorus. We postulate that she developed pyloric stenosis due to peptic ulcer disease from chronic NSAID use. This then led to gastro-oesophageal reflux. Undigested pills in the refluxate had contacted oesophageal mucosa, leading to pill-induced oesophageal injury. This, along with vomiting, is postulated to have led to the oesophageal intramucosal dissection. She improved with conservative medical management with a clear liquid diet and proton pump inhibitors, and a follow-up upper endoscopy 1 week later showed recovery of the previously seen intramucosal dissection.
• Banerjee, B. (2015). Bridging the gap in colonoscopy with optical and engineering solutions. Proceedings of SPIE, 9315. doi:10.1117/12.2083564
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  Colonoscopy is the preferred procedure for the detection, biopsy and removal of neoplastic lesions of the colon. It is estimated that about 14 million colonoscopies will have been performed in the US in 2014. The number of patients undergoing colonoscopy worldwide is also increasing, however, the procedure is far from perfect and recent studies have questioned its impact on colon cancer prevention, particularly in the proximal colon. Whereas standard endoscopes are designed to provide a view of a cylindrical lumen, the colon is not a simple hollow tube, but a tortuous organ with many folds that can prevent polyps from being seen. Poor color contrast of some flat lesions also make detection more difficult. A number of techniques have been developed to increase the surface area of the colon viewed, from accessories that can be used with existing colonoscopes to new endoscopy systems. Methods to improve lesion contrast are also being developed. The ideal device should not only maximize the surface of the colon viewed and improve lesion contrast to aid detection, but should do so inexpensively and without increasing the complexity and duration of the procedure. Healthcare reform will soon require endoscopists to report the quality of their procedures, as measured by individual rates of adenoma detection. Therefor the need to develop new devices that improve lesion detection is profound, but for any product to be clinically assimilated, it needs to be easy to use and affordable.
• Banerjee, B. (2015). Compact dual-view endoscope without field obscuration. Journal of Biomedical Optics. 2015: 20(7): 076007,1-4.. Journal of Biomedical Optics.
• Katkam, R., Banerjee, B., Huang, C. Y., Zhu, X., Ocampo, L., Kincade, J., & Liang, R. (2015). Compact dual-view endoscope without field obscuration. Journal of biomedical optics, 20(7), 76007.
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  We have developed a compact dual-view endoscopic probe without field obscuration to address the need of simultaneously observing forward and backward fields of view (FOVs) in the colon. The objective is compact with the forward-view and rear-view optical paths sharing the same optical elements. The compact objective is new in that no FOV is blocked. The illumination for forward-view imaging is provided by the cylindrical light guide and backward illumination is achieved with a reflector. We have designed, prototyped, and tested the endoscope by comparing it to a standard clinical colonoscope. We will discuss the system concept, objective design, fabrication of the freeform lens, and test results.
• Liang, R., Chen, Z., Chatrath, H., & Banerjee, B. (2014). Su2015 Polarized Light Imaging for Detection of Aberrant Cryptic Foci (ACF). Gastroenterology, 146(5), S-523. doi:10.1016/s0016-5085(14)61894-1
• Murakami, T., Banerjee, B., & Ozden, N. (2014). Novel use of a self-expanding metal stent for an esophageal stricture after radiofrequency ablation treatment of Barrett's esophagus. Endoscopy, 46 Suppl 1 UCTN, E269-70.
• Peyghambarian, N., Mehravar, S., Kieu, K., & Banerjee, B. (2014). Multiphoton imaging with compact femtosecond fiber lasers. Frontiers in Optics. doi:10.1364/fio.2014.ftu4f.4
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  We discuss the development of compact, affordable multiphoton microscopes using robust femtosecond fiber lasers as the excitation source. Application in brain imaging and Barrett’s cancer imaging will be presented.
• Banerjee, B., Rial, N. S., Renkoski, T., Graves, L. R., Reid, S. A., Hu, C., Tsikitis, V. L., Nfonsom, V., Pugh, J., & Utzinger, U. (2013). Enhanced visibility of colonic neoplasms using formulaic ratio imaging of native fluorescence. Lasers in surgery and medicine, 45(9), 573-81.
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  Colonoscopy is the preferred method for colon cancer screening, but can miss polyps and flat neoplasms with low color contrast. The objective was to develop a new autofluorescence method that improves image contrast of colonic neoplasms.
