Young Professionals Workshop - Lombardy

le 5 juin 2024 from 9h00 CDT to 12h00 CDT

Experts in the medical physics field will share their insight on the emerging roles in medical physics. Following the YPW talks, attendees will engage in discussion sessions to address challenges collaboratively, sharing their perspectives with the speakers. Attendees have the opportunity to win enticing prizes through a raffle draw!

Workshop Schedule: Wednesday, June 5th

9:30am - 9:34am	COMP SC Opening Remarks
9:35am - 9:40am	Session Overview Moderators: Prarthana, Eva and Daniel
9:40am - 10:05am	Title: Government research - at the edges of Medical Physics Speakers: Dr. Malcolm McEwen - Principal Research officer at National Research Council Dr. Islam El Ghamal - Medical Physics Resident at Nova Scotia Health Authority *talk followed by a discussion question for the audience to work on.
10:05am - 10:30am	Title: The ever-changing role of a Medical Physicist: Past and Future Speakers: Dr. Geetha Menon - Senior Medical Physicist at Alberta Health Services Dr. Claudia Mendez - Medical Physicist Resident at BC Cancer *talk followed by a discussion question for the audience to work on.
10:30am - 11:00am	Coffee Break
11:00am - 11:25am	Title: Medical Physicists and Patient Engagement Speaker: Dr John Kildea - OPAL Patient Portal *talk followed by a discussion question for the audience to work on.
11:25am - 12:00pm	Audience’s chance to present their ideas and engage in discussions with the speakers! *followed by a Raffle draw.

Presentations

Government research - at the edges of Medical Physics

Join us to hear insights from scientists at the National Research Council, Canada, contributing to diverse clinical research endeavors. Speakers will discuss translational skills, collaborative research approaches, and the impact of their work on clinical medical physics and healthcare. 

Speakers:

Dr. Malcolm McEwen - Principal Research officer at National Research Council
Bio: Malcolm McEwen is a Principal Research Officer in the Ionizing Radiation Standards group at the NRC. His research interests focus on the development of primary absorbed standards for multiple beam modalities, investigation of secondary dosimetry systems, and the combination of these two strands in protocols, procedures and calibration services for  end-users. He is Executive Director of the Ottawa Medical Physics Institute and Chair of the Consultative Committee on Ionizing Radiation of the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures.

Dr. Islam El Ghamal - Medical Physics Resident at Nova Scotia Health Authority
Bio: Islam El Gamal is a medical physics resident with the Nova Scotia Health Authority in Halifax. He completed his MSc in medical physics at Carleton University followed by a PhD in physics both as part of the National Research Council Canada’s (NRC) Ionizing Radiation Standards group. In addition, Islam has spent five years as a technical officer at NRC, gaining extensive experience in various aspects of metrology and dosimetry.

The ever-changing role of a Medical Physicist: Past and Future

The field of medical physics is rapidly evolving due to advancements in technology and the continuous reevaluation of care standards. In this session, we will hear from both a senior and a junior physicist about their experiences and roles in the clinic, how these have changed over time, and their perspectives on the future of clinical physics. 

Speakers: 

Dr. Geetha Menon - Senior Medical Physicist at Alberta Health Services
Bio: Geetha Menon is a Medical Physicist at the Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton since 2006 and a Clinical Professor at the University of Alberta. Her specific expertise is in brachytherapy, with research focus on women’s cancers. She is a Fellow of the CCPM and its present Registrar. She enjoys mentoring young physicists and is a proud member of the COMP Women’s Committee.

Dr. Claudia Mendez - Medical Physicist Resident at BC Cancer
Bio: Claudia is a medical physicist currently finalizing her residency at BC Cancer - Abbotsford. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering and an MSc in Medical Physics from the University of British Columbia, and has worked as a radiotherapy service technologist and physics assistant. She was awarded the Dr. Harold Batho award for best presentation by a Medical Physicist at the BC Cancer RT Program Annual Academic Day.

Claudia enjoys innovative clinical projects as shown by her work in implementing electron FLASH, volume staging for AVM stereotactic treatments and inverse planning for HDR brachytherapy at BC Cancer.

Medical Physicists and Patient Engagement 

The role of physicists in patient care has increasingly become a topic of discussion in the field of radiation medicine. Come hear from experts who have engaged with patients on the ways that physicists can contribute to patient care, what limitations we should consider, and their hopes and outlook for the future. Bring your thoughts for a lively discussion! 

Dr John Kildea - OPAL Patient Portal
Bio: John Kildea is a tenured associate professor of Medical Physics in the Gerald Bronfman Department of Oncology, Scientist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC), and Fonds de recherche du Québec - Santé dual chair in Artificial Intelligence and Digital Health.

John’s research focuses on building software for patient-centered health informatics and experimental methods to examine the biophysics underlying radiation-induced carcinogenesis. At the RI-MUHC, John directs the research, development, and technology innovation activities for the Opal Health Informatics Group (O-HIG).