Medical Physics (MPHY) 1
MEDICAL PHYSICS (MPHY)
MPHY6000 Professional Development
Introduction of subspecialties of medical physics (radiation oncology,
diagnostic imaging, nuclear medicine and medical health physics), and
professional competencies and skills needed for success in a medical
physics career. Focus on career placement after graduation with an
emphasis on preparation for the medical physics residency application,
match, and interview process.
Two Term Class, Student may enter either term; credit given for either
0 Course Units
MPHY6010 Introduction to Radiation Protection
Introduction to applied nuclear and atomic physics; radioactive decay;
radiation interactions; biological effects and safety guidelines; radiation
detection, instrumentation and protection.
Fall
0.5 Course Units
MPHY6020 Physics of Medical / Molecular Imaging
Physical principles of diagnostic radiology, fluoroscopy, computed
tomography; principles of ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging;
radioisotope production, gamma cameras, SPECT systems, PET systems;
diagnostic and nuclear medicine facilities and regulations. The course
includes a component emphasizing the emerging field of molecular
imaging.
Fall
Prerequisite: MATH2410 AND BIOL2310 AND BE3050
1 Course Unit
MPHY6030 Image-Based Anatomy
Taught by a radiation oncologist, this course covers major organ
systems and disease areas and is presented from a radiologic or imaging
(including cross-sectional) viewpoint in addition to a standard anatomy
and physiology presentation.
Fall
1 Course Unit
MPHY6040 Radiological Physics
Fundamental concepts underlying radiological physics and radiation
dosimetry. Covers photon and neutron attenuation; radiation and
charged particle equilibrium; and interactions of photons and charged
particles with matter and radiotherapy dosimetry including photographic,
calorimetric, chemical and thermoluminescence dosimetry.
Fall
1 Course Unit
MPHY6050 Medical Ethics / Governmental Regulation
Fundamentals of professional ethics for medical physicists through
exploration of Code of Ethics (published by the American Association of
Physicists in Medicine); case studies; survey of governmental regulations
pertinent to medical physics.
Spring
0.5 Course Units
MPHY6060 Physics of Radiation Therapy
Clinical radiation oncology physics; principles of radiation- producing
equipment; photon and electron beams; ionization chambers and
calibration protocols; brachytherapy, dose modeling and calculations;
treatment planning.
Spring
1 Course Unit
MPHY6070 Radiation Biology
Fundamental knowledge of mechanisms and biological responses of
human beings to ionizing and non-ionizing radiation through the study of
effects of radiation on molecules, cells and humans; radiation lesions and
repair; mechanisms of cell death; cell cycle effect, radiation sensitizers
and protectors; tumor radiobiology; relative sensitivities of human tissue
and radiation carcinogenesis.
Spring
1 Course Unit
MPHY6080 Radiation Detection and Measurement
Fundamentals of detection and measurement of ionizing radiation;
working principles of many detectors used currently in the field including
their application in radiotherapy, nuclear medicine, and diagnostic
radiology.
Spring
1 Course Unit
MPHY6090 Biomedical Image Analysis
This course covers the fundamentals of advanced quantitative image
analysis that apply to all of the major and emerging modalities in
biological/biomaterials imaging and in vivo biomedical imaging. While
traditional image processing techniques will be discussed to provide
context, the emphasis will be on cutting edge aspects of all areas
of image analysis (including registration, segmentation, and high-
dimensional statistical analysis). Significant coverage of state-of-the-
art biomedical research and clinical applications will be incorporated
to reinforce the theoretical basis of the analysis methods. Prerequisite:
Mathematics through multivariate calculus (MATH2410), programming
experience, as well as some familiarity with linear algebra, basic physics,
and statistics.
Fall or Spring
Also Offered As: BE5370, CIS5370
1 Course Unit
MPHY6100 Computational Medical Physics
Fundamentals of computational calculations with MATLAB on common
problems in radiation therapy physics: Compton scattering cross- section
and its applications; Bremsstrahlung scattering cross- sections and its
applications; 3D photon dose calculation algorithms; 3D electron dose
calculation algorithms; CT reconstruction; DICOM format.
Spring
1 Course Unit
MPHY6110 Medical Physics Laboratory
Lab course offering hands-on experience with a range of measurements
commonly encountered in the practice of clinical medical physics.
Project offerings may include: Task Group 51 calibration of linear
accelerators; 4-Dimensional Computed Tomography (4DCT) imaging
and image analysis; Deformable image registration and dose sum
reconstruction; Monthly linear accelerator Quality Assurance (QA)
procedures; Brachytherapy source calibration and High Dose Rate (HDR)
machine QA; Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging and image
analysis; MRI imaging and image analysis; Linear accelerator shielding
calculations and radiation survey.
Spring
1 Course Unit
MPHY6990 Independent Study
1 Course Unit
2022-23 Catalog | Generated 12/01/22
