Technique development, implantation and review continues to be a major research focus for medical physics. Areas of research include:

• Stereotactic Arrhythmia Radioablation Therapy for Cardiac Tachydysrhythmias
• Innovated patient-centred total body irradiation techniques.
• Abdominal Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy.
• Breast cancer research, including accelerated partial breast treatments and heart dose sparing

The COVID pandemic has forced a broad review of how we deliver care in radiotherapy. Our group published two papers on adapting radiotherapy for breast and prostate treatments in the pandemic, as well as a paper and 3 letters on low dose radiation therapy for COVID-19 pneumonia.

Precision Surgical Radiation Program. 

• Research and implementation of novel brachytherapy techniques, as part of the provincial centre of excellence proposal. 
• This team has published papers on a number of brachytherapy techniques, including HDR for prostate treatments, perineal template-based interstitial gynecological implants, and permanent breast seed implants. They continue to seek to improve the discipline wide quality of these manual, skill based techniques through work in peer-based credentialing and simulation training.

My Cancer Outcomes: Treatment Based on Real Time Patient Experiences and Outcomes

• Automation & application of artificial intelligence in radiotherapy. Research in this space has led to wide, clinical implementation of automation in treatment planning and quality assurance.  
• Development of collaboration on learning health care systems and applications of PROs in guiding and informing radiotherapy treatments continues.
• Machine learning team continues to investigate potential uses of artificial intelligence in radiation medicine, with applications in head and neck and prostate cancer treatments as well as brachytherapy.

Precision Radiotherapy: Targeted Radiation with Fewer Side Effects.

• MR-linac selection, purchase orders for the CCC are complete.
• Definition of the installation and commissioning timelines is underway.
• Multidisciplinary MR-linac kick-off workshop spring 2020 to begin identifying priorities for clinical/academic development.
• Working towards a framework for rapid implementation of research protocols once the technology is available at CCC.