• Gavini, H., Ozden, N., Murakami, T., Gavini, H., & Banerjee, B. (2013). Novel Use of Metal Stenting for an Esophageal Stricture after Radiofrequency Ablation Treatment of Barretts Esophagus: 2162. The American Journal of Gastroenterology, 108, S656. doi:10.14309/00000434-201310001-02162
• Renkoski, T. E., Banerjee, B., Graves, L. R., Rial, N. S., Reid, S. A., Tsikitis, V. L., Nfonsam, V. N., Tiwari, P., Gavini, H., & Utzinger, U. (2013). Ratio images and ultraviolet C excitation in autofluorescence imaging of neoplasms of the human colon. Journal of biomedical optics, 18(1), 16005.
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  The accepted screening technique for colon cancer is white light endoscopy. While most abnormal growths (lesions) are detected by this method, a significant number are missed during colonoscopy, potentially resulting in advanced disease. Missed lesions are often flat and inconspicuous in color. A prototype ultraviolet spectral imager measuring autofluorescence (AF) and reflectance has been developed and applied in a study of 21 fresh human colon surgical specimens. Six excitation wavelengths from 280 to 440 nm and formulaic ratio imaging were utilized to increase lesion contrast and cause neoplasms to appear bright compared to normal tissue. It was found that in the subset of lesions which were most difficult to visualize in standard color photographs [low contrast lesions, (LCLs)] a ratio image (F340/F440) of AF images excited at 340 and 440 nm produced extraordinary images and was effective in about 70% of these difficult cases. Contrast may be due to increased levels of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, increased hemoglobin absorption, and reduced signal from submucosal collagen. A second successful ratio image (R480/R555) combined two reflectance images to produce exceptional images especially in particular LCLs where F340/F440 was ineffective. The newly discovered ratio images can potentially improve detection rate in screening with a novel AF colonoscope.
• Takyar, V., Hour, B., & Banerjee, B. (2013). An Unusual Case of the Hiccups and the Blues: Blue Rubber Bleb Nevus Syndrome: 678. The American Journal of Gastroenterology, 108, S201-S202. doi:10.14309/00000434-201310001-00678
• Banerjee, B., Renkoski, T., Graves, L. R., Rial, N. S., Tsikitis, V. L., Nfonsam, V., Pugh, J., Tiwari, P., Gavini, H., & Utzinger, U. (2012). Tryptophan autofluorescence imaging of neoplasms of the human colon. Journal of biomedical optics, 17(1), 016003.
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  Detection of flat neoplasia is a major challenge in colorectal cancer screening, as missed lesions can lead to the development of an unexpected 'incident' cancer prior to the subsequent endoscopy. The use of a tryptophan-related autofluorescence has been reported to be increased in murine intestinal dysplasia. The emission spectra of cells isolated from human adenocarcinoma and normal mucosa of the colon were studied and showed markedly greater emission intensity from cancerous cells compared to cells obtained from the surrounding normal mucosa. A proto-type multispectral imaging system optimized for ultraviolet macroscopic imaging of tissue was used to obtain autofluorescence images of surgical specimens of colonic neoplasms and normal mucosa after resection. Fluorescence images did not display the expected greater emission from the tumor as compared to the normal mucosa, most probably due to increased optical absorption and scattering in the tumors. Increased fluorescence intensity in neoplasms was observed however, once fluorescence images were corrected using reflectance images. Tryptophan fluorescence alone may be useful in differentiating normal and cancerous cells, while in tissues its autofluorescence image divided by green reflectance may be useful in displaying neoplasms.
• Gavini, H., Utzinger, U., Tsikitis, V. L., Rial, N. S., Renkoski, T. E., Graves, L. R., Gavini, H., & Banerjee, B. (2012). Sa1839 Spectral Imaging of Neoplasms of the Colon by Targeting Tryptophan, FAD and Collagen. Gastroenterology, 142(5), S-338. doi:10.1016/s0016-5085(12)61275-x
• Matsunaga, T. O., Sheeran, P. S., Luois, S., Streeter, J. E., Mullin, L. B., Banerjee, B., & Dayton, P. A. (2012). Phase-change nanoparticles using highly volatile perfluorocarbons: toward a platform for extravascular ultrasound imaging. Theranostics, 2(12), 1185-98.
