9:00am - 9:15am                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Ontario Association of Medical Radiation Sciences (OAMRS)

9:15am - 10:15am  

MRI-guided Radiotherapy

Ali Fatemi, PhD, MCCPM, Chief Medical Physicist, CHS and Professor of Physics, Department of Physics, Jackson State University

Dr. Fatemi is a board-certified radiation physicist by the Canadian College of Physicists in Medicine (CCPM). He began his career as a biologist and then pursued training as a Medical Physicist at McMaster University Canada, earning his Ph.D. in MRI Physics. He was part of the team working on the clinical application of Susceptibility Weighted Imaging (SWI) and then later working on Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping (QSM) and Strategically Acquired Gradient Echo (STAGE). He completed his radiation oncology physics residency at Princess Margaret Hospital at the University of Toronto, where he collaborated with well-known MRI-guided Radiotherapy researchers, including the first clinically available system MRI on the rail. Dr. Fatemi and his team proposed Quality Assurance and Quality Control Guidelines for MRI Machines intended to use for Radiotherapy (RT). In addition, he was acting as a chair of MR in the RT study group at the International Society of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (ISMRM). And he is working with his international collaborators to develop guidelines for the application of MRI in RT. He also served as co-chair of task group 117, “Use of MRI Data in Treatment Planning and Stereotactic Procedures - Spatial Accuracy and Quality Control Procedures” at AAPM, president of the Association of Iranian Physicists in Medicine (AIPM) across the US and Canada, and the member of AAPM magnetic resonance imaging working group. 

In his talk, Dr. Fatemi will discuss the use of MRI techniques in radiation oncology with a view to the myriad applications within the field. In addition, Dr. Fatemi will demystify the critical process of rigorously testing and commissioning MRI machines specifically for their integration into the intricate world of radiotherapy planning. The talk will conclude with a discussion on the innovative projects and developments in MRI and radiation oncology, highlighting the promise they hold for revolutionizing cancer treatment.

1.0 CE Hours

10:15am - 11:15am

Fabrication and Characterization of a Fibre Optic Radiochromic Dosimeter Probe

Rohith Kaiyum, BSc, PhD(c), University Health Network and York University

Rohith Kaiyum is a PhD candidate jointly at the University Health Network and York University with an honours in biomedical physics from the University of Toronto. In his presentation, Rohith will discuss the fabrication and characterization of new customizable radiochromic materials and dosimetrs for applications in real-time in vivo dosimetry. Rohith studies the properties of radiochromic film for use in real-time in vivo dosimetry in collaboration with TRIUMF. He is the recipient of various awards such as the Strategic Training in Transdisciplinary Radiation Science for the 21st Century (STARS21) and the NSERC Microsystems Technologies & Applications award.

11:15am - 12:15pm

Not Just "Luck of the Draw": The Challenges in Building the Radiotherapy ACE (Access to Care for Everyone)

Natalie Rozanec, MSc, MRT(T), APRT(T), Manager, Radiation Therapy, Stronach Regional Cancer Centre

Natalie will discuss the access to care issues that are faced by oncology patients, locally, nationally and internationally and the global initiatives that are underway to improve access to care. Natalie has worked for 11 years as an Advanced Practice Radiation Therapist, with a focus on improving patient care and access to palliative radiotherapy. She graduated from the Medical Radiation Sciences Program at the University of Toronto/Michener Institute in 2009. She has been working at the Southlake Regional Health Centre since 2010, both as a radiation therapist and clinical trails coordinator. In 2012, Natalie transitioned to Advanced Practice Radiation Therapy, with a focus on palliation. She went on to complete her MSc. Advanced Practice (Radiotherapy and Oncology) from Sheffield Hallam University in 2018 and APRT(T) certification with the CAMRT in 2019. She is a Lecturer at the University of Toronto Department of Radiation Oncology, teaching family medicine residents and community care providers about palliative radiotherapy. Natalie's research interests involve improving the patient experience, exploring different interdisciplinary models of care, and improving global access to radiation therapy. She is involved in several leadership initiatives locally, provincially, nationally and internationally and is the current co-chair of the ARPT International Community of Practice.

12:15pm - 12:30pm

Concluding Remarks

Ontario Association of Medical Radiation Sciences (OAMRS)