The Maternal and Fetal Ultrasound and Optical Imaging Unit focuses on developing novel, hybrid, ultrasound-based diagnostic methods and defining the clinical utility of the developed technologies as it applies to detection and diagnosis of various complications during pregnancy and delivery, such as preterm labor and fetal distress. The goal is to help physicians and patients by providing more accurate and multi-parametric information about diseases that can help detect pathologies at their early stages of development, better plan for individualized therapy, and monitor the outcome of the therapeutic procedures. The research efforts aim to expand the scope of traditional ultrasound imaging, which is limited to imaging tissue morphology and structure and enables it to provide more information, including functional information and cellular and molecular information, to lower preterm birth and birth asphyxia. The combination of these information can greatly enhance the quality of patient care.