Medical Physics Seminar – Monday, November 13, 2023
From Theoretical Physics to Medical Physics and Future Digital Health: A Personal Account
Guang-Hong Chen, PhD
Charles A. Mistretta Professor of Medical Physics and Radiology, UW-Madison
In 2002, under the guidance of Dr. Charles A. Mistretta, I transitioned from the intricate world of high-energy string theory, condensed matter physics, and quantum optics to the fascinating realm of medical physics. My path in this discipline would have taken a different trajectory without the steadfast support and mentorship from luminaries such as Drs. Zagzebski, DeLuca, Turski, Grist, and the late Jackson. Their encouragement, combined with the remarkable contributions of my amazing collaborators from the Medical Physics, Radiology, and Human Oncology departments, has been instrumental. Over the years, I've been privileged to mentor an exceptional cohort of graduate students in my lab. Many have risen to prominent positions in academia, industry, and clinical practice. As I prepare to deliver this inaugural WARF Named Professorship lecture, an honor I had scarcely dared to dream of, I wish to dedicate this lecture to my students, collaborators, mentors in my journey, and to Dr. Mistretta.
In this lecture, I will reflect on my two decades of works in X-ray CT imaging technology, traversing the fields of image reconstruction, hardware imaging system instrumentation, and clinical translations. I hope to highlight a few notable achievements of both my collaborators and students. These past endeavors have paved the way for what lies ahead, allowing me to peer into the promising future of medical physics—a future anchored in digital health, empowered by data science and artificial intelligence. A future I am passionate about and eagerly await the prospect of further collaborations with my peers, the medical physicists, and clinicians at UW-Madison, as we embark on this exciting voyage together.