Tianyu Zhao, PhD

More than half of cancer patients receive radiation therapy (RT) at some point in their care. The demand for RT is rising due to the increasing incidences of cancer in the aging population and growing indications for RT used alone or in combination with other treatment methods. However, as the utilization of RT grows, the complexity of the RT technology and process – from consultation to treatment and follow-up – has also increased. Globally, the availability of medical resources and the supply of highly technical and specialized professionals, such as radiation oncologists, medical physicists, medical dosimetrists, and radiation therapists, have been lagging behind the demand. The gap is trending wider in the future. Professor Zhao is interested in developing an AI-based automated radiotherapy workflow to improve the utilization of current medical equipment while reducing the clinical burden and training required in low- and medium-income countries.