Physics Research Ideas for Medical Physics Position?

[Quantum_Cthulhu]

Backstory: I am a newly qualified and hired MRI medical physicist. Throughout my residency, I became depressed as I seen the lack of physics and math's involved. Senior physicists would shun me from trying to involve more advanced math/physics into my work.

I am unable to change my situation currently, so I am trying to steer away from bitterness and resentment and make the most out of my position.

Question: My hospital is attached to a university, of which I will become an honorary lecturer soon. I want to work on a project (that is a lot more math and physics involved) with the hopes of using my position to reach out at someone in the university to collaborate on research. I was hoping to get some ideas? (Yes I have looked at what the university staff in medical physics is researching, but it is all assisting medical doctors in clinical studies or building novel MRI scanners, aka a lot of engineering).

The most math/physics-y thing I could find would be PINN's (physics informed neural networks) applied to MRI in some way.

Any help, advice, guidance (even on how to approach someone at the university to try and collab) would be GREATLY appreciated.

 

[gleem]

Yes I have looked at what the university staff in medical physics is researching, but it is all assisting medical doctors in clinical studies or building novel MRI scanners, aka a lot of engineering

That is what medical physics was instituted to do: help physicians apply physics to their problems. That said, what do you mean by lack of physics and math? Does this research fit the bill as far as you are concerned?
https://news.rice.edu/news/2025/sharper-mri-scans-may-be-horizon-thanks-new-physics-based-model

 

[Quantum_Cthulhu]

That is what medical physics was instituted to do: help physicians apply physics to their problems. That said, what do you mean by lack of physics and math? Does this research fit the bill as far as you are concerned?
https://news.rice.edu/news/2025/sharper-mri-scans-may-be-horizon-thanks-new-physics-based-model

I think it should be possible to do our own innovative work without the need for Physicians or things that are physician related. I'm happy to help them with clinical trials, but I don't want my identity to be a Physicians research lackey.

I've made the very "mature" and "sound" decision to talk about my work on the Internet and had backlash from physicists that medical physicists are not 'real' physicist unless you research and try to publish within physics. I've then made the "sound emotional" decision to actually let online strangers thoughts get to me.

I then also actually enjoy maths and physics and want to apply some of what I've learned. Yes I understand now this field is not for me, but I'm stuck here for now and want to make the most out of it/tolerate it. I want to use the privlage of an attached university to the fullest.

I mean no physicist around me does basic calculus, differential equations or anything more than addition, subtraction and percentages and then discourages me when I think, hey the Bloch equations are a set differential equations, what if I model it and try to apply it to a problem, say for instance add in a diffusion factor and use this as a loss function in a neural network to try produce better ADC maps for diffusion weighted imaging.

I hate the culture of QA, admin, health and safety and go home. Idk if its the same in the rest of Europe or Northern America or elsewhere (I'm from the UK). I've literally seen someone else get scolded while in residency for trying to learn the proper theory behind particle interactions and not just surface level Compton scattering, pair productions, photoelectric effect... Describing it as a waste of time.

The article you have sent fits the bill exactly... It's just hard coming from a culture that steers clear of advanced maths or physics (advanced meaning above high school level) into trying to be taken seriously and creating something tabgible that would get me a research collaboration... I don't even know where to start, or how to find out where to start. Or even how to approach it? Do I build something, cold email someone at my university in the physics department (I doubt the medical physics department would be interested) and show them what I've got?

 

[gleem]

Where to start.

I think it should be possible to do our own innovative work without the need for Physicians or things that are physician related. I'm happy to help them with clinical trials, but I don't want my identity to be a Physicians research lackey.

How did you not know what medical physicists do? You are there to make sure that the physician does the right thing, insofar as the physics needed is done correctly.

I then also actually enjoy maths and physics and want to apply some of what I've learned. Yes I understand now this field is not for me, but I'm stuck here for now and want to make the most out of it/tolerate it. I want to use the privlage of an attached university to the fullest.

Again, how did you not know what your future work would be? Many physicists can carry out their interests outside of their clinical responsibilities. Perhaps your MRI colleagues are not interested in your projects but that should not stop you from finding like minded persons to collaborate with. Have you been following the latest MRI research? MRI conference proceedings? Join the American Association of Physicists in Medicine to get their journal.

I did a little footwork and Googled "math applications to scientific mri research". Check this out, Harvard University's Laboratory of Mathematics in Imaging https://lmi.bwh.harvard.edu/

Remember, your clinical work is paying the bills.

In physics, outside of an academic position, it is about as much or more about how you know as what you know.

Do I build something, cold email someone at my university in the physics department (I doubt the medical physics department would be interested) and show them what I've got?

