Research Discipline(s): Medical Physics
Primary Title: Head of Medical Physics
Additional Titles & Affiliations: Associate Professor, Physics and Astronomy, University of Manitoba; Associate Professor, Radiology, University of Manitoba
RESEARCH TOPICS
In Vivo Dose Verification, Adaptive Radiation Therapy, Real-Time Tumour Tracking, Advanced MRI Techniques For Radiation Therapy, Artificial Intelligence Applications In Radiation Therapy
Research Summary
I’m active in several areas of research within radiation oncology. In vivo dosimetry methods allow us to verify the radiation delivered to patients through analysis of exit radiation fluence patterns of the actual treatment beam captured by a megavoltage imaging system. This delivered dose information has been shown to be critical in making decisions about adapting radiation treatments to account for previous delivery inaccuracies (ie. adaptive radiation therapy). Real-time tumour tracking, which opens of the possibility of real-time adaptive radiation therapy, is another topic of interest which we investigate via the use of projection megavoltage and kilovoltage x-ray beams, as well as radiobeacons inserted into the patient. Advanced MRI techniques provide additional functional information which can be used to improve the radiation therapy process in a wide variety of ways, for example in terms of defining new targets, providing sub-target regions to treat with extra high radiation doses (ie. a dose ‘boost’), as well as providing longitudinal data to support patient outcomes analysis. Finally, as in most fields of research today, modern artificial intelligence methods, including machine learning and deep learning, have generated a huge interest in medical physics. We have begun exploring practical applications of this technology to improve patient treatments.
Goals
I strive to pursue practical research that can make a positive impact on our patient's treatment. This impact can be improving accuracy, providing new techniques that we don't currently have available, or improving the efficiency of existing techniques to help ensure a more robust health care system.
Research Biography
After receiving an honours B.Sc. in Physics at the University of Waterloo, I completed an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Physics at the University of Manitoba. I was also fortunate to experience a one-year research sabbatical at the University of Newcastle and Calvary Mater Newcastle Hospital in Australia.
Even though my primary responsibility throughout my career has been clinical support, I have been an active researcher. To date I have authored or co-authored nearly 60 peer-reviewed papers, supervised more than 25 graduate students and post-doctoral fellows, and obtained (or helped to obtain) nearly three million dollars of research support.
Achievements
- Fellow of the Canadian Organization of Medical Physics (FCOMP)
- Invited speaker to numerous conferences and external university departments
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Featured Publications
- P. Siciarz and B.M.C. McCurdy, “U-net architecture with embedded Inception-ResNet-v2 image encoding modules for automatic segmentation of organs-at-risk in head and neck cancer patients based on CT images” Physics in Medicine and Biology, Feb 8. doi: 10.1088/1361-6560/ac530e (2022)
- I. Olaciregui-Ruiz, S. Beddar, P.B. Greer, N. Jornet, B.M.C. McCurdy, G. Paiva-Fonseca, B. Mijnheer, F. Verhaegen, “In vivo dosimetry in external beam photon radiotherapy: Requirements and future directions for research, development, and clinical practice,” Physics and Imaging in Radiation Oncology, Volume 15, pp 108-116, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phro.2020.08.003.
- K. Guo, H. Ingleby, E. van Uytven, I. Elbakri, T. van Beek, and B.M.C. McCurdy, “A tri-hybrid method to estimate the patient-generated scattered photon fluence components to the EPID image plane,” Physics in Medicine and Biology, doi: 10.1088/1361-6560/ab9ae4, published June 9, 2020.
- A. Omotayo, S. Venkataraman, N. Venugopal, B.M.C. McCurdy, “Feasibility study for marker-based VMAT plan optimization towards real-time tracking” Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics, https://doi.org/10.1002/acm2.12892, published 11 June 2020.
- D. Sasaki, P. McGeachy, J. Alpuche, A. Dubey, R. Koul, B.M.C. McCurdy, “A Modern Mould Room: Meshing 3D surface scanning, digital design and 3D printing with bolus fabrication”, Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics, https://doi.org/10.1002/acm2.12703, published August 27, 2019.
- P.M. McCowan, G. Asuni, E. van Uytven, T. van Beek, B.M.C. McCurdy, S.K. Loewen, N. Ahmed, B. Bashir, J.B. Butler, A. Chowdhury, A. Dubey, A. Leylek, M. Nashed , “Clinical Implementation of a Model-Based In Vivo Dose Verification System for Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy-Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy Treatments Using the Electronic Portal Imaging Device”, International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, and Physics, 97(5):1077-1084 (2017).
- E. van Uytven, T. van Beek, K. Chytyk-Praznik, P.M. McCowan, P.B. Greer, and B.M.C. McCurdy, “Validation of a method for in vivo 3D dose reconstruction for IMRT and VMAT treatments using on-treatment EPID images and a model-based forward-calculation algorithm”, Medical Physics, 42(12): 6945-6954 (2015).
- K. Chytyk-Praznik, E. VanUytven, T.A. vanBeek , P.B. Greer , and B.M.C. McCurdy, “Model-based prediction of portal dose images during patient treatment”, Med. Phys. 40, 031713, 2013.
