Medical Physics (MPHY) 1

MEDICAL PHYSICS (MPHY) MPHY 6070 Radiation Biology

Fundamental knowledge of mechanisms and biological responses of
human beings to ionizing and non-ionizing radiation through the study of
MPHY 6000 Professional Development effects of radiation on molecules, cells and humans; radiation lesions and
Introduction of subspecialties of medical physics (radiation oncology, repair; mechanisms of cell death; cell cycle effect, radiation sensitizers
diagnostic imaging, nuclear medicine and medical health physics), and and protectors; tumor radiobiology; relative sensitivities of human tissue
professional competencies and skills needed for success in a medical and radiation carcinogenesis.
physics career. Focus on career placement after graduation with an Spring
emphasis on preparation for the medical physics residency application, 1 Course Unit
match, and interview process.
MPHY 6080 Radiation Detection and Measurement
Two Term Class, Student may enter either term; credit given for either
Fundamentals of detection and measurement of ionizing radiation;
0 Course Units
working principles of many detectors used currently in the field including
MPHY 6010 Introduction to Radiation Protection their application in radiotherapy, nuclear medicine, and diagnostic
Introduction to applied nuclear and atomic physics; radioactive decay; radiology.
radiation interactions; biological effects and safety guidelines; radiation Spring
detection, instrumentation and protection. 1 Course Unit
Fall
MPHY 6090 Biomedical Image Analysis
0.5 Course Units
This course covers the fundamentals of advanced quantitative image
MPHY 6020 Physics of Medical / Molecular Imaging analysis that apply to all of the major and emerging modalities in
Physical principles of diagnostic radiology, fluoroscopy, computed biological/biomaterials imaging and in vivo biomedical imaging. While
tomography; principles of ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging; traditional image processing techniques will be discussed to provide
radioisotope production, gamma cameras, SPECT systems, PET systems; context, the emphasis will be on cutting edge aspects of all areas
diagnostic and nuclear medicine facilities and regulations. The course of image analysis (including registration, segmentation, and high-
includes a component emphasizing the emerging field of molecular dimensional statistical analysis). Significant coverage of state-of-the-
imaging. art biomedical research and clinical applications will be incorporated
Fall to reinforce the theoretical basis of the analysis methods. Prerequisite:
Prerequisite: MATH 2410 AND BIOL 2310 AND BE 3050 Mathematics through multivariate calculus (MATH 2410), programming
1 Course Unit experience, as well as some familiarity with linear algebra, basic physics,
MPHY 6030 Image-Based Anatomy and statistics.
Taught by a radiation oncologist, this course covers major organ Fall or Spring
systems and disease areas and is presented from a radiologic or imaging Also Offered As: BE 5370, CIS 5370
(including cross-sectional) viewpoint in addition to a standard anatomy 1 Course Unit
and physiology presentation. MPHY 6100 Computational Medical Physics
Fall Fundamentals of computational calculations with MATLAB on common
1 Course Unit problems in radiation therapy physics: Compton scattering cross- section
MPHY 6040 Radiological Physics and its applications; Bremsstrahlung scattering cross- sections and its
Fundamental concepts underlying radiological physics and radiation applications; 3D photon dose calculation algorithms; 3D electron dose
dosimetry. Interactions and energy deposition by ionizing radiation calculation algorithms; CT reconstruction; DICOM format.
in matter and charged particle equilibrium; introduction to radiation Spring
detection, calibration, and therapy. Prerequisite: MPHY 6040
Fall 1 Course Unit
1 Course Unit MPHY 6110 Medical Physics Laboratory
MPHY 6050 Medical Ethics / Governmental Regulation Lab course offering hands-on experience with a range of measurements
Fundamentals of professional ethics for medical physicists through commonly encountered in the practice of clinical medical physics.
exploration of Code of Ethics (published by the American Association of Project offerings may include: Task Group 51 calibration of linear
Physicists in Medicine); case studies; survey of governmental regulations accelerators; 4-Dimensional Computed Tomography (4DCT) imaging
pertinent to medical physics. and image analysis; Deformable image registration and dose sum
Spring reconstruction; Monthly linear accelerator Quality Assurance (QA)
0.5 Course Units procedures; Brachytherapy source calibration and High Dose Rate (HDR)
machine QA; Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging and image
MPHY 6060 Physics of Radiation Therapy
analysis; MRI imaging and image analysis; Linear accelerator shielding
Clinical radiation oncology physics; principles of radiation- producing
calculations and radiation survey.
equipment; photon and electron beams; ionization chambers and
Spring
calibration protocols; brachytherapy, dose modeling and calculations;
1 Course Unit
treatment planning.
Spring
Prerequisite: MPHY 6040
1 Course Unit

2024-25 Catalog | Generated 08/05/24

2 Medical Physics (MPHY)

MPHY 6120 Artificial Intelligence for Medicine

This course offers an in-depth introduction to AI with a focus on medical
applications through the lens of a medical physicist. It discusses
fundamental principles of medical informatics, data science, and artificial
intelligence, and emphasizes their applications to medical scenarios.
The course explores image segmentation, registration, data analysis and
natural language processing through hands-on learning using the Python
programming language. AI assistants like GitHub copilot and ChatGPT
are used to augment learning and facilitate coding exercises. The course
is intended for a broad audience interested in medical AI, but a strong
foundation in math and programming is recommended.
Spring
1 Course Unit
MPHY 6130 MRI Fundamentals
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an important and widely used
imaging modality for making clinical diagnosis, prognosis, and
monitoring treatment response. In this course, students are introduced
to the fundamental principles behind the physics of MRI. Topics include
basic electromagnetism; MRI hardware; signal generation; image
contrast mechanisms, basic and advanced pulse sequences for obtaining
structural, metabolic and physiologic information; artefacts; and safety
issues. The course offers hands-on experience with an MRI scanner.
Fall
1 Course Unit
MPHY 6990 Independent Study
This course is designed to provide the student with a unique learning
experience not achievable by ordinary course work. Clinical projects
offered by faculty and staff physicists from the Department of Radiation
Oncology may count as an independent study course.
1 Course Unit
MPHY 7000 Clinical Practicum
Practical experience in a subspecialty of medical physics including
radiation therapy, diagnostic imaging, radiation safety, and nuclear
medicine. Taking place in a clinical setting and supervised by a
qualified medical physicist, the practicum provides an understanding of
instrumentation methodology, calibration, treatment planning, and quality
assurance; and may include patient interaction, clinical conference
attendance, and a review of new techniques.
Summer Term
1 Course Unit
MPHY 9900 Thesis I
Faculty-mentored research project (extended research paper or original
research) resulting in a final paper and short oral presentation that is the
culmination of a master student's graduate study.
1 Course Unit
MPHY 9910 Thesis II
Faculty-mentored research project (extended research paper or original
research) resulting in a final paper and short oral presentation that is the
culmination of a master student's graduate study.
1 Course Unit

2024-25 Catalog | Generated 08/05/24