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Division of Medical Physics

Dr. Rodrigues Thermal Therapy


Medical Physics Division Leadership

Amit Sawant, PhD

Vice Chair for Medical Physics

Amit Sawant, PhD
Professor of Radiation Oncology

Shifeng Chen

Chief of Clinical Medical Physics

Shifeng Chen, PhD
Professor of Radiation Oncology

Lei Ren

Director of Medical Physics Research

Lei Ren, PhD
Professor of Radiation Oncology


Goals

  • Oversee technical aspects of patients’ radiation treatments.
  • Ensure the safe and effective use of radiation for the treatment of patients.
  • Develop and evaluate novel therapeutic approaches.

We aim to achieve these goals by using a three-pronged approach with:

  • Clinical Service
  • Program Development
  • Research and Education

Mission Statements

Clinical

Maintain the highest standards of quality, safety and consistency across all operational sites and technological platforms, and develop a culture of ceaseless clinical innovation to ensure the best personalized care for our patient population.

Research

Harness physics as an enabling engine to accelerate the development and translation of novel radiobiological and technological research into clinical practice.

Education

Maintain our program as a premier center for didactic education and training of Medical Physics residents and fellows, and disseminate our expertise and experience with novel, cutting-edge technologies and techniques within the larger medical physics community.


Clinical Service

  • Participation in patient treatment planning
  • Development and maintenance of the department’s quality assurance program
  • Support special treatment delivery protocols

The division has been active in the clinical implementation of:

  • 3D conformal
  • Intensity-modulated radiation therapy
  • Intensity-modulated arc therapy
  • Image-guided radiation therapy
  • Low-dose and high-dose brachytherapy
  • Stereotactic radiosurgery
  • Stereotactic body radiation therapy
  • State-of-the-art imaging techniques and planning systems for generating high-quality radiation treatment plans

Program Development and Research

Physicist GammaPod

Clinical Service Arm

  • Managing inter-fraction motion
  • Mitigating intra-fraction motion

Research Programs

  • Multi-modality functional information into treatment planning
  • Developing techniques to assess treatment response
  • Motion management
  • Advanced treatment-delivering technique

The division’s research programs are primarily supported by extramural funding and vendor-sponsored research agreements.


Education


Faculty and Staff

Medical Physics Faculty

Please see our Faculty and Staff page.

Research Staff, Postdoctoral Fellows & Graduate Students

Esther Vicente, PhD
Academic Title: Post Doc Fellow
Primary Appointment: Radiation Oncology
Location: MSTF-7
evicente@som.umaryland.edu

Yufeng Cao, PhD
Academic Title: Post Doc Fellow
Primary Appointment: Radiation Oncology
Location: MSTF-7
Yufeng.Cao@som.umaryland.edu

Yankun Lang, PhD
Academic Title: Post Doc Fellow
Primary Appointment: Radiation Oncology
YLang@som.umaryland.edu
410-706-0486

Xiao Ling, PhD
Adademic Title: Post Doc Fellow
Primary Appointment: Radiation Oncology
xling@som.umaryland.edu
410-706-3475

Visiting Scholars

Javier Olaizola Tadeo, MS
Academic Title: Visiting Research Fellow
Primary Appointment: Radiation Oncology
jolaizolatadeo@som.umaryland.edu
410-706-0402

Binny Bhandary, PhD
Academic Title: Research Specialist
Primary Appointment: Radiation Oncology
BBhandary@som.umaryland.edu
410-706-5155