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  Recent efforts using perfluorocarbon (PFC) nanoparticles in conjunction with acoustic droplet vaporization has introduced the possibility of expanding the diagnostic and therapeutic capability of ultrasound contrast agents to beyond the vascular space. Our laboratories have developed phase-change nanoparticles (PCNs) from the highly volatile PFCs decafluorobutane (DFB, bp =-2 °C) and octafluoropropane (OFP, bp =-37 °C ) for acoustic droplet vaporization. Studies with commonly used clinical ultrasound scanners have demonstrated the ability to vaporize PCN emulsions with frequencies and mechanical indices that may significantly decrease tissue bioeffects. In addition, these contrast agents can be formulated to be stable at physiological temperatures and the perfluorocarbons can be mixed to modulate the balance between sensitivity to ultrasound and general stability. We herein discuss our recent efforts to develop finely-tuned diagnostic/molecular imaging agents for tissue interrogation. We discuss studies currently under investigation as well as potential diagnostic and therapeutic paradigms that may emerge as a result of formulating PCNs with low boiling point PFCs.
• Matsunaga, T. O., Witte, R. S., Skovan, B. A., Paine-murrieta, G., Ogram, E., Mckeown, K. R., Matsunaga, T. O., Ingram, P., Ignatenko, N. A., & Banerjee, B. (2012). Ultrasound imaging of the mouse pancreatic duct using lipid microbubbles. Proceedings of SPIE, 8320. doi:10.1117/12.902635
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  Research requiring the murine pancreatic duct to be imaged is often challenging due to the difficulty in selectively cannulating the pancreatic duct. We have successfully catheterized the pancreatic duct through the common bile duct in severe combined immune deficient (SCID) mice and imaged the pancreatic duct with gas filled lipid microbubbles that increase ultrasound imaging sensitivity due to exquisite scattering at the gas/liquid interface. A SCID mouse was euthanized by CO 2 , a midline abdominal incision made, the common bile duct cut at its midpoint, a 2 cm, 32 gauge tip catheter was inserted about 1 mm into the duct and tied with suture. The duodenum and pancreas were excised, removed in toto, embedded in agar and an infusion pump was used to instill normal saline or lipid-coated microbubbles (10 million / ml) into the duct. B-mode images before and after infusion of the duct with microbubbles imaged the entire pancreatic duct (~ 1 cm) with high contrast. The microbubbles were cavitated by high mechanical index (HMI) ultrasound for imaging to be repeated. Our technique of catheterization and using lipid microbubbles as a contrast agent may provide an effective, affordable technique of imaging the murine pancreatic duct; cavitation with HMI ultrasound would enable repeated imaging to be performed and clustering of targeted microbubbles to receptors on ductal cells would allow pathology to be localized accurately. This research was supported by the Experimental Mouse Shared Service of the AZ Cancer Center (Grant Number P30CA023074, NIH/NCI and the GI SPORE (NIH/NCI P50 CA95060).
• Nguyen, H. Q., Zaitlin, B., Stern, S., Ramsey, L., Prasad, A. R., Payne, C. M., Oatman, N., Nguyen, H., Nfonsam, V. N., Lewis, C., Krouse, R. S., Facista, A., Bernstein, H., Bernstein, C., & Banerjee, B. (2012). Deficient expression of DNA repair enzymes in early progression to sporadic colon cancer.. Genome integrity, 3(1), 3. doi:10.1186/2041-9414-3-3
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  Cancers often arise within an area of cells (e.g. an epithelial patch) that is predisposed to the development of cancer, i.e. a "field of cancerization" or "field defect." Sporadic colon cancer is characterized by an elevated mutation rate and genomic instability. If a field defect were deficient in DNA repair, DNA damages would tend to escape repair and give rise to carcinogenic mutations..To determine whether reduced expression of DNA repair proteins Pms2, Ercc1 and Xpf (pairing partner of Ercc1) are early steps in progression to colon cancer..Tissue biopsies were taken during colonoscopies of 77 patients at 4 different risk levels for colon cancer, including 19 patients who had never had colonic neoplasia (who served as controls). In addition, 158 tissue samples were taken from tissues near or within colon cancers removed by resection and 16 tissue samples were taken near tubulovillous adenomas (TVAs) removed by resection. 568 triplicate tissue sections (a total of 1,704 tissue sections) from these tissue samples were evaluated by immunohistochemistry for 4 DNA repair proteins. Substantially reduced protein expression of Pms2, Ercc1 and Xpf occurred in field defects of up to 10 cm longitudinally distant from colon cancers or TVAs and within colon cancers. Expression of another DNA repair protein, Ku86, was infrequently reduced in these areas. When Pms2, Ercc1 or Xpf were reduced in protein expression, then either one or both of the other two proteins most often had reduced protein expression as well. The mean inner colon circumferences, from 32 resections, of the ascending, transverse and descending/sigmoid areas were measured as 6.6 cm, 5.8 cm and 6.3 cm, respectively. When combined with other measurements in the literature, this indicates the approximate mean number of colonic crypts in humans is 10 million..The substantial deficiencies in protein expression of DNA repair proteins Pms2, Ercc1 and Xpf in about 1 million crypts near cancers and TVAs suggests that the tumors arose in field defects that were deficient in DNA repair and that deficiencies in Pms2, Ercc1 and Xpf are early steps, often occurring together, in progression to colon cancer.
