Dr Dadong Wang utilises his skills in software engineering and image analysis to develop software to help our understanding of biological systems

Dr Dadong Wang: developing automated image analysis solutions for scientific and industrial applications

Dr Wang develops tools to quantify 2D and 3D images, with the aim of increasing both the quality and quantity of information extracted from multi-dimensional image data.

• 2 July 2010 | Updated 12 March 2013

Overview

Current activities

Dr Wang has been involved in developing major image analysis projects such as HCA-Vision, Gemmological Digital Analyser™ (GDA™) – the world’s first automated device for grading opals, automated classification of stem cell colonies and imaging-based automated detection of silicon defects.

His current activities involve developing image analysis algorithms for automated quantification of 3D angiogenesis for early diagnosis of tumours using synchrotron-based X-Ray microtomography and 3D microstructure analysis of coke, among other projects.

Dr Wang is the architect and main developer of HCA-Vision, our automated image analysis software package that rapidly and reproducibly measures functional features of neuronal cells in neurite outgrowth images.

HCA-Vision allows researchers to accurately measure cell changes and improve their understanding of biological systems and processes. HCA-Vision has been so far licensed to over 20 research laboratories of large pharmaceutical companies, universities and research organisations.

The neurite analysis module of HCA-Vision has also been incorporated into the High Content Screening systems Opera™ and Operetta™, and software Columbus™ of PerkinElmer, the world’s leading cellular imaging company.

Dr Wang uses his expertise in image analysis and software engineering to continue to develop new modules for the HCA-Vision software.

Along with his contributions to the various image analysis projects, Dr Wang also leads software development processes for our Quantitative Imaging group, which focuses on extracting quantitative information from digital images.

Background

Dr Wang joined CSIRO in 2005, following some six years industry experience with the Intelligent Systems Division of ALSTOM Australia and Real Time Division of Logica Australia.

He had been involved in the development of various large scale intelligent systems for government, defence, utilities and transport.

Academic qualifications

Dr Wang has been awarded a:

• Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Science and Technology, Beijing, China, 1990
• Master of Engineering from the University of Science and Technology, Beijing, China, 1993
• Doctorate of Engineering from the University of Science and Technology, Beijing, China, 1997
• Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering from the University of Wollongong, Australia, 2002.

Achievements

As a member of the development team for GDA™, Dr Wang was awarded:

• Engineering Excellence Award for Innovations and Inventions, Engineers Australia, 2009
• Highly Commended Award for Engineering for Regional Communities, Engineers Australia, 2009.

Dr Wang’s professional achievements also include:

• CSIRO and Chinese Academy of Sciences collaborative research fund, 2012
• IEEE Senior Member, since 2010
• Research Achievement Award, CSIRO Mathematics, Informatics and Statistics, 2010
• Distinguished Faculty member, Cambridge Healthtech Institute’s Seventh Annual High Content Analysis 2010, San Francisco, USA, January 2010
• organiser, co-organiser of professional workshops, conference sessions
• invited speaker and session chair of professional conferences and workshops
• publications in highly respected scientific journals
• numerous undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships and academic awards (including NKK Scholarship for academic merits, NKK Corporation, Japan).

Read more about HCA-Vision: software for cytomics.