Our research group uses light to study biological processes with the aim of developing new diagnostic devices and deepening our understanding of the living world. In particular, we focus on non-communicable diseases, hearing, and bacteria. We work mainly with three optical techniques: optical coherence tomography, fluorescence spectroscopy and vibrational spectroscopy. During the talk, I will focus on a few projects, such as the recent imaging platform we developed to image soft tissue in real-time as they are subjected to controlled mechanical stress and showcase some recent results and how they are part of the research programme of Te Whai Ao --- the Dodd Walls Centre for Photonic and Quantum Technologies.