• Utzinger, U., Graves, L. R., & Banerjee, B. (2012). Tryptophan Fluorescence of Cells and Tissue in Esophageal Carcinoma. IEEE Sensors Journal, 12(11), 3273-3274. doi:10.1109/jsen.2012.2212791
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  Cancer is a cellular process. The emission spectrum of tryptophan, which produces the strongest fluorescence in cells, was investigated in cells and tissues of a normal and malignant esophagus. Estimated fluorescence intensity per cell was about three times greater in cancerous cells than in normal cells. The fluorescence was also greater in cancerous tissue but the difference was attenuated, probably because of absorption and scattering. Cellular fluorescence from tryptophan may be useful for the detection of cancer in esophageal cells and tissues.
• Gavini, H., Gmitro, A. F., Rouse, A. R., Tiwari, P., Rouse, A. R., Risi, M. D., Ong, E. S., Kuczynski, J., Jie, T., Gmitro, A. F., Gavini, H., & Banerjee, B. (2011). Confocal Microscopy for the Confirmation of Tumor Free Surgical Margins in Pancreatic Cancer. Gastroenterology, 140(5), S-755. doi:10.1016/s0016-5085(11)63137-5
• Gavini, H., Matsunaga, T. O., Matsunaga, T. O., Levy, B., Kuczynski, J., Gilchrist, K., Gavini, H., & Banerjee, B. (2011). Intraductal Infusion of Lipid Microbubbles for Ultrasound Imaging of the Pancreatic Duct: 1353. The American Journal of Gastroenterology, 106, S518. doi:10.14309/00000434-201110002-01353
• Utzinger, U., Tsikitis, V. L., Tiwari, P., Renkowski, T., & Banerjee, B. (2011). Targeted Native Molecular Fluorescence Imaging of Flat Colonic Neoplasia. Gastroenterology, 140(5), S-757. doi:10.1016/s0016-5085(11)63143-0
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  Introduction: Non-polypoid (flat) colorectal neoplasia are prevalent and easily missed during colonoscopy. Missed or unseen flat neoplasia may account for some incident cancers. The routine use of chromoendoscopy during screening colonoscopy for the detection of flat neoplasia is unlikely to be widely embraced by endoscopists. A real time objective technique for detecting and visualizing flat neoplasia is needed. Background and methods: We have previously shown that fluorescence due to tryptophan is significantly increased in cancerous cells compared to normal cells of the colon. We have developed a prototype hyperspectral camera that is sensitive for short wavelength macroscopic imaging of tissue and imaged the fluorescence from tryptophan as well as three other native fluorophores. Excitation light of 280 nm, 320 nm, 340 nm, and 440 nm were used to respectively image tryptophan, collagen, NADH, and FAD fluorescence. A series of freshly resected surgical specimens of colonic mucosa were imaged within 30 minutes of resection. The raw images were corrected for background light, flat-field, absorption and source power fluctuation. Results: Of the four native molecular targets studied, tryptophan fluorescence provided the best high contrast grayscale image of flat colonic neoplasia (see Figure 1). Conclusions: Tryptophan fluorescence, the intensity of which is greater in cancerous than in normal cells, has been macroscopically imaged in the colon for the first time. Macroscopic imaging of tryptophan fluorescence appears to be a promising method for the detection and diagnosis of flat neoplasia of the colon, without the use of topical dyes or other exogenous markers such as fluorescent antibodies. The technique can be incorporated into existing endoscopes.
