- Graduate Study Overview
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Medical and Biomedical Physics Applications
Goree, Hichwa, Madsen, Siochi, Sunderland
Experimental applied physics research for physics graduate students includes two areas. In the medical area, radioactive tracers (radiotracers) are introduced into the human body. With Positron Emission Tomography (PET), we produce short half-life radiotracers from a medical cyclotron and synthesize positron-emitting radiopharmaceuticals. In Nuclear Medicine, we use gamma-emitting radiotracers for single-photon emission tomography (SPECT). A graduate course in Medical Physics is offered. In the biomedical area, we develop biomedical applications of ionized gas, i.e., plasma, and we treat bacteria using short-lived radicals generated in plasma.
The University of Iowa has the largest teaching hospital in the U.S., which offers extensive resources for student research. Students receive a PhD in Physics. Medical-related research carried out in labs at the teaching hospital includes: developing new methods and technologies to improve medical imaging, developing new radioactivity detection devices for clinical use, and synthesizing novel radioactive tracer. Biomedical research with atmospheric-pressure plasma is carried out in collaboration with the University of Iowa's College of Dentistry. Students receiving a PhD in these areas have excellent job prospects in medical equipment manufacturers or academia.
John Goree, Biomedical physics applications
- Development and testing of atmospheric-pressure plasma sources for killing bacteria in biomedical applications
- Physics students work in a physics lab, where they build equipment and treat samples, and in a microbiology lab in the University's College of Dentistry where they prepare samples and analyze them
Richard Hichwa, Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
- 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
- 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
Mark Madsen, Radionuclide imaging physics
- 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
Alfredo Siochi, Radiation Oncology Physics
- Imaging (CT, MR) and image processing of tumor motion videos
- Radiotherapy process and error analysis
- Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology, with adjunct appointment in Physics, eligible to advise physics theses
- Radiation Therapy facilities include four medical linear accelerators with on-board megavoltage cone-beam computed tomography, PET/CT and MR scanners with the ability to record motion, respiratory motion monitoring systems (strain gauges, surface reconstruction system, infrared camera systems), radiation dosimetry equipment (detectors, treatment planning systems)
- Students have opportunities to interact with radiotherapy staff
- Students learn to use linear accelerators, radiation dosimetry techniques, image analysis, and to develop software
John Sunderland, Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
- Radiation Detector Development for Positron Emission Tomography Applications
- Nuclear spectroscopy applications in medical physics
- Image analysis algorithm development including physiological modeling of radiopharmaceutical kinetics in both human and animal models
- Associate Professor of Radiology and Adjunct Professor of Physics, is eligible to advise physics theses
- PET Facilities include a medical cyclotron, three hybrid PET/CT scanners, one research PET scanner
- 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 software for image processing and simulation