It is a start and don't forget the math department. You may need to go much farther and establish international relationships. Go to conferences. Read all the journals you can get your hands on.

 

[Quantum_Cthulhu]

Where to start.

How did you not know what medical physicists do? You are there to make sure that the physician does the right thing, insofar as the physics needed is done correctly.


Again, how did you not know what your future work would be? Many physicists can carry out their interests outside of their clinical responsibilities. Perhaps your MRI colleagues are not interested in your projects but that should not stop you from finding like minded persons to collaborate with. Have you been following the latest MRI research? MRI conference proceedings? Join the American Association of Physicists in Medicine to get their journal.

I did a little footwork and Googled "math applications to scientific mri research". Check this out, Harvard University's Laboratory of Mathematics in Imaging https://lmi.bwh.harvard.edu/

Remember, your clinical work is paying the bills.

In physics, outside of an academic position, it is about as much or more about how you know as what you know.


It is a start and don't forget the math department. You may need to go much farther and establish international relationships. Go to conferences. Read all the journals you can get your hands on.

I mean I do know what a medical physicist does. No where does it say we serve Physicians. I've established T1, T2 and T2* mapping for myocardial tissue on a scanner, helped integrate AI, commissioned and presented stats on the first ever Truebeam with Hypersight on it in the UK.

All of these things were big projects I done without clinicians. No involvement from doctors, except the mapping I got them to report our volunteers so I could do the stats. They helped me. The issue is not much maths or physics.

I said I'm happy to help Physicians when they need it, but I don't see it written anywhere that our purpose it to serve Physicians solely.

Again I attended every open day, shadowing opportunity and career talk I could and in the UK (I'm Not from US, so no Haverd, AAPM etc. We have IPEM that have many special task groups, as I scouraged every single one, even not in relation to MRI and they are all concern with implementation. Even the AI special interest group for out AAPM equivalent IPEM is only concerned about the legislation of AI) and they always overstate the amount of physics research done. This is a sentiment everyone agrees on training in the STP. I am not in a financial position to pivot which is why I'm stating I cannot change right now so I want to make the most of ot

Yes I've done my own research into current research, but there is nothing going on near me. I didn't think in international relations anyone would take me seriously since I've not published anything. Hence why I'm trying my own university first.

I didn't think of reaching out to the maths department and I think that's very helpful and a good idea, so thank you.

 

[CrysPhys]

Yes I've done my own research into current research, but there is nothing going on near me. I didn't think in international relations anyone would take me seriously since I've not published anything. Hence why I'm trying my own university first.

Your approach appears to be, "How do I find professors who will help me conduct the research that I want?" Perhaps a more fruitful approach would be to understand what research the professors near you are doing and determine how you can help them. Initially the work may not be exactly what you want. But if you can get your foot in the door by being helpful to them, that would be the start of collaborations that could then later segue into something more appealing to you.

 

[PeroK]

Backstory: I am a newly qualified and hired MRI medical physicist. Throughout my residency, I became depressed as I seen the lack of physics and math's involved. Senior physicists would shun me from trying to involve more advanced math/physics into my work.

I am unable to change my situation currently, so I am trying to steer away from bitterness and resentment and make the most out of my position.

Question: My hospital is attached to a university, of which I will become an honorary lecturer soon. I want to work on a project (that is a lot more math and physics involved) with the hopes of using my position to reach out at someone in the university to collaborate on research. I was hoping to get some ideas? (Yes I have looked at what the university staff in medical physics is researching, but it is all assisting medical doctors in clinical studies or building novel MRI scanners, aka a lot of engineering).

The most math/physics-y thing I could find would be PINN's (physics informed neural networks) applied to MRI in some way.

Any help, advice, guidance (even on how to approach someone at the university to try and collab) would be GREATLY appreciated.

Whoever pays your salary gets to tell you what to do. That's called paid employment. Some people call it being a "wage slave". Welcome to the real world outside the ivory towers of academia!

 

[Quantum_Cthulhu]

Your approach appears to be, "How do I find professors who will help me conduct the research that I want?" Perhaps a more fruitful approach would be to understand what research the professors near you are doing and determine how you can help them. Initially the work may not be exactly what you want. But if you can get your foot in the door by being helpful to them, that would be the start of collaborations that could then later segue into something more appealing to you.

That's a fantastic idea. Thank you. It makes perfect sense. If I scratch their shoulder enough maybe they'll scratch mine, or point me in the direction of who can

 

[Quantum_Cthulhu]

Whoever pays your salary gets to tell you what to do. That's called paid employment. Some people call it being a "wage slave". Welcome to the real world outside the ivory towers of academia!

The person that pays my salary says I get to explore and do research, collaborating with the university attached if needed