• Zou, J., Wang, L. V., Kuczynski, J., Garcia-uribe, A., Chang, C. C., & Banerjee, B. (2011). Pancreatic tumor margin detection by oblique incidence diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Proceedings of SPIE, 7895(13). doi:10.1117/12.875919
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  In surgical treatment of pancreatic cancers, the effectiveness of the procedures largely depends on the ability to completely and precisely remove the malignant tumors. We present the ex-vivo use of oblique incidence diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (OIRDS) to detect and differentiate normal from neoplastic tissue. An OIRDS probe has been constructed to provide scattering and absorption information of the pancreatic tissue. To reveal the physiological origin of the difference in these optical signatures, the optical scattering coefficients were extracted along the pancreatic duct with 1-cm spacing. Experimental results show that OIDRS was able to successfully determinate the tumor margins based on the higher optical scattering on malignant tissue.
• Zou, J., Yapici, M. K., Wang, L. V., Ong, E. S., Marner, E. S., Kuczynski, J., Garcia-uribe, A., Chang, C., & Banerjee, B. (2011). High-Transmission-Efficiency and Side-Viewing Micro OIDRS Probe for Fast and Minimally-Invasive Tumor Margin Detection.. IEEE sensors journal, 11(4), 891-896. doi:10.1109/jsen.2010.2076279
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  The determination of a cancer free margin I organs is a difficult and time consuming process, with an unmet need for rapid determination of tumor margin at surgery. In this paper, we report the design, fabrication and testing of a novel miniaturized optical sensor probe with "side-viewing" capability. Its unprecedented small size, unique "side-viewing" capability and high optical transmission efficiency enable the agile maneuvering and efficient data collection even in the narrow cavities inside the human body. The sensor probe consists of four micromachined substrates with optical fibers for oblique light incidence and collection of spatially resolved diffuse reflectance from the contacted tissues. The optical sensor probe has been used to conduct the oblique incidence diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (OIDRS) on a human pancreatic specimen. Based on the measurement results, the margin of the malignant tumor has been successfully determined optically, which matches well with the histological results.
• Zuckerman, G. R., Lee, A., Iskander, J. M., Gyawali, P. C., Gyawali, C. P., Gupta, N. K., Borg, B. B., & Banerjee, B. (2011). Queue position in the endoscopic schedule impacts effectiveness of colonoscopy.. The American journal of gastroenterology, 106(8), 1457-65. doi:10.1038/ajg.2011.87
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  Endoscopist fatigue potentially impacts colonoscopy. Fatigue is difficult to quantitate, but polyp detection rates between non-fatigued and fatigued time periods could represent a surrogate marker. We assessed whether timing variables impacted polyp detection rates at a busy tertiary care endoscopy suite..Consecutive patients undergoing colonoscopy were retrospectively identified. Indications, clinical demographics, pre-procedural, and procedural variables were extracted from chart review; colonoscopy findings were determined from the procedure reports. Three separate timing variables were assessed as surrogate markers for endoscopist fatigue: morning vs. afternoon procedures, start times throughout the day, and queue position, a unique variable that takes into account the number of procedures performed before the colonoscopy of interest. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine whether timing variables and other clinical, pre-procedural, and procedural variables predicted polyp detection..During the 4-month study period, 1,083 outpatient colonoscopy procedures (57.5±0.5 years, 59.5% female) were identified, performed by 28 endoscopists (mean 38.7 procedures/endoscopist), with a mean polyp detection rate of 0.851/colonoscopy. At least, one adenoma was detected in 297 procedures (27.4%). A 12.4% reduction in mean detected polyps was detected between morning and afternoon procedures (0.90±0.06 vs. 0.76±0.06, P=0.15). Using start time on a continuous scale, however, each elapsed hour in the day was associated with a 4.6% reduction in polyp detection (P=0.005). When queue position was assessed, a 5.4% reduction in polyp detection was noted with each increase in queue position (P=0.016). These results remained significant when controlled for each individual endoscopist..Polyp detection rates decline as time passes during an endoscopist's schedule, potentially from endoscopist fatigue. Queue position may be a novel surrogate measure for operator fatigue.
