Arash Darafsheh

Arash Darafsheh, PhD, serves as Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology and Associate Program Director for the PhD and MS in Medical Physics programs at Washington University School of Medicine. His clinical responsibilities encompass physics support for external beam radiation, proton therapy, and satellite office operations.

Education:

• BSc, Electrical-Electronics Engineering: University of Tehran (2004)
• MSc, Radiation Medicine Engineering: Shahid Beheshti University (2007)
• MSc, Optical Science and Engineering: UNC-Charlotte (2011)
• PhD, Optical Science and Engineering: UNC-Charlotte (2013)
• Certificate in Medical Physics: University of Pennsylvania (2015)
• Medical Physics Residency: University of Pennsylvania (2017)

Dr. Darafsheh's research pioneers optical methodologies in medical physics, with emphasis on fiber optic dosimetry systems utilizing radioluminescence and Cherenkov radiation phenomena. His work advances ultra-high dose rate FLASH radiotherapy techniques, photodynamic therapy applications, and super-resolution microscopy innovations. Current investigations focus on developing cost-effective multi-purpose tools for life sciences and material analysis through microsphere-assisted imaging techniques.

Recent publications demonstrate strong thematic continuity in optical dosimetry and advanced microscopy, with 2025 output heavily concentrated in proton therapy applications and polarization-driven imaging systems. His work bridges fundamental optics with clinical radiation oncology, particularly in developing novel dosimeters for photon, electron, and proton therapies.

Scientific Recognition:

• Senior Member of SPIE (2021)
• Senior Member of Optical Society of America (2019)
• SPIE Community Champion (2019)
• NASA LARSS Internship (2012)
• American Board of Radiology Certification (2018)

Dr. Darafsheh holds significant editorial responsibilities as Associate Editor for Medical Physics and serves as ad-hoc reviewer for over 70 scientific journals. His funded research includes an NIH STTR grant and an AAPM research seed grant supporting optical dosimetry development. As Associate Program Director, he oversees graduate education in medical physics while mentoring through the Optical Imaging and Dosimetry Lab.

The Optical Imaging and Dosimetry Lab actively develops radioluminescent dosimeters for multi-therapy applications and super-resolution microscopy platforms. Current team projects include microsphere-assisted polarimetric microscopy systems and dynamic laser speckle analysis for biomedical sensing, with strong collaboration networks evident in recent multi-institutional publications.