A Physics World’s top 10 breakthrough of 2018.

Eric Ford ’92, a professor at the University of Washington Medical Center, was recently named in Physics World’s Top 10 Breakthroughs of 2018. This honor is awarded to scientific and engineering discoveries that have displayed significant knowledge and understanding, have played an important role in scientific progress, and have led to the development of real-world applications.

Professor Ford was part of a multi-institutional group recognized for creating a low-cost method for implementing intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), a high-precision form of radiation therapy for cancer. The conversation will be moderated by Teresa Carr KSJ '18, Independent Health and Science Journalist. 

Register today to learn more about Professor Ford’s work developing technology to fight cancer on the global stage. As a leading expert on quality and safety in healthcare, he will also discuss the key considerations in translating technology to practice. 


Why is this technology so important?

According to Physics World, “While IMRT is available in essentially all radiotherapy clinics in high-income countries, it is largely absent in vast regions of low- and middle-income countries. To address this shortfall, Ford and colleagues proposed replacing complex multileaf collimators with a cost-effective “ring of compensators made from lightweight plastic molds filled with attenuating beads such as tungsten beads.”