• Bernstein, C., Facista, A., Nguyen, H., Zaitlin, B., Hassounah, N., Loustaunau, C., Payne, C. M., Banerjee, B., Goldschmid, S., Tsikitis, V. L., Krouse, R., & Bernstein, H. (2010). Cancer and age related colonic crypt deficiencies in cytochrome c oxidase I. World journal of gastrointestinal oncology, 2(12), 429-42.
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  To investigate whether deficiency of expression of cytochrome c oxidase I (CcOI) in colonic crypts is associated with colon cancer.
• Nguyen, H., Loustaunau, C., Facista, A., Ramsey, L., Hassounah, N., Taylor, H., Krouse, R., Payne, C. M., Tsikitis, V. L., Goldschmid, S., Banerjee, B., Perini, R. F., & Bernstein, C. (2010). Deficient Pms2, ERCC1, Ku86, CcOI in field defects during progression to colon cancer. Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE.
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  In carcinogenesis, the "field defect" is recognized clinically because of the high propensity of survivors of certain cancers to develop other malignancies of the same tissue type, often in a nearby location. Such field defects have been indicated in colon cancer. The molecular abnormalities that are responsible for a field defect in the colon should be detectable at high frequency in the histologically normal tissue surrounding a colonic adenocarcinoma or surrounding an adenoma with advanced neoplasia (well on the way to a colon cancer), but at low frequency in the colonic mucosa from patients without colonic neoplasia. Using immunohistochemistry, entire crypts within 10 cm on each side of colonic adenocarcinomas or advanced colonic neoplasias were found to be frequently reduced or absent in expression for two DNA repair proteins, Pms2 and/or ERCC1. Pms2 is a dual role protein, active in DNA mismatch repair as well as needed in apoptosis of cells with excess DNA damage. ERCC1 is active in DNA nucleotide excision repair. The reduced or absent expression of both ERCC1 and Pms2 would create cells with both increased ability to survive (apoptosis resistance) and increased level of mutability. The reduced or absent expression of both ERCC1 and Pms2 is likely an early step in progression to colon cancer. DNA repair gene Ku86 (active in DNA non-homologous end joining) and Cytochrome c Oxidase Subunit I (involved in apoptosis) had each been reported to be decreased in expression in mucosal areas close to colon cancers. However, immunohistochemical evaluation of their levels of expression showed only low to modest frequencies of crypts to be deficient in their expression in a field defect surrounding colon cancer or surrounding advanced colonic neoplasia. We show, here, our method of evaluation of crypts for expression of ERCC1, Pms2, Ku86 and CcOI. We show that frequency of entire crypts deficient for Pms2 and ERCC1 is often as great as 70% to 95% in 20 cm long areas surrounding a colonic neoplasia, while frequency of crypts deficient in Ku86 has a median value of 2% and frequency of crypts deficient in CcOI has a median value of 16% in these areas. The entire colon is 150 cm long (about 5 feet) and has about 10 million crypts in its mucosal layer. The defect in Pms2 and ERCC1 surrounding a colon cancer thus may include 1 million crypts. It is from a defective crypt that colon cancer arises.
