Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Medical Physics

The Medical Physics Graduate Program is an interdisciplinary program sponsored by five departments: radiology, radiation oncology, physics, biomedical engineering, and occupational and environmental safety (health physics). Four academic tracks are offered: diagnostic imaging physics, radiation oncology physics, nuclear medicine physics, and health physics. There are currently 51 faculty members associated with the program, and many of these are internationally recognized experts in their fields of study. The program has available one of the best medical centers in the United States, with outstanding facilities in radiology and radiation oncology for the clinical training elements of the programs. The program has 5,000 square feet of dedicated educational space in the Hock Plaza Building and access to state-of-the-art imaging and radiation therapy equipment in the clinical departments. Existing equipment and facilities include: radiation oncology equipment for 3-D treatment planning, image guided therapy, and intensity modulated radiation therapy; radiation protection lab equipment (whole body counter, high resolution germanium gamma detector, liquid scintillation counter); dedicated equipment for radiation dosimetry; nuclear medicine cameras and scanners in PET and SPECT; digital imaging laboratories with dedicated equipment for physics and clinical research in digital radiography and CT; the Ravin Advanced Imaging Laboratories; the Center for In Vivo Microscopy; laboratories for monoclonal antibody imaging and therapy; excellent resources for MRI imaging (including a research MR scanner, the Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, and the Center for Advanced Magnetic Resonance Development); and ultrasound laboratories in biomedical engineering. The program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Medical Physics Educational Programs (CAMPEP).