A new Canada Research Chair was announced by the Hon. Gary Goodyear today for Carleton University, while another chair was renewed. Rowan Thomson is Canada Research Chair in Radiotherapy Physics, and Alex Ellery continues his Canada Research Chair in Space Robotics and Space Technology.
“Our government is committed to attracting and retaining the world’s best and brightest researchers, supporting innovation, creating jobs, and strengthening our economy,” said Minister of State Goodyear. “By investing in programs such as the Canada Research Chairs, we are fostering cutting-edge research and the generation of new innovations for the marketplace, which will benefit Canadians.”
Carleton’s new funding as part of the Canada Research Chair program, $1 million over five years, will allow its researchers to do important work on radiotherapy and space robotics. Today’s announcement brings the total number of Canada Research Chairs at Carleton to 24.
Rowan Thomson – Canada Research Chair in Radiotherapy Physics
Thomson is exploring the interactions of radiation with matter through the use of computational and theoretical techniques. Forty percent of Canadians will develop cancer during their lifetimes. Although many cancer patients undergo radiotherapy, fundamental questions remain about the interactions of radiation with matter and radiation dosimetry, the measurement of the radiation dose in tissue from exposure to radiation.
Thomson has already helped to develop BrachyDose, a fast and accurate simulation code for brachytherapy. Brachytherapy is a widely-used radiotherapy treatment, in which radioactive sources are placed next to or inside a tumour. However, accurate calculations of doses have long been a challenge and BrachyDose is advancing brachytherapy dosimetry. It is being deployed to cancer centres around the world.
Her work will allow for more accurate planning and evaluation of radiotherapy treatments and will ultimately lead to better cancer treatments. Her research will also advance knowledge of radiation physics and has implications in fields that involve radiation, such as diagnostic imaging and nuclear medicine.
Read the government press release here.