The University of Iowa is seeking a medical physicist for a faculty appointment in the Medical Physics Division of the Department of Radiation Oncology. A successful Ph.D. candidate will be appointed on the tenure or non-tenure clinical track at the rank of assistant, associate or full professor, and a successful M.S.-prepared candidate will be appointed as a faculty clinical instructor. The medical physicist will join 13 radiation oncologists, 7 radiation oncology residents, 14 faculty medical physicists, 3 medical physics residents, one faculty engineer, 7 dosimetrists, 2 systems administrators, and 2 staff engineers. Responsibilities will include a broad range of clinical service, teaching and research based on the candidate’s interests and qualifications. We are seeking an individual who desires to participate in the standard duties found in a comprehensive radiation therapy program and who also has a strong interest in brachytherapy.

The external beam radiation therapy program is well-established, with three Elekta Versa HD linear accelerators, an Elekta Gamma Knife Icon, and an Elekta Unity MRI linear accelerator. The Department has a strong brachytherapy program, with an Elekta Flexitron high-dose-rate brachytherapy afterloader, intracavitary/interstitial capability for GYN cases, prostate HDR, eye plaque implants, and intra-operative breast radiation therapy using the Zeiss IntraBeam system. A new Siemens Vida 3T MRI scanner was brought online in July 2022 in the Department across the hall from the high-dose-rate brachytherapy suite, and cervical cancer HDR treatments are delivered using MR-guidance as the standard of care. Brachytherapy treatment planning is performed using the Oncentra high-dose-rate brachytherapy treatment planning software. The Department is equipped with a 4-D Siemens Biograph PET/CT scanner (replacement planned for 2023), a mobile C-arm imager for fluoroscopy, optical and infra-red non-ionizing image guidance systems, and 6-degree-of-freedom robotic patient positioning systems. Specialized capabilities include 4D imaging/treatment planning/delivery, frame-based and frameless stereotactic radiosurgery, flattening-filter-free stereotactic body radiation therapy with gated 3D-CRT, IMRT, and VMAT, and MRI-guided adaptive radiation therapy. Departmental software includes the Mosaiq oncology information system, Philips Pinnacle and Elekta Monaco treatment planning systems, Epic electronic medical record system, and the Varian Velocity image registration and dose accumulation software. The medical physics group also provides coverage at four partner sites, one with an Elekta VersaHD linear accelerator and three with Varian linear accelerators including two Varian TrueBeam systems.

The Department has three divisions: The Radiation Oncology Clinic, the Medical Physics division, and the Ph.D.-granting Free Radical Radiation Biology division. The Department has developed highly productive interdisciplinary collaborations that have resulted in federal research funding in multiple other departments including Electrical and Computer Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Radiology. The Department has a successful research program and has multiple NIH-funded investigators with multiple R01 grants, an STTR (small business technology transfer) grant, and a P01 grant on the use of pharmacological ascorbate (vitamin C) for cancer therapy. An XStrahl Small Animal Radiation Research Platform (SARRP) is available enabling cone-beam-CT-guided radiation therapy research using small animals at the Iowa Institute for Biomedical Imaging facility, which opened in 2014. A Public Private Partnership (P3) grant was recently obtained for the installation of a research-dedicated custom FLASH linear accelerator, with electron beam capability initially and with a planned upgrade to x-ray FLASH capability. The FLASH linear accelerator is planned to go live during the 2023 – 2024 academic year. Applicants with research interests that significantly contribute to the overall departmental academic effort are strongly encouraged to apply.

Iowa City is a vibrant community located in the rolling hills of southeastern Iowa, with a population of about 75,000. The city and university are part of a historic campus community offering an array of cultural and athletic activities, including outstanding theater and music venues, well-recognized art collections, a thriving literary tradition, ethnically diverse restaurants, and a full menu of Big Ten sports. Iowa City has the diverse atmosphere of a much larger city while having the feel of a small friendly campus town, with excellent schools. The area has a multitude of recreation areas, with many hiking and biking trails as well as water related activities. Location is approximately 4-5 hours by car from Chicago, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Omaha, and Kansas City and within 20 minutes of the Eastern Iowa airport.

M.S. or Ph.D. degree in Medical Physics or equivalent.

Minimum of 2 years of full-time equivalent clinical experience under the supervision of a board-certified medical physicist.

Certification by the American Board of Radiology in therapeutic medical physics or equivalent is desired. 

Interest in and experience with clinical and classroom teaching is desired.

Interest in and experience with high-dose-rate brachytherapy is desired.

Interest in and experience with MR-guided radiation therapy is desired.