Achilefu is recognised for his pioneering research in molecular imaging and the development of wearable cancer-imaging goggles designed to help surgeons identify cancerous tissues during operations and improve the accuracy of tumour removal.
The innovative technology, developed through collaborative research, uses fluorescent imaging to make cancerous tissues visible to surgeons. It works with special molecular probes that target tumours and emit near-infrared light when activated. A specialised camera detects the fluorescence and projects the image onto the surgeon’s field of view through the wearable goggles.
The technology is designed to help surgeons distinguish cancerous tissues from surrounding healthy tissues, identify the boundaries of tumours and detect malignant cells that may remain after the main tumour has been removed.
According to information from the US National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, fluorescence-guided surgery could improve the precision of cancer operations by providing real-time visual guidance during procedures.
Achilefu’s research has also focused on making the technology more affordable and accessible to hospitals with limited resources. In 2025, the institute reported on a research team developing a compact, lower-cost fluorescence-guided surgical system using commercially available components.
The system was evaluated in mice bearing breast tumours, demonstrating its potential to identify tumours and detect residual cancerous tissue during surgery. Researchers are continuing to develop the technology, with the long-term objective of making advanced surgical imaging more accessible across different healthcare systems.
Achilefu’s contributions earned him election into the National Academy of Engineering in February 2025, making him the first faculty member of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center to receive the distinction.
Membership of the academy is regarded as one of the highest professional honours in engineering. Members are elected by their peers in recognition of outstanding contributions to engineering research, practice, education and technological innovation.
Achilefu is the inaugural Chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, where he also holds the Lyda Hill Distinguished University Chair in Biomedical Engineering. Before joining the institution in 2022, he spent more than 20 years at Washington University in St. Louis, where he held several academic and research leadership positions.
Born in the former Benue-Plateau State of Nigeria, Achilefu studied chemistry and materials science at the University of Nancy in France before undertaking postdoctoral research at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.
His research career has produced more than 300 scientific publications and over 70 United States patents. He is also a member of the US National Academy of Medicine and a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.
His achievements highlight the growing contribution of Nigerian-born scientists to global scientific research and medical innovation, particularly in the development of technologies with the potential to improve cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Through his work in biomedical engineering, molecular imaging and image-guided surgery, Achilefu continues to contribute to efforts to make cancer operations more precise and advanced medical technologies more accessible.
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