Medical Imaging & Positron Emission Tomography

Hichwa, Madsen

We are active in two areas of experimental applied physics involving the imaging of radioactive tracers (radiotracers) that are introduced into the human body. Our areas are: Positron Emission Tomography (PET), where we produce short half-life radiotracers from a medical cyclotron and synthesize positron-emitting radiopharmaceuticals; and Nuclear Medicine, where we use gamma-emitting radiotracers for single-photon emission tomography (SPECT). A graduate course in Medical Physics is offered.		Image gallery
We are part of the largest teaching hospital in the U.S. The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics offers extensive resources for student research. Students complete most of their courses with other physics students and then perform thesis research at the hospital on the other side of the campus. Students receive a PhD in Physics. Experimental thesis research includes developing new methods and technologies to enhance the use of radionuclide imaging for the measurement and evaluation of tissue function. Students participate in developing new radioactivity detection devices for clinical use, synthesizing novel radioactive tracers for imaging the human body, and improving medical image processing schemes for visualizing the extent of disease. Students receiving a PhD in this area have excellent job prospects in medical imaging companies or academia.

• Hardware development for nuclear detection systems, real-time control of a cyclotron, and high-power nuclear targets
• Image analysis schemes, and physiological modeling of normal and disease tissues
• Professor of Radiology and Adjunct Professor of Physics, is eligible to advise physics theses
• PET Facilities include a medical cyclotron, four PET scanners, and numerous real-time control systems
• Students have opportunities to interact with a multidisciplinary group of scientists including radiochemists, engineers, physiologists, physicians and physicists
• Students learn how to operate the cyclotron and PET imaging instruments and have complete access to the machine shop, electronics laboratory and an extensive array of computing resources
• In most years, grant support is available for multiple RA stipends and student travel to conferences

• Radiotracer kinetics (how radioactive tracers are transported in the body), image processing, and image reconstruction
• Professor of Radiology and Adjunct Professor of Physics, is eligible to advise physics theses
• Nuclear Medicine facilities include four gamma camera systems for single photon emission tomography (SPECT) where radiotracers injected into patients are imaged to diagnose disease
• Students interact with group members and the medical staff in the division of Nuclear Medicine and the PET center
• Students develop skills with nuclear detection electronics, medical image manipulation using IDL, and tomographic image reconstruction
• In most years, grant support is available for an RA stipend and student travel to conferences