My career's enduring theme
I have always designed computer hardware and software to analyze three-dimensional biomedical structures.  Recently I have used my improving communications skills to teach computer science. Jump directly to my list of positions.

Teamwork
All the work described below was done in concert with physicians, scientists and engineers.  A list of credits is provided from the home page.

This is a computerized microscope with which a neuroanatomist traces neurons as their branches meander in three dimensions throughout tissue that is mounted on a microscope slide.  On the right is the microscope view during the tracing of a dendrite that is coursing upward.  Using a 3-D joystick, the anatomist moves a circular cursor along the dendrite in the X,Y, and focus directions, and controls the cursor diameter to match the dendritic thickness.  He presses buttons on the keypad to record a series of points that define the neuronal structure.  Also shown is the part of the structure that is already traced as well as a map of the computer keypad. The Neuron Tracing System has been used in about a hundred neuroscience laboratories worldwide.  Neuronal analysis using the Neuron Tracing System has been reported in about a thousand journal articles.
Once he has traced the structure, an anatomist may smoothly rotate 3-D displays of the neuron (right) in order to fully appreciate the structure.  He may also produce high quality plots of the neurons (below). Download a public copy of the Eutectic Neuron Tracing System PowerPointSlides that describe the Neuron Tracing System, July 2010
Two types of analysis are also available, statistical summaries of the structure (not shown) and electrotonic modeling (right).  With the former, a researcher may show, for example, the location in the tissue of the branchpoints, or plot the number of swellings or spines as a function of fiber thickness. Electrotonic modeling applies equations that simulate the electrical activity within the neuron as ions flow into the neuron from adjacent neurons.  The image shows waveforms that are calculated from recorded sites (shown as electrodes) as the neuron is activated.
These techniques may be applied to blood vessels.  Shown to the right are two retinas of premature infants.  The upper image shows normal development with vessels narrow and relatively straight.  The lower image shows pathologic development caused by the Retinopathy of Prematurity in which the vessels become dilated and tortuous.  With the tracing techniques described above, we can objectively grade the course of the disease, to help determine when treatment should be applied.
Programs to try:         Retinal Vessel Tracer         Download NTSDisplay3DVersion1         Elbow Force Analyzer         Knee Force Analyzer         Pong         Download Spheres         Run SimpleWindowV16   Budapest 1980-today comparison, long   Budapest 1980-today comparison, short

Positions I have held in my career

UNC Department of Computer Science, Lecturer, 2001-02.  Taught undergraduate courses in hardware and programming

UNC Department of Surgery,  Research Assistant Professor,  1998-99.  Devise techniques, hardware and software to analyze cerebral blood vessels.

UNC Department of Ophthalmology,  Research Instructor, 1993-98.  Devise techniques, hardware and software to analyze retinal blood vessels.  Built a data base of eye exams of premature infants for analysis of ROP progression.

Eutectic Electronics, Raleigh, NC  1989-92.  Invented, developed and helped market the Neuron Tracing System, a computerized microscope to analyze neuronal structure.

UNC Department of Physiology, Lecturer, 1972-88.  Designed hardware and software to study neuronal structure, managed computer facilities, advised investiagors on computers in research, taught course in laboratory computing

Evans and Sutherland Computer Corporation, Salt Lake City, Project Engineer, 1971-72.  Designed computer displays for military airplane flight simulation.