Student presenter: Prarthana Pasricha, PhD Candidate (Supervisor: Dr. Rowan Thomson)
Title: Development of a novel system for microdosimetry and cellular radiation response
Abstract:
Accurate characterization of the radiation dose delivered to cells is a key challenge in in-vitro radiobiology experiments. Presented here is a novel integrated cells-on-radiochromic-film (cells+RCF) system that enables direct, cellular-level quantification of energy deposition and cellular response to radiation. Monte Carlo (MC) simulations are used to evaluate energy deposition in cells and the underlying RCF, and to examine trends in cellular energy deposition, particularly relevant at low doses. Raman spectroscopy and radiobiological assays are used to measure biochemical and functional changes in cells post irradiation.
This talk presents the development of the cells+RCF system through three phases: Phase 1: micron-scale characterization of RCF; Phase 2: characterization of MC38 cell response to radiation; and Phase 3: integration of cells on RCF to enable simultaneous assessment of dose deposition and cellular response. The applicability of the system to other radiation sources, including I-125, Ir-192, and Co-60, is also explored using MC simulations.
Member speaker: Prof. Paul Johns, Dept. of Physics, Carleton University
Title: Research in coherent scatter x-ray imaging and x-ray tube source mapping
Abstract:
Coherent x-ray scattering is the basis of x-ray diffraction, a technology very sensitive to material composition and structure. There has been growing interest in making images with it for medicine and for industry/security. In this seminar I will outline our past work to measure coherent scattering cross sections, and current efforts to devise technology for simultaneously acquiring primary and coherent scatter images for medical applications. A subtask of the cross section work was to measure x-ray tube source distributions using pinhole radiography. From this grew a separate project to look at the practicality of x-ray source mapping with digital technologies, and what the international standard requires (IEC 60336, International Electrotechnical Commission). Our experience with CR (computed radiography) and DR (digital radiography) will be described.