Cherenkov light is an optical phenomenon where a blue-weighted broadband spectrum of visible light is emitted from the interaction of high energy charged particles with certain materials such as water and tissue. It turns out that the amount of light emitted is directly related to how much energy is imparted into the material from the ionizations caused by the high energy particles. In radiation therapy, one quantification of this energy deposition is radiation dose, which is linked to the therapeutic effect. The direct relationship between Cherenkov emission intensity and energy deposition can be leveraged to infer information about the dose delivered to patients from advanced images of Cherenkov emission from their tissues during treatment.
Dr. Alexander’s research has primarily focused on applications of optics in radiation therapy, including Cherenkov and remote scintillator imaging for real time treatment verification and quality assurance. He is also active in developing workflows for combining Cherenkov imaging with surface guided radiation therapy.
Our group is part of a large collaboration between the Department of Radiation Oncology and Applied Sciences and the Thayer School of Engineering, comprising the Optics in Medicine Lab. More info on active research can be found at the OIM webpage.