New research from The University of Texas at Arlington aimed at improving the effectiveness of radiation therapy to cure cancer and other diseases will be recognized in July by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine.
"We developed a system to study alpha radiation-both its potential for treating cancer and the risks it might pose in other situations, like in space travel," said Yujie Chi, senior author on the study and an associate professor of physics at UTA. "Our system is designed to be adjustable, allowing scientists to control the amount of radiation, how fast it's delivered and the way it's applied.
"This helps mimic real-life conditions, whether it's for cancer therapy or low-level radiation exposure,' Dr. Chi added "We have now tested the system in different ways to confirm its accuracy, making it a valuable tool for understanding both the benefits and risks of alpha radiation."
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The study, "The Development and Validation of an In-Vitro Alpha Irradiation Platform with Versatile Radiation Control," was named one in 18 "Best in Physics" projects out of about 2,000 accepted for presentation at the American Association of Physicists in Medicine's (AAPM) annual meeting. Based near Washington, D.C., AAPM is the largest organization in North America devoted to clinicians who ensure the safe use of radiation in diagnostic imaging and cancer treatments.
The award honors presentations that receive the top scores during the abstract review process, as determined by the organization's scientific program directors. Recipients are recognized for exceptional quality and innovation.
"It is an honor for me and my colleagues to be recognized by AAPM with the Best in Physics award for our research," said co-author Zui Pan, professor of graduate nursing at UTA. "Our research was a team effort between Dr. Chi and me, along with our talented student researchers-Joshua Rajan, who will present the work, Harsh Arya and Mainul Abrar-and Dr. Yingjie Liu, assistant professor of research in nursing who is part of UTA's Rise 100."
The research was also supported by an Interdisciplinary Research Program Grant (IRP) from UTA's Office of the Vice President of Research and Innovation, which encourages collaboration between disciplines that don't typically work together.
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"We are so grateful for the support from the IRP," Dr. Pan said. "That grant provided the seed money that allowed for the initial collaboration for this project."
Scheduled to begin July 27, the AAPM 67th Annual Meeting and Exhibition is the world's largest gathering of scientific, educational and professional presentations and exhibits in medical physics.
About The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)
Celebrating its 130th anniversary in 2025, The University of Texas at Arlington is a growing public research university in the heart of the thriving Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. With a student body of over 41,000, UTA is the second-largest institution in the University of Texas System, offering more than 180 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Recognized as a Carnegie R-1 university, UTA stands among the nation's top 5% of institutions for research activity. UTA and its 280,000 alumni generate an annual economic impact of $28.8 billion for the state. The University has received the Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and has earned recognition for its focus on student access and success, considered key drivers to economic growth and social progress for North Texas and beyond.
