Medical Physics Division

The Thomas Jefferson University Medical Physics Division provides comprehensive clinical care in Radiation Oncology, leads a widely recognized and highly impactful research program, educates the next generation of medical physics leaders, and spearheads seminal national/international guidance committees. The Medical Physics Division is comprised of over 25 Medical Physicists, 7 Medical Physics residents, 3 post-doctoral fellows, and numerous other trainees.

The Medical Physics Division provides Radiation Oncology clinical coverage at the Bodine Center for Cancer Treatment in Center City Philadelphia, Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience, Asplundh Cancer Pavilion, Torresdale Hospital, Jefferson New Jersey, and Einstein Health. System-wide equipment includes Varian and Elekta Linear Accelerators, ViewRay MRI-Linear Accelerators, an Elekta Gamma Knife Icon, a CyberKnife system, and the nation’s first Elekta HDR Brachytherapy studio equipped with an Imaging Ring mobile CT scanner. The department uses Eclipse for treatment planning, MOSAIQ for record and verify purposes, and harmonizes all radiation therapy data using MIM Software. Highlights of clinical programs include a robust multi-lesion radiosurgery program, advanced MRI-guided adaptive radiotherapy capabilities, a busy HDR and LDR brachytherapy for H&N and ocular melanoma eye plaque services, and a rapidly expanding theranostics program.

The Thomas Jefferson University Medical Physics faculty lead a highly-impactful and diverse research program. The group currently has on-going funded projects by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), North Atlantic Treaty Organization, vendor funded research, as well as Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center funding. Research topics include functional imaging, proton research, multi-lesion SRS, MR-guided radiation therapy, machine learning, DNA damage modeling, physics-lead clinical trials, and design and development of novel brachytherapy devices. The group has active collaborations with Jefferson faculty within and outside of Radiation Oncology, on-going national and international research projects, and is part of the NCI Quantitative Imaging Network.

Medical Physics education is provided through the Thomas Jefferson University CAMPEP-accredited Medical Physics Residency program. During the two-year residency, residents complete a comprehensive curriculum in therapeutic medical physics, acquire experience in a wide range of clinical services, and participate in research activities. The program embraces rigor in clinical education, involvement in seminal research, diversity in both faculty and trainees, and stresses the importance of work-life balance.

The Medical Physics Division faculty hold multiple prominent positions within Radiation Oncology professional societies and have authored numerous seminal publications that set national and international guidelines. Examples of recent efforts lead by Jefferson faculty include the ASTRO White paper on safety consideration for SRS and SBRT, proton QA guidelines, task-group on MRI implementation in HDR brachytherapy, and clinical guidance for multi-lesion SRS treatments.