Karol Karnowski, PhD
PhD in Biophysics, Nicolaus Copernicus University
IDOC Group Leader
Biomedical Applications of Photonics
Description
“I am a seasoned researcher with over 15 years of experience in optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging techniques. My scientific interests lie in the biomedical applications of imaging technologies, particularly in enhancing contrast by exploring the dynamic, mechanical, and polarization properties of tissues. Additionally, I am passionate about the miniaturization of imaging systems and the development of cost-effective solutions.
Throughout my career, I have successfully managed numerous research projects and secured various grants, demonstrating my ability to lead and execute. I have also been instrumental in developing prototype clinical devices, bridging the gap between research and practical medical applications.
Mentorship is a key aspect of my professional life. I take great pride in guiding and supporting younger colleagues, having supervised two PhD candidates and over ten master’s students to date. This role allows me to contribute to the growth of emerging scientists.
Currently, I serve as the IDOC Group Leader at ICTER, where I lead a team of specialists in advanced biomedical imaging techniques and robotics. Additionally, I actively support the centre’s public relations efforts, promoting our research achievements and enhancing our scientific community’s visibility”.
Publication list
- „Fast robot-to-iOCT calibration using conical geometry and 2D cross-scan OCT”. Krzysztof Gromada, Tomasz Piesio, Piotr Kasprzycki, Andrea Curatolo, Karol Karnowski| (2026). Journal of Biomedical Optics 10.1117/1.JBO.31.12.123305 (opens in new tab)
- „Single-shot, depth-encoded multiplexed OCT for multi-spot tracking of induced transient corneal dynamics”. Karol Karnowski, Jadwiga Milkiewicz, Onur Cetinkaya, Angela Pachacz, Ewa Mączyńska-Walkowiak, Patryk Młyniuk, Andrea Curatolo, Kamil Liżewski, Ahmed Abass, Dawid Borycki, Bartłomiej Kałużny, Susana Marcos, Ahmed Elsheikh, Ireneusz Grulkowski, and Maciej Wojtkowski (2026). Biomedical Optics Express 10.1364/BOE.596342 (opens in new tab)
- „Roadmap on Advances in Visual and Physiological Optics”. Jesús E. Gómez-Correa, Brian Vohnsen, Barbara K. Pierścionek, Sabino Chávez-Cerda, Sabine Kling, Jos J. Rozema, Raymond A. Applegate, Giuliano Scarcelli, J. Bradley Randleman, Alexander V. Goncharov, Amy Fitzpatrick, Jessica I. W. Morgan, Austin Roorda, David A. Atchison, Juan P. Trevino, Alejandra Consejo, Charlie Börjeson, Linda Lundström, Seung Pil Bang, Geunyoung Yoon, Karol Karnowski, Bartlomiej J. Kaluzny, Ireneusz Grulkowski, Sergio Barbero, Pablo Artal, Juan Tabernero, Pete Kollbaum, Stéphanie C. Thébault (2025). Journal of Optics 10.48550/arXiv.2411.14606 (opens in new tab)
- „Adaptation of pre-trained single stage detectors for rapid tool pose estimation in OCT-assisted eye surgery”. Krzysztof Gromada, Tomasz Gawroński, Marco Zagari, Mario Damiano Toro, Karol Karnowski (2025). TechRxiv 10.36227/techrxiv.175977354.40348122/v1 (opens in new tab)
- „Modeling breast cancer dynamics through modulable small Vessel Environment Bioreactor (sVEB)”. Fabio Maiullari ,Maria Grazia Ceraolo, Dario Presutti , Nicole Fratini, Matteo Galbiati , Alessandra Fasciani, Konrad Giżyński, Salma Bousselmi, Francesca Megiorni, Cinzia Marchese, Piotr Kasprzycki, Karol Karnowski, Alessandro Talone, Gaspare Varvaro, Davide Peddis, Marco Costantini, Claudia Bearzi, Roberto Rizzi (2025). 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2025.123441 (opens in new tab)
