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Yannick Poirier, PhD

Academic Title:

Associate Professor

Primary Appointment:

Radiation Oncology

Location:

UMMC/Gudelsky, GGJ-12A

Phone (Primary):

(410) 328-3770

Fax:

(410) 328-2618

Education and Training

2007     B.Sc., Physics, Université de Moncton

2009     M.Sc., Medical Physics & Applied Radiation Sciences, McMaster University

2014     Ph.D., Physics, University of Calgary

2015     Radiation Oncology Physics Residency, CancerCare Manitoba

Biosketch

Dr. Poirier joined us from Canada in 2016 from the Tom Baker Cancer Centre in Calgary, Canada. He specializes in the modeling and experimental dosimetry of low-energy kilovoltage x-ray sources and improving dosimetric standards for pre-clinical radiation biology studies. Most recently, he has focused on FLASH dosimetry and FLASH research from electron and proton sources. Clinically, he specializes in stereotactic radiation surgery and has developed the University of Maryland's technique for single-isocenter multiple-target treatment, which has lead to a notable increase in the number of lesions treated at our institution. Dr. Poirier is board-certified by both the Canadian College of Physicists in Medicine (CCPM) and the American Board of Radiology (dABR), and is a fellow of the CCPM.

Research/Clinical Keywords

kilovoltage x-ray dosimetry, CBCT imaging dose, experimental dosimetry, FLASH, Ultra-high dose rate, scintillator dosimetry, radiochromic films

Highlighted Publications

C Kirkby, E Ghasroddashti, Y Poirier, M Tambasco, RD Stewart, RBE of kV CBCT radiation determined by Monte Carlo DNA damage simulations, Phys. Med. Biol. 58, 5693–5704 (2013).

Y Poirier, A Kouznetsov, B Koger, M Tambasco, Experimental validation of a simplified kV imaging source model, Med. Phys. 41, 041915/1–11 (2014).

M Sommerville, Y Poirier, M Tambasco, Using HVL and kVp to portray an x-ray source for dose calculations in CT, J. Appl. Clin. Med. Phys. 16, 386–400 (2015). This publication won the JACMP's award for best paper in imaging physics for 2016.

E Draeger, A Sawant, C Johnstone, B Koger, S Becker, Z Vujaskovic, I-L Jackson, Y Poirier, A Dose of Reality: How 20 years of incomplete physics and dosimetry reporting in radiobiology may have contributed to the reproducibility crisis, Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 106(2): pp.243-252 (2020). This publication won the best oral presentation award at the COMP ASM in Montreal, 2018, and led to multiple invited presentations, including one at the Radiation Research Society meeting in Puerto Rico, 2021.

Y Poirier, M Belley, M Dewhirst, T Yoshizumi, J Down, Transitioning from Gamma Rays to Xrays for Comparable Biomedical Research Irradiations: Energy Matters, Rad Res 193(6), 506–511 (2020).

Y Poirier, S Becker, S Mossahebi, B Koger, J Xu, N Lamichhane, P Maxim, A Sawant, Radiation shielding and safety implications following linac conversion to an electron FLASH-RT unit, Med Phys 48(9), 5396–4405 (2021).

A Perstin, Y Poirier, G Mardirossian, T Schulze, A Sawant, M Tambasco, Quantifying the DNA-damaging effects of FLASH irradiation with a plasmid DNA-based detector, Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 113(2), 437–447 (2022).

Y Poirier, J Xu, S Mossahebi, F Theriault-Proulx, A Sawant, Characterization, validation, and proof in principle in a novel plastic scintillator for on-line FLASH dosimetry, Med Phys 49(7), 4682–4692 (2022).

Y Poirier, LA DeWerd, F Trompier, M Dos Santos, K Sheng, K Kunugi, MM Satyamitra, AL DiCarlo, TA Winters. Commentary: Minimum Reporting Standards Should be Expected for PreClinical Radioiology Irradiators and Dosimetry in the Published Literature. Radiat Res. 2023 Sep 1;200(3):217–222. 

Awards and Affiliations

  • Best Paper in Imaging Physics 2016, Journal of American Clinical Medical Physics (JACMP)
  • Best Oral Presentation at joint ACRO/COMP/CRNA joint meeting held in Montreal, Qc in 2018

Professional Activity

2019–Present Member, AAPM Working Group for Conformal Small Animal Irradiators

2019–Present Member, AAPM Task Group 319 on Guidelines for Accurate Dosimetry in Radiation Biology Studies

2021–Present  Chair, AAPM Working Group for Conformal Small Animal Irradiators

2021–Present Member, AAPM Biological Effects Subcommittee

2022–Present  Member, AAPM Working Group for Veterinary Radiation Oncology

2021–Present  Associate Editor, Medical Physics

2023–Present  Associate Editor, International Journal of Radiation Biology

2023–Present Editorial Board Member, Medical Physics Board of Associate Editors

2019–Present Abstract reviewer, AAPM Annual Meeting

2017–Present  Abstract Reviewer, Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists Annual Meeting