Medical Physics Division Leadership
Vice Chair for Medical Physics
Amit Sawant, PhD (he/him)
Professor of Radiation Oncology
Medical Physics Division
Our division is dedicated to advancing the science and application of radiation in medicine through exceptional clinical service, innovative research, robust program development, and comprehensive education.
Welcome to the Medical Physics Division at the University of Maryland School of Medicine Department of Radiation Oncology. Visit the Medical Physics Faculty page for more information about the division's leadership and faculty.
Chief of Clinical Medical Physics
Shifeng Chen, PhD
Professor of Radiation Oncology
Goals and Mission
Clinical Excellence
Goal: Oversee technical aspects of patients’ radiation treatments to ensure safety and effectiveness.
Mission: Maintain the highest standards of quality, safety, and consistency across all operational sites and technological platforms, fostering a culture of continuous high-quality patient care.
Research
Goal: Develop and evaluate novel therapeutic approaches through clinical innovation.
Mission: Harness physics as an enabling engine to accelerate the development and translation of novel radiobiological and technological research into clinical practice.
Education
Goal: Maintain our program as a premier center for didactic education and training of medical physics residents and fellows.
Mission: Disseminate our expertise and experience with novel, cutting-edge technologies and techniques within the larger medical physics community.
Director of Proton Physics
Byong Yong Yi, PhD
Professor of Radiation Oncology
Clinical Service
Our approach to safe and effective clinical service is supported by the medical physics faculty's:
- Participation in patient treatment planning
- Development and maintenance of the department’s quality assurance program
- Support for special treatment delivery protocols
Members of the division have 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
Physicists collaborating on deep tissue hyperthermia therapy (DTT), a combined therapy to treat tumors using heat.
Program Development and Research
Clinical Service Arm
Some achievements of the physics team's clinical service support services include:
- Managing inter-fraction motion
- Mitigating intra-fraction motion
Research Programs
Our research endeavors have included:
- 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.
Our latest presentation activity at scientific meetings and journal publications can be viewed here.
The GammaPod, an innovative device invented at the University of Maryland to treat early-stage breast cancer.
Education
Our division offers a comprehensive Medical Physics Residency Program that provides hands-on training in cutting-edge radiation therapy techniques, preparing the next generation of leaders in the field. Our medical physics faculty are active participants in the Radiation Oncology Medical Residency Program, and serve as leaders of the Medical Dosimetry Program.
Our division is committed to a well-rounded educational experience. The medical physics division offers a robust Postdoctoral Fellow Research Program, with faculty acting in primary advisor roles for PhD candidates. Visit our Medical Physics Division Faculty Page for the full faculty list.
Additionally, several faculty hold affiliate appointments in the Fischell Department of Bioengineering at the University of Maryland, College Park.
Medical Physics Residency Program Leadership
Director of the Medical Physics Residency Program
Arun Gopal, PhD (he/him)
Associate Professor
Department of Radiation Oncology
Associate Director of the Medical Physics Residency Program
Jochen Cammin, DSc (he/him)
Assistant Professor
Department of Radiation Oncology
Medical Dosimetry Certificate Program (JRCERT Accredited) Leadership
Junliang Xu, PhD
Assistant Professor
Director, Dosimetry Training Program
Department of Radiation Oncology