Physics of Medicine

There is a growing collaboration between the Physics Department and the Wake Forest School of Medicine. Several faculty researchers at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, especially in the Medical Engineering Department, are adjunct faculty in Physics. Physics graduate students can do medically-related physics thesis research under an advisor at the Medical School.

Motion compensation for cardiac MRI is an area of active research in the laboratory of Craig Hamilton. Both the underlying principles causing motion artifacts, as well as the application of post-acquisition optimization methods to image restoration, are being studied. New methods, such as vector mean field annealing, are being used for image analysis, including artery detection and nuclear medicine image restoration.

The group is building a prototype tomosynthetic X-ray system. Research involves 3-D reconstruction and design of the X-ray and sensor system. Work is also being done in analysis of MRI and other modalities including brain segmentation tomosynthesis of the electron microscope facility. Pete Santago is investigating new methods of 3-D mammography including the use of a multisensor ultrasound unit.

In the Department of Radiation Oncology, Dan Bourland carries out research on stereotactic radiation treatment techniques, 3D dose computation by pencil beams and Monte Carlo modeling, and the use of MRI in radiation treatment planning.