
Karol Karnowski, PhD
PhD in Biophysics, Nicolaus Copernicus University
Acting IDoc Leader, Senior Researcher
Biomedical Applications of Photonics
“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 Acting PI of the IDoc Group 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”.
Peer-reviewed articles
- R. Lloyd, S. Pirikahu, J. Walter, G. Cadby, E. Darcey, D. Perera, M. Hickey, C. Saunders, K. Karnowski, D. D. Sampson, J. Shepherd, L. Lilge & J. Stone, “Alternative methods to measure breast density in younger women,” British Journal od Cancer, 128, 1701-1709 (2023)
- M. Marcotulli, M. C. Tirelli, M. Volpi, J. Jaroszewicz, C. Scognamiglio, P. Kasprzycki, K. Karnowski, W. Święszkowski, G. Ruocco, M. Costantini, G. Cidonio, A. Barbetta, “Microfluidic 3D Printing of Emulsion Ink for Engineering Porous Functionally Graded Materials,” Advanced Materials Technologies, 8 (5) (2022)
- K. Karnowski, G. Untracht, M. Hackmann, O. Cetinkaya, D Sampson, “Superior Imaging Performance of All-Fiber, Two-Focusing-Element Microendoscopes,” IEEE Photonics Journal, 14 (5), 1-10 (2022)
- R. Lloyd, J. Walter, S. Pirikahu, G. Cadby, M. Hickey, D.D. Sampson, K. Karnowski, M.J. Hackmann, C. Saunders, L. Lilge, J. Stone, Jennifer, “Assessment of repeated reference measurements to inform the validity of optical breast spectroscopy,” AIP Review of Scientific Instruments, 93, 044101 (2022)
- J. Boguslawski, G. Palczewska, S. Tomczewski, J. Milkiewicz, P. Kasprzycki, D. Stachowiak, K. Komar, M.J. Marzejon, B. Sikorski, A. Hudzikowski, A. Głuszek, A. Łaszczych, K. Karnowski, G. Soboń, K. Palczewski, M. Wojtkowski, „In vivo imaging of the human eye using a two-photon excited fluorescence scanning laser ophthalmoscope,” The Journal of Clinical Investigation, (2022)
- G. Untrcht, K. Karnowski D. D. Sampson, “Imaging the small with the small: Prospects for photonics in “micro-endomicroscopy for minimally invasive cellular-resolution bioimaging,” APL Photonics, 6 (6), pp. 060901, (2021)
- A. Curatolo, J. S. Birkenfeld, E. Martinez-Enriquez, J. A. Germann, G. Muralidharan, J. Palací, D. Pascual, A. Eliasy, A. Abass, J. Solarski, K. Karnowski, Maciej Wojtkowski, Ahmed Elsheikh, and Susana Marcos, “Multi-meridian corneal imaging of air-puff induced deformation for improved detection of biomechanical abnormalities,” Biomed. Opt. Express 11, 6337-6355 (2020)
- K. Karnowski, Q. Li, A. Poudyal, M. Villiger, C. S. Farah, and D. D. Sampson “Influence of tissue fixation on depth-resolved birefringence of oral cavity tissue samples,” Journal of Biomedical Optics 25(9), 096003 (2020)
- H. Dolezyczek, M. Rapolu, P. Niedzwiedziuk, K. Karnowski, D. Borycki, J. Dzwonek, G. Wilczynski, M. Malinowska, and M. Wojtkowski, “Longitudinal in-vivo OCM imaging of glioblastoma development in the mouse brain,” Biomed. Opt. Express 11, 5003-5016 (2020)
- A. Consejo, J. Solarski, K. Karnowski, J. J. Rozema, M. Wojtkowski, D. R. Iskander, “Keratoconus Detection Based on a Single Scheimpflug Image.” Trans. Vis. Sci. Tech. 2020;9(7):36 (2020)
- P. Gong, Q. Li, Q. Wang, K. Karnowski, D. D. Sampson, „Jones matrix-based speckle-decorrelation angiography using polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography,” J Biophotonics, 2020;e202000007 (2020)
- Q Li, K Karnowski, G Untracht, PB Noble, B Cense, M Villiger, and DD Sampson, “Vectorial birefringence imaging by optical coherence microscopy for assessing fibrillar microstructures in the cornea and limbus,” Biomed. Opt. Express 11, 1122-1138 (2020)
- A Consejo, K Gławdecka, K Karnowski, J Solarski1, J J Rozema, M Wojtkowski and D. R Iskander, ” Corneal properties of keratoconus based on Scheimpflug light intensity distribution”, Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science July Vol.60 (2019)
- J Walther, Q Li, M Villiger, CS Farah, E Koch, K Karnowski, DD Sampson, “Depth-resolved birefringence imaging of collagen fiber organization in the human oral mucosa in vivo”, Biomedical optics express vol. 10, no. 4 (2019)
- E. Maczynska, K. Karnowski, K. Szulzycki, M. Malinowska, H. Dolezyczek, A. Cichanski, M. Wojtkowski, B. Kaluzny and I. Grulkowski, “Assessment of the influence of viscoelasticity of cornea in animal ex vivo model using air-puff optical coherence tomography and corneal hysteresis”, J Biophotonics, 2019; 12:e201800154 (2019). This article among the top 10% most downloaded papers published in Journal of Biophotonics between January 2018 and December 2019
- K. Karnowski, E. Maczynska, M. Nowakowski, B. Kaluzny, I. Grulkowski, M. Wojtkowski, “Impact of diurnal IOP variations on the dynamic corneal hysteresis measured with air-puff swept-source OCT”, Photonics Letters of Poland, (2018)
