Radiobiology

Undergraduate

Radiobiology is the study of the action of ionizing radiation on living things. A thorough understanding of the benefits and risks to humans associated with exposure to all forms of ionizing radiation is essential for any medical physicist. This course will review all the forms of ionizing radiation as well as the physics and chemistry of radiation absorption and interactions in the cells of the body. Students will be introduced to the events which have led to our current understanding of the field of radiobiology including in vitro cellular experiments, in vivo animal model experiments, clinical trials on human patients, and nuclear 664 Winter 2027 Undergraduate Calendar accident/bomb victim exposures. Ultimately, all of the current understanding of radiobiology will be used to explain why the current practice of clinical radiation therapy is practiced as it is by clinical medical physicists and radiation oncologists and how this knowledge can inform future developments in the field. (Prerequisites: PHYS-4700 or consent of instructor.) (3 lecture hours per week.)