Medical physics applies the methods of physics to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease. Building on the department's experience with particle detectors and data analysis, we develop instrumentation and methods for quantitative, predictive medicine. We work within the Slovenian medical physics group (medfiz.si), together with the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics UL, the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana and the University Medical Centre Ljubljana.
Main activities:
- Biomarker development: panel-based, limited-angle time-of-flight PET scanners (PET-VISION, ARIS-PET, FASTSIGHT), X-ray fluorescence imaging (PIANOFORTE, IMMPRINT) and breast cancer risk estimation from screening mammograms with deep learning, together with the DORA screening programme.
- Outcome prediction: linking imaging biomarkers to treatment outcome in lymphoma, cancer immunotherapy and brain imaging.
- Disease modelling: physiologically based models of exposure to environmental toxins, such as the distribution of mercury in the organs.
- Treatment optimisation: adaptive and probabilistic radiotherapy planning, including particle therapy (RAPTOR, HITRIplus), and risk-based cancer screening.