- Q. Li, K. Karnowski, P.B. Noble, A. Cairncross, A. James, M. Villiger and D. D. Sampson, “Robust reconstruction of local optic axis orientation with fiber-based polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography”, Biomedical Optics Express, vol. 9, no. 11, pp. 5437-5455 (2018)
- P. Gong, Dao-Yi Yu, Q. Wang, P. Yu, K. Karnowski, M. Heisler, A. Francke, D. An, M. V. Sarunic, and D. D. Sampson, “Label-free volumetric imaging of conjunctival collecting lymphatics ex vivo by optical coherence tomography lymphangiography”, J Biophotonics, vol. 11, no. 8 (2018)
- I. Grulkowski, S. Manzanera, L. Cwiklinski, F. Sobczuk, K. Karnowski, P. Artal, “Swept source optical coherence tomography and tunable lens technology for comprehensive imaging and biometry of the whole eye”, Optica 5, 52-59 (2018)
- Q. Fang, A. Curatolo, P. Wijesinghe, Y. L. Yeow, J. Hamzah, P. Noble, K. Karnowski, D. D. Sampson, R. Ganss, J. K. Kim, W. M. Lee, and B. F. Kennedy, “Ultrahigh-resolution optical coherence elastography through a micro-endoscope: towards in vivo imaging of cellular-scale mechanics”, Biomedical Optics Express, vol. 8, no. 11, pp. 5127-5138 (2017) This article was selected for inclusion in January 17, 2018 Spotlight on Optics
- K. Karnowski, A. Ajduk, B. Wieloch, S. Tamborski, K. Krawiec, M. Wojtkowski, M. Szkulmowski, “Optical coherence microscopy as a novel, non-invasive method for the 4D live imaging of early mammalian embryos”, Sci Rep.;7:4165 (2017)
- J.K. Nowak, I. Grulkowski, K. Karnowski, M. Wojtkowski, J. Walkowiak, “Optical Coherence Tomography of the Labial Salivary Glands Reveals Age-Related Differences in Women”, Clin. Trans. Sci *8* (2015); 717-721
- T. Butler, S.Slepneva, B. O’Shauhhnessy, B. Kelleher, D. Goulding, S. p. Hegarty, H. Lyu, K. Karnowski, M. Wojtkowski, “Single shot, time-resolved measurement of the coherence properties of OCT swept source laser”, Opt. Lett. *40* (2015); 2277-2280
- J. K. Nowak, I. Grulkowski, K. Karnowski, M. Wojtkowski, J. Walkowiak, „ Optical Coherence Tomography Identifies Lower Labial Salivary Gland Surface Density in Cystic Fibrosis”, PLOS ONE *10* (2015); e0117517 – e0117517
- K. Karnowski, I. Grulkowski, N. Mohan, I. Cox, M. Wojtkowski, „ Quantitative optical inspection of contact lenses immersed in wet cell using swept source OCT”, Opt. Lett. *39* (2014); 4727 – 4730 This article was selected for inclusion in Virtual Journal for Biomedical Optics Vol. 9, Iss. 10
- I. Grulkowski, J. Nowak, K. Karnowski, P. Zebryk, M. Puszczewicz, J. Walkowiak, M. Wojtkowski, “Quantitative assessment of oral mucosa and labial minor salivary glands in patients with Sjögren’s syndrome using swept source OCT”, Biomed. Opt. Express *5* (2014); 259 – 274
- S. Slepneva, B. O’Shaughnessy, B. Kelleher, S. Hegarty, A. Vladimirov, H. Lyu, K., Karnowski, M. Wojtkowski, G. Huyet, “Dynamics of a short cavity swept source OCT laser”, Opt. Express *22* (2014); 18177 – 18185 This article was selected for inclusion in Virtual Journal for Biomedical Optics Vol. 9, Iss. 9
- B. F. Kennedy, M. Wojtkowski, M. Szkulmowski, K. M. Kennedy, K. Karnowski, D. D. Sampson, “Improved measurement of vibration amplitude in dynamic optical coherence elastography”, Biomed. Opt. Express *3* (2012); 3138 – 3152
- K. Karnowski, B. Kaluzny, M. Szkulmowski, M. Gora, and M. Wojtkowski, “Corneal topography with high-speed swept source OCT in clinical examination”, Biomedical Optics Express, Vol. 2, Issue 9 (2011)
- D. Alonso-Caneiro, K. Karnowski, B. Kaluzny, A. Kowalczyk, and M. Wojtkowski, “Assessment of corneal dynamics with high-speed swept source Optical Coherence Tomography combined with an air puff system”, Optics Express, Vol. 19, Issue 15, pp. 14188-14199 (2011)
- B. Kaluzny, M. Gora, K. Karnowski, I. Grulkowski, A. Kowalczyk, and M. Wojtkowski, „Imaging of the Lens Capsule with an Ultrahigh Resolution Spectral Optical Coherence Tomography Prototype Based on a Femtosecond Laser”, Br. J. Ophthalmol, Br J Ophthalmol 2010; 94:275-277
- M. Gora, K. Karnowski, M. Szkulmowski, B. Kaluzny, R. Huber, A. Kowalczyk, M. Wojtkowski, “Ultra-high-speed swept source OCT imaging of the anterior segment of human eye at 200 kHz with adjustable imaging range” Optics Express 17(17), 14880- 14894, 2009
Books:
- S. Marcos, C. Dorronsoro, K. Karnowski, M. Wojtkowski, „Corneal biomechanics From Theory to Practice: OCT with air puff stimulus”, Kugler Publications 2016, edited by C.J. Roberts, J. Liu
Research groups
Physical Optics and Biophotonics
The research in our group can be seen as a perfect interplay between physics, biology and chemistry. We are focusing on developing imaging techniques and using them in many biological and chemical systems.
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.