Gemma Bale

Dr Gemma Bale is the Gianna Angelopoulos Lecturer in Medical Therapeutics at the University of Cambridge, Department of Physics. Her research focuses on non-invasive optical neuromonitoring techniques, particularly in developing diffuse optical devices to monitor brain metabolism in areas where traditional monitoring is not feasible, such as the intensive care unit or real-world environments. Her work includes broadband near-infrared spectroscopy (bNIRS) to measure metabolic enzyme activity, specifically cytochrome-c-oxidase, with applications in neonatal brain injury monitoring. She has developed miniature broadband NIRS devices used internationally for cerebral condition monitoring and has advanced techniques combining NIRS with diffuse correlation spectroscopy to measure cerebral blood flow and metabolism simultaneously.

Gemma Bale is a medical physicist at University College London, specializing in the application of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to study cerebral cytochrome-c-oxidase and oxygen metabolism in neonatal brain injury. Her research focuses on noninvasive monitoring of cerebral hemodynamics and mitochondrial function, particularly in conditions such as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and neurodegenerative diseases. She has contributed significantly to the development and validation of broadband NIRS systems for clinical use, emphasizing their potential in assessing brain injury severity and treatment outcomes. Her work also explores the interplay between cerebral oxygenation and metabolism during therapeutic interventions like hypothermia.