• Zou, J., Wang, L. V., Ong, E. S., Marner, E. S., Levy, B. H., Kuczynski, J., Garcia-uribe, A., & Banerjee, B. (2010). T1379 First Application of Oblique Incidence Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy in Pancreatic Cancer- Potential use in Surgery. Gastroenterology, 138(5), S-549-S-550. doi:10.1016/s0016-5085(10)62532-2
• Zuckerman, G. R., Lee, A., Iskander, J. M., Gyawali, C. P., Gupta, N., Borg, B. B., & Banerjee, B. (2010). M1064 Queue Position in the Day's Endoscopic Schedule Impacts Effectiveness of Colonoscopy. Gastroenterology, 138(5), S-324. doi:10.1016/s0016-5085(10)61490-4
• Goldschmid, S., S, G., Payne, C. M., Nguyen, R., Krouse, R. S., Henderson, R., Goldschmid, S., Garewal, H. S., Facista, A., Bernstein, H., Bernstein, C., Banerjee, B., Anand, R., & Afonso, B. (2009). Cytochrome c Oxidase I: Biomarker of Colon Cancer Risk?: 1491. The American Journal of Gastroenterology, 104, S561. doi:10.14309/00000434-200910003-01491
• Yang, J., Wang, L. V., Kennedy, S., Davidson, N. O., & Banerjee, B. (2009). W1073 First Photo-Acoustic Imaging of Intestinal Dysplasia. Gastroenterology, 136(5), A-648. doi:10.1016/s0016-5085(09)62987-5
• Yang, J., Wang, L. V., Plambeck-suess, S., Maslov, K., Hawkins, W. G., Hamilton, N. A., & Banerjee, B. (2009). T1176 Feasibility of Photo-Acoustic Imaging in Murine Pancreatic Carcinoma. Gastroenterology, 136(5), A-516. doi:10.1016/s0016-5085(09)62375-1
• Sikka, S., Sayuk, G. S., Ringold, D. A., Jonnalagadda, S. S., & Banerjee, B. (2008). High-Definition White Light Versus High-Contrast Narrow-Band Imaging™ in the Prediction of Colon Polyp Histology Using Standard Endoscopes: An In-Vivo Study. Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, 67(5), AB132-AB133. doi:10.1016/j.gie.2008.03.237
• Zuckerman, G. R., Gupta, N., Borg, B. B., & Banerjee, B. (2008). Low Effectiveness of CT Colonoscopy for Detection of Colon Polyps after Failed Colonoscopy: 1403. The American Journal of Gastroenterology, 103, S549-S550. doi:10.14309/00000434-200809001-01403
• Zuckerman, G. R., Gupta, N., Borg, B. B., & Banerjee, B. (2008). Predictors of Poor Bowel Preparation in Colonoscopy: 1310. The American Journal of Gastroenterology, 103, S512-S513. doi:10.14309/00000434-200809001-01310
• Sikka, S., Ringold, D. A., & Banerjee, B. (2007). High Contrast Imaging Improves the Visualization and Detection of Gastrointestinal Vascular Ectasias. Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, 65(5), AB355. doi:10.1016/j.gie.2007.03.913
• Sikka, S., Ringold, D. A., & Banerjee, B. (2007). Use of Narrow Band Imaging (NBI) To Detect Esophagitis in Non Erosive Reflux Disease (NERD): 90. The American Journal of Gastroenterology, 102, S150. doi:10.14309/00000434-200709002-00090
• Sikka, S., Ringold, D. A., Jonnalagadda, S. S., & Banerjee, B. (2007). Narrow Band Imaging (NBI) with Low Magnification Is Highly Accurate in Determining Colonic Polyp Histology. Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, 65(5), AB352. doi:10.1016/j.gie.2007.03.901
• Sikka, S., Shah, R., Ringold, D. A., Jonnalagadda, S., Banerjee, B., & Aadam, A. A. (2007). Efficacy of Digital High Contrast Imaging Coupled with Standard Colonoscopes in Predicting Colon Polyp Histology: 1142. The American Journal of Gastroenterology, 102, S536. doi:10.14309/00000434-200709002-01142
• Sreenivasa, J., Sikka, S. K., Sayuk, G. S., Ringold, D. A., Prakash, C., & Banerjee, B. (2007). High-Definition White Light and High-Contrast Narrow-Band Imaging at Standard Magnification To Predict Polyp Histology: An In-Vivo Study: 1138. The American Journal of Gastroenterology, 102, S535. doi:10.14309/00000434-200709002-01138
• Henderson, J. O., Davidson, N. O., & Banerjee, B. (2003). Fiberoptic in-situ detection of dysplastic polyps in Apcmin/+ mice using autofluorescence. Gastroenterology, 124(4), A650. doi:10.1016/s0016-5085(03)83292-4

Proceedings Publications

• Vagner, J., Matsunaga, T. O., Vagner, J., Patel, K., Matsunaga, T. O., Knox, R. J., Kieu, K., Cromey, B., & Banerjee, B. (2019). Viability study for interrogating pancreatic cancer margins with targeted microbubbles and multiphoton microscopy. In Biophotonics Congress: Optics in the Life Sciences Congress 2019 (BODA,BRAIN,NTM,OMA,OMP).
• Dereniak, E. L., Kudenov, M. W., Dereniak, E. L., Chan, V. C., & Banerjee, B. (2012). Compact snapshot birefringent imaging Fourier transform spectrometer for remote sensing and endoscopy. In Electro-Optical Remote Sensing, Photonic Technologies, and Applications VI, 8542.
