Interdepartmental Program
David Geffen School of Medicine
B2-115 Center for Health Sciences
Box 951721
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1721
Physics and Biology in Medicine
310-825-7811
Program e-mail
Michael McNitt-Gray, PhD, Chair
Magnus Dahlbom, PhD, Graduate Adviser
The Physics and Biology in Medicine master of science (MS) and doctor of philosophy (PhD) program is a CAMPEP-accredited interdepartmental graduate program supported by the departments of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, Radiation Oncology, and Radiological Sciences. It offers training in four specialties: medical imaging, molecular and cellular oncology, molecular imaging, and therapeutic medical physics.
Specialized facilities for training and research are available in the departmental laboratories, as well as in the Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging, Center for Medical Countermeasures against Radiation, and Center for Computer Vision and Imaging Biomarkers, among others. Highly specialized equipment includes state-of-the-art medical imaging modalities such as MRI, CT angiography, and PET/CT in both clinical and preclinical settings, as well as advanced radiotherapy treatment and planning facilities. The program prepares students for careers as independent researchers or professional medical physicists, and graduates pursue academic, industrial, governmental, and clinical careers, regardless of which specialty they pursue.
Graduates in physics and biology in medicine can expect to engage in any combination of research, teaching, clinical service, and consultation. Biomedical physicists are usually employed in hospitals frequently associated with a medical school, where they are members of the academic staff. They are also in demand in high-technology private industry engaging in research and development of diagnostic equipment. In government agencies, biomedical physicists are involved in the formulation and enforcement of regulations applied to the use of radiation in health care delivery.
