معرفی
Peter Greer is a Conjoint Professor in the School of Information and Physical Sciences at the University of Newcastle, where he leads a medical physics research group. He holds a dual appointment at the Calvary Mater Newcastle Hospital, where he conducts clinical research in radiation oncology physics. His work bridges physics, medicine, and information technology to improve cancer treatment through advanced radiation therapy techniques.
Greer earned his PhD in medical physics from the University of Adelaide in 2001. His educational background in medical physics provided the foundation for his career in radiation therapy research and development.
Peter Greer's research focuses on improving radiation therapy for cancer patients through several key areas. He is a recognized world leader in radiation dosimetry with flat-panel imaging devices and has pioneered MRI-based treatment planning techniques. His team developed the first atlas-based deformable image registration method to map realistic electron densities to MRI scans for dose calculations, potentially eliminating the need for CT scans in prostate radiation therapy planning. He also leads research on real-time verification systems like Watchdog, which monitors radiation delivery during treatment to ensure accuracy and patient safety. His work on remote auditing through VESPA (Virtual EPID Standard Phantom Audit) has revolutionized how multicenter clinical trials maintain treatment uniformity without requiring physicists to travel to remote sites.
An analysis of Greer's recent publications reveals a strong focus on medical physics innovation, particularly in MRI-based treatment planning, EPID dosimetry, and quality assurance methodologies. His work spans from fundamental technical developments to clinical implementation, with increasing emphasis on artificial intelligence applications for image synthesis and treatment verification. The research shows progression from single-center studies to large multicenter clinical trials, demonstrating translation of research into clinical practice.
Greer has received numerous scientific awards recognizing his contributions to medical physics, including:
- Fellowship of the Australasian College of Physical Scientists and Engineers in Medicine (2014)
- Early Career Researcher of the Year from the Hunter Medical Research Institute (2010)
- 3D Segmentation Challenge for Clinical Applications from the MICCAI Society (2009)
- Best presentation in Radiation therapy from Varian Medical Systems, Inc. (2007)
Greer has supervised numerous research students and has secured significant research funding, including grants from The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). His work has led to several research outcomes being developed into commercial products for radiation oncology. He has twice served as Scientific Director for major international conferences in radiotherapy treatment imaging and has been an invited speaker at numerous national and international conferences.
Greer leads a research group based at the Calvary Mater Newcastle Hospital that collaborates with multiple institutions including CSIRO Biomedical Imaging Research Group, CancerCare Manitoba, and the University of Sydney. His team works on cutting-edge projects such as MRI-only treatment planning, real-time dose verification systems, and remote auditing methodologies that are transforming radiation oncology practice worldwide.