- „Dynamic Corneal Response for Different Air-Puff Stimuli in Ex Vivo Animal Model Measured with SS-OCT System with Two Sample Arms”. Ewa Maczynska-Walkowiak, Daniel Ruminski, Grzegorz Gondek, Bartlomiej J. Kaluzny,Karol Karnowski, Ireneusz Grulkowski (2025). Applied Sciences 10.3390/app15063291 (opens in new tab)
- „Multiwavelength laser doppler holography (MLDH) in spatiotemporal optical coherence tomography (STOC-T)”. Dawid Borycki, Egidijus Auksorius, Piotr Węgrzyn, Kamil Liżewski, Sławomir Tomczewski, Ieva Žičkienė, Karolis Adomavičius, Karol Karnowski, Maciej Wojtkowski (2024). 10.1016/j.bbe.2024.03.002 (opens in new tab)
- „Quantification of smooth muscle in human airways by polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography requires correction for perichondrium”. Michael J. Hackmann, Alvenia Cairncross, John G. Elliot, Siobhain Mulrennan, Kris Nilsen, Bruce R. Thompson ,Qingyun Li, Karol Karnowski, David D. Sampson, Robert A. McLaughlin, Barry Cense,Alan L. James, Peter B. Noble (2024). American Journal of Physiology-Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology 10.1152/ajplung.00254.2023 (opens in new tab)
- „Optimization-free method for multiple spectrometers alignment in polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography”. Piotr Kasprzycki, Maciej Szkulmowski, Maciej Wojtkowski, Karol Karnowski (2023). SPIE Proceedings 10.1117/12.2670617 (opens in new tab)
- „Clinical prototype of multi-spot air-puff OCT for assessment of corneal biomechanical asymmetry”. K. Karnowski, J. Milkiewicz, A. Pachacz, A. Curatolo, O. Cetinkaya, R. Pietruch, A. Consejo, M. Bartuzel, A. Eliasy, A. Abass, A. Elsheikh, S. Marcos, and M. Wojtkowski (2023). Technical Digest Series 10.1364/BODA.2023.DTh2A.1 (opens in new tab)
- „Microfluidic 3D Printing of Emulsion Ink for Engineering Porous Functionally Graded Materials”. Martina Marcotulli, Maria Celeste Tirelli, Marina Volpi, Jakub Jaroszewicz, Chiara Scognamiglio, Piotr Kasprzycki, Karol Karnowski, Wojciech Święszkowski, Giancarlo Ruocco, Marco Costantini, Gianluca Cidonio, Andrea Barbetta (2023). Advanced Materials Technologies 10.1002/admt.202201244 (opens in new tab)
- „Intraoperative ophthalmic OCT system tracking surgical tools at 200 Hz”. P. Ciąćka, K. Karnowski, and A. Curatolo (2023). SPIE Proceedings 10.1117/12.2649761 (opens in new tab)
- „Superior Imaging Performance of All-Fiber, Two-Focusing-Element Microendoscopes”. Karol Karnowski; Gavrielle Untracht; Michael Hackmann; Onur Cetinkaya; David Sampson (2022). IEEE Photonics Journal 10.1109/JPHOT.2022.3203219 (opens in new tab)
- „Simultaneous multi-spot OCT measurements of air induced corneal deformations”. K. Karnowski, J. Milkiewicz, A. Pachacz, A. Curatolo, O. Cetinkaya, R. Pietruch, A. Consejo, M. M. Bartuzel, P. Ciąćka, A. Eliasy, A. Abass, A. Elsheikh, S. Marcos, and M. Wojtkowski (2022). Technical Digest Series 10.1364/OCT.2022.CW3E.3 (opens in new tab)
- „Air puff-coupled multi-spot OCT for assessment of asymmetries in corneal biomechanics”. K. Karnowski, J. Milkiewicz, A. Pachacz, A. Curatolo, O. Cetinkaya, R. Pietruch, P. Ciacka, A. Eliasy, A. Abass, A. Elsheikh, S. Marcos, and M. Wojtkowski (2022). SPIE BiOS 10.1117/12.2609511 (opens in new tab)
