Biomechanics and Biomedical Imaging: Engineering Improvements in Cancer Diagnosis, Treatment, and Assessment

Date/Time
Date(s) - 09/29/2014
4:00 pm

Kristy Brock-Leatherman, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Radiation Physics, University of Michigan

Abstract: The use of imaging in the diagnosis, treatment, and therapeutic assessment of cancer has seen a dramatic increase over the past decade. Responding to this increase, the development of biomechanical-based anatomical models in combination with images has become a powerful tool in advancing the treatment of cancer.  Anatomical models have demonstrated the ability to improve our understanding of the various imaging signatures present in multi-modality images for diagnosis.  The models have played an important role in individualizing minimally invasive treatment to ensure that the patient has the most effective treatment possible with minimal side effects. Recent work has begun to focus on correlating the delivered treatment with the patients’ outcome, providing an exciting opportunity to improve the therapeutic ratio and ability to personalize cancer treatment.

Brief Bio: Kristy K. Brock received her PhD in Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences from the University of Michigan in 2003. After receiving her PhD, she joined the faculty at the University of Toronto (Radiation Medicine Program, Princess Margaret Hospital) and is now an Associate Professor with tenure in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Michigan. She has spent her career investigating biomechanical models for cancer diagnosis, image guided therapy, and response assessment.