Explore the World of Medical Extended Reality
November 5-6, 2026
Davis, CA, USA
Objectives – The proposed Symposium on Intraprocedural Biophotonics will serve as a flagship forum dedicated to advancing light-based technologies for clinical decision-making during medical procedures. It is envisioned as a global platform for networking, collaboration, and the exchange of pioneering research and innovation at the intersection of clinical biophotonics, artificial intelligence (AI), extended reality (XR), and procedural medicine.
The initial clinical focus will center on neurological surgery, general surgery, head and neck surgery, and intensive care—clinical domains in which intraprocedural decision-making is particularly complex and where biologically specific, real-time information is critically needed. In these settings, biophotonic technologies—including fluorescence imaging, diffuse optical spectroscopy, photoacoustics, optical coherence tomography, and Raman spectroscopy—combined with AI- and XR-enabled approaches have the potential to substantially enhance procedural precision, improve patient safety, and optimize clinical outcomes. These focus areas reflect established strengths within the UC Davis School of Medicine and provide a strong foundation for future expansion into additional procedural specialties such as interventional cardiology, maternal health, and ophthalmology.
The symposium will convene a diverse, international community of clinician-scientists, engineers, data scientists, and industry partners to address critical translational challenges in intraprocedural biophotonics, including workflow integration, real-time data interpretation, regulatory and reimbursement pathways, and clinical adoption. Particular emphasis will be placed on AI-driven approaches that enable rapid analysis of complex optical data streams and deliver actionable decision support in time-sensitive clinical environments, as well as XR-based approaches—including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR)—that enable intuitive visualization, spatial integration, and seamless delivery of optical information at the point of care.
The symposium will intentionally foster interactions between UC Davis investigators and external leaders to catalyze new interdisciplinary collaborations, strengthen academic–industry partnerships, and position UC Davis as a leader and convener in this rapidly evolving field.
By bringing together nationally and internationally recognized experts alongside emerging innovators, the symposium will elevate the national and international profile of the UC Davis School of Medicine and generate enduring outcomes—such as new collaborative research initiatives and a published meeting summary (expert opinion) or translational roadmap—that extend its impact well beyond the event itself. Ultimately, the symposium aims to accelerate the translation of intraprocedural biophotonics from the laboratory to clinical practice, reinforcing UC Davis’s leadership in advancing the future of precision, technology-enabled medicine.
For more information and to register click here.
Contact: Jenny Harris (ncibtadmin@health.ucdavis.edu)
This event is open to registrants worldwide.