- „In vivo imaging of the human eye using a two-photon excited fluorescence scanning laser ophthalmoscope”. J. Boguslawski, G. Palczewska, S. Tomczewski, J. Milkiewicz, P. Kasprzycki, D. Stachowiak, K. Komar, M. J. Marzejon, B. L. Sikorski, A. Hudzikowski, A. Gluszek, Z. Laszczych, K. Karnowski, G. Sobon, K. Palczewski, M. Wojtkowski (2022). Journal of Clinical Investigation 10.1172/JCI154218 (opens in new tab)
- „Imaging the small with the small: Prospects for photonics in micro-endomicroscopy for minimally invasive cellular-resolution bioimaging”. Gavrielle R. Untracht, Karol Karnowski and David D. Sampson (2021). APL Photonics 10.1063/5.0052258 (opens in new tab)
- „High-frame rate multi-meridian corneal imaging of air-puff induced deformation for improved detection of keratoconus”. Curatolo, A., Birkenfeld, J. S., Martinez-Enriquez, E., Germann, J., Eliasy, A., Abass, A., Solarski, J., Karnowski, K., Wojtkowski, M., Elsheikh, A., and Marcos, S. (2020). Industrialization Potential of Optics in Biomedicine i-POB https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/3103534 (opens in new tab)
- „Influence of tissue fixation on depth-resolved birefringence of oral cavity tissue samples”. Karol Karnowski, Qingyun Li, Anima Poudyal, Martin Villiger, Camile S. Farah, David D. Sampson (2020). Journal of Biomedical Optics 10.1117/1.JBO.25.9.096003 (opens in new tab)
- „Multi-meridian corneal imaging of air-puff induced deformation for improved detection of biomechanical abnormalities”. Andrea Curatolo, Judith S. Birkenfeld, Eduardo Martinez-Enriquez, James A. Germann, Geethika Muralidharan, Jesús Palací, Daniel Pascual, Ashkan Eliasy, Ahmed Abass, Jędrzej Solarski, Karol Karnowski, Maciej Wojtkowski, Ahmed Elsheikh, and Susana Marcos (2020). Biomedical Optics Express 10.1364/BOE.402402 (opens in new tab)
- „Longitudinal in-vivo OCM imaging of glioblastoma development in the mouse brain”. Hubert Dolezyczek, Mounika Rapolu, Paulina Niedzwiedziuk, Karol Karnowski, Dawid Borycki, Joanna Dzwonek, Grzegorz Wilczynski, Monika Malinowska, and Maciej Wojtkowski (2020). Biomedical Optics Express 10.1364/BOE.400723 (opens in new tab)
- „Keratoconus Detection Based on a Single Scheimpflug Image”. Alejandra Consejo; Jędrzej Solarski; Karol Karnowski; Jos J Rozema; Maciej Wojtkowski; D. Robert Iskander (2020). Translational Vision Science & Technology 10.1167/tvst.9.7.36 (opens in new tab)
- „Jones matrix-based speckle-decorrelation angiography using polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography”. Peijun Gong,Qingyun Li,Qiang Wang,Karol Karnowski,David D. Sampson (2020). Journal of Biophotonics 10.1002/jbio.202000007 (opens in new tab)
- „Vectorial birefringence imaging by optical coherence microscopy for assessing fibrillar microstructures in the cornea and limbus”. Qingyun Li, Karol Karnowski, Gavrielle Untracht, Peter B. Noble, Barry Cense, Martin Villiger, and David D. Sampson (2020). Biomedical Optics Express 10.1364/BOE.382755 (opens in new tab)
- „Impact of diurnal IOP variations on the dynamic corneal hysteresis measured with air-puff swept-source OCT”. Karol Marian Karnowski, Ewa Mączyńska, Maciej Nowakowski, Bartłomiej Kałużny, Ireneusz Grulkowski, Maciej Wojtkowski (2018). Photonics Letters of Poland 10.4302/plp.v10i3.848 (opens in new tab)
Research projects
Research groups
Image-guided Devices for Ophthalmic Care
We seek to research novel techniques and develop instrumentation to address unanswered questions in vision science and unmet needs in ophthalmology and optometry.