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  The design and implementation of a compact multiple-image Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) is presented. Based on the multiple-image FTS originally developed by A. Hirai, the presented device offers significant advantages over his original implementation. Namely, its birefringent nature results in a common-path interferometer which makes the spectrometer insensitive to vibration. Furthermore, it enables the potential of making the instrument ultra-compact, thereby improving the portability of the sensor. The theory of the birefringent FTS is provided, followed by details of its specific embodiment. A laboratory proof of concept of the sensor, designed and developed at the Optical Detection Lab, is also presented. Spectral measurements of laboratory sources are provided, including measurements of light-emitting diodes and gas-discharge lamps. These spectra are verified against a calibrated Ocean Optics USB2000 spectrometer. Other data were collected outdoors and of a rat esophagus, demonstrating the sensor’s ability to resolve spectral signatures in both standard outdoor lighting and environmental conditions, as well as in fluorescence spectroscopy.
• Zou, J., Wang, L. V., Kuczynski, J., Garcia-uribe, A., Chang, C. C., & Banerjee, B. (2010). Fast and minimally-invasive tumor margin detection using a novel micromachined “side-viewing” oidrs sensor probe. In 2010 Solid-State, Actuators, and Microsystems Workshop Technical Digest, 418-421.

Presentations

• Banerjee, B. (2021). How to write a research proposal. GI fellows' research conference.
• Banerjee, B. (2020). Cyclic vomiting syndrome. Fellows conference.
• Banerjee, B. (2020). Irritable bowel syndrome. Fellows fonference.
• Banerjee, B. (2018, May). Colon Cancer. GI Fellows Conference. UA College of Medicine.
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  Review of colon cancer, detection methods, imaging techniques for early lesions.
• Banerjee, B. (2017, August). Idea to Prototype: Success story. Biomedical Device Prototyping Workshop.
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  Strategies for successful prototyping of novel devices, with example.
• Banerjee, B. (2017, May). Optical and Engineering Solutions for Clinical Needs in Gastroenterology. Department of Medicine Research Conference.
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  Review of research into improved imaging contrast and field of view in colonoscopy for colon cancer screening.
• Banerjee, B. (2017, May). What your Gastroenterologist may not tell you.. Medicine Grand RoundsDepartment of Medicine.
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  Colon cancer detection, shortcomings, and solutions.
• Banerjee, B. (2016, April). Imaging of targeted lipid microbubbles using third harmonic generation microscopy. Builders DayUniversity of Arizona.
• Banerjee, B. (2016, May). Multiphoton microscopy as an imaging modality for pancreatic cancer margin determination. Digestive Diseases Week. Chicago, IL.
• Mahendran, J., Banerjee, B., & Achyut, B. (2016, October). Duodenal villous blunting: hint for underlying malignancy. American College of Gastroenterology. Las Vegas: American College of Gastroenterology.
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  AMerican Journal of Gastroenterology, october 2016 issue volume 111, supplement 1: 2234
• Banerjee, B. (2019, January). Barrett's Esophagus. GI Conference. UA College of Medicine.
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  Review of Barrett's Esophagus with fellow including Board Review.

Poster Presentations

• Kathi, P., Moazam, K., Bonelli, M., Kim, D., & Banerjee, B. (2021). Food bolus removal and biopsy practices in esophageal food impactions at a tertiary care center: there is a lot of room for improvement. American College of Gastroenterology. Las Vegas, NV: American College of Gastroenterology.
• Farshidpour, M., Kim, D., & Banerjee, B. (2020, October). Pathological and endoscopic significance of bowel wall thickening on abdominal computed tomography in patients with negative history of gastrointestinal disease. American College of Gastroenterology. Virtual - Annual conference: American College of Gastroenterology.
• Kim, D., Wycoff, J., Fotouhie, A., Nguyen, V., Kathi, P., Thompson, C., & Banerjee, B. (2020, May). Miniaturized multi-view imaging device to improve colon polyp detection. Digestive Diseases Week. DDW- Virtual: American Gastroenterological Association.
• Mahendran, J., Banerjee, B., & Bhattacharya, A. (2016, October). Duodenal villous blunting: hint for underlying malignancy.. American College of Gastroenterology. Las Vegas: American College of Gastroenterology.