Weiguang Yao, PhD

Dr. Weiguang Yao received his B.S. in physics from Hangzhou Normal University, China, M. Eng. in Accelerator Physics and Its Application from China Institute of Atomic Energy, and Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from the University of Western Ontario, Canada. He received medical physics resident training and worked as clinical physicist in Canada. Before he joined the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 2018, he was an assistant faculty member at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.

His research interest includes development of algorithms for proton dose calculation, linear energy transfer and proton-induced positron emission tomography. He proposed proton range-based registration in addition to CT-number based registration to improve patient positioning treated with intensity modulated proton therapy. In the investigated sites including pelvis, abdomen and base of skull, there can have significant day-to-day range deviation. The deviation can be effectively reduced by range-based registration. Besides, he has a long-term research interest in developing algorithms for cone beam CT including fully 3D reconstruction, scatter correction and noise reduction.

Proton dose calculation, proton range-based registration, proton range deviation, cone beam CT reconstruction, scatter correction

1. Yao W, Krasin M, Far JB, Merchant TE. Feasibility study of range-based registration using daily CBCT for proton therapy. Medical Physics 45:1191-1203, 2018. (This paper was highlighted by The Editor’s Choice)

2. Yao W, Merchant TE and Farr JB. A simplified analytical random walk model for proton dose calculation. Physics in Medicine and Biology 61:7412-7426, 2016.

3. Yao W, Merchant TE, Farr JB. A correction scheme for a simplified random walk model algorithm of proton dose calculation in distal Bragg peak regions. Physics in Medicine and Biology 61:7397-7411, 2016.

4. Yao W, Farr JB. A multi-scale filter for noise reduction in low dose cone beam projection. Physics in Medicine and Biology 60:6515-6530, 2015.

5. Yao W, Leszczynski K. An analytical approach to estimating the first order x-ray scatter in heterogeneous medium. Medical Physics 36:3145–3156, 2009. This paper was selected by Virtual Journal of Biological Physics Research 17(12), 2009.