Irene Georgakoudi has been conducting research related to the use of light for treating and detecting human diseases for more than 15 years. She has co-authored nearly 50 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and has presented her work at national and international meetings. She is very active in the organization of scientific conferences on biophotonics in the United States and in Europe and involved in the establishment of a vibrant biophotonics program in Pakistan. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Optical Society of America. Her research is funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and the American Cancer Society.