The ability to image at depth in biological tissue is critically important in order to diagnose and characterize disease states. Despite recent advancements, current optical techniques are restricted to an imaging depth of ~1mm due to the scattering of light in tissues. Photoacoustic systems can use both light and acoustic feedback to image cells of interest and disease processes deeper in biological tissues than traditional optical methods. This talk will highlight a series of optical and photoacoustic imaging tools that have been developed and studied in Dr. Smith’s lab to address the urgent need for non-invasive cancer detection and the characterization of neurological disorders. Through this work, we aim to develop translational technologies and methodologies to better characterize, understand, and detect disease pathogenesis, beyond current capabilities.