Physics PhD Candidate
Research in Radiation Oncology
Current Projects:
- Cerenkov Imaging
- Microdosimetry simulations using Geant4
Updates!
- My thesis defense will be at 1 PM on Monday, May
13th
- This fall I will be an Assistant Professor of Physics at
Agnes Scott College, in Decatur, GA.
- My Stanford contact info, and this website, will no
longer be available starting some time this summer
Research
Medical Physics
My thesis research focuses on the following questions:
- Is there a well-defined cellular scale for physics simulations? That is, can nanometer-scale track structure be integrated over to provide useful information that would otherwise be lost at the mm-scale? Is the nanometer/eV physics model in Geant needed for cellular simulations, or is the low energy EM model sufficient?
- Is there an advantage to using variables more information-rich than dose? It is possible to compare cellular to nuclear `dose' (through individual energy deposits), but it might be more worthwhile to consider the specific energy deposits and track energies, rather than the sum. Is it feasible and useful to predict single strand break (SSB) and double strand break (DSB) damage without detailed track structure?
- What can simulations tell us about treatment methods that involve cellular-scale dose inhomogeneities, such as dose-enhanced radiotherapy (DERT), especially in experimentally-challenging situations like in vivo?
News Coverage of Cerenkov Imaging for Medicine
Particle Physics
News coverage of EXO-200
Publications
Medical Physics
EXO-200
- Observation of
Two-Neutrino Double-Beta Decay in Xe-136 with EXO-200
N. Ackerman et al, Phys Rev Lett. 107, 212501 (2011); doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.212501
- A Xenon gas
purity monitor for EXO
A. Dobi et al, NIM A. Vol 659 (2011); doi:10.1016/j.nima.2011.09.017
- A simple
radionuclide-driven single-ion source
M. Montero Díez et al, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 81, 113301 (2010); doi:10.1063/1.3499505
- Status of
EXO-200
N. Ackerman (For the EXO collaboration), Published in the proceedings of DPF-2009, Detroit, MI, July 2009, eConf C090726
- Characterization
of large area APDs for the EXO-200 detector
R. Neilson, F. LePort, et al,NIM A, Volume 608, Issue 1, 1 September 2009, Pages 68-75, ISSN 0168-9002, 10.1016/j.nima.2009.06.029.
Diversity
Talks
- CSU-Fresno Physics Colloquium
- Particle Physics in Medicine
- November 2, 2012
- Radiation Research Society Meeting
- Poster: Geant4 Microdosimetry for Dose Enhancement and Radiobiology
- September 2012
- Radiation Chemistry Gordon Research Conference and Seminar
- Poster: Monte Carlo Simulations for Radiobiology
- July 2012
- Stanford CBIS Symposium
- Poster: Physics Simulations for Cerenkov Imaging
- April 2012
- APS March Meeting
- Monte Carlo Simulations for Radiobiology
- February 2012
- Stanford Radiation Oncology Physics Seminar
- Simulations for Cerenkov Imaging
- November 29th, 2011
- APS California-Nevada Section Meeting
- Geant4 Microdosimetry for Simulation of Dose Enhancement in vivo at Orthovoltage Energy
- November 11, 2011
- Sonoma State University: What Physicists Do
- Cancer+Physics: Mice, Dice, and Faster than Light Particles
- October 10,2011
- Stanford Bio-X IIP Symposium
- Poster: Physics Simulations for Cerenkov Imaging
- September 26, 2011
- NSBP/NSHP Joint Conference
- Physics Simulations for Cerenkov Imaging
- September 23, 2011
- AAPM/COMP Joint Meeting
- Poster: Geant4 Microdosimetry for Simulation of Dose Enhancement in Vivo at Orthovoltage Energy
- July 30- Aug 3, 2011
- AAPM/COMP Joint Meeting
- Poster: In Silico, in Vitro, and in Vivo Quantification of Tungsten and Iodine in Dose Enhanced RT (DERT)
- July 30- Aug 3, 2011
- ESTRO
- Poster: Dose Measurements in Dose-Enhanced Radiation Therapy
- May 9, 2011
- APS April Meeting: Press Conference
- Illuminating Biology with Faster Than Light Particles
- April 30, 2011
- APS April Meeting
- Cerenkov Radiation as a New In Vivo Imaging Modality
- April 30, 2011
- SLAC Association for Student Seminars
- Cerenkov Imaging in Biomedicine
- April 27, 2011
- International Workshop on the Interconnection between Particle Physics and Cosmology
- Poster: Searching for double beta decay with the EXO experiment
- July 12-July 16, 2010
- SLAC Association for Student Seminars
- What You Didn’t Know About Neutrinos
- October 7, 2009
- APS Division of Particles and Fields Meeting
- EXO-200
- July 31, 2009
- SLAC Association for Student Seminars
- Diversity in Physics
- December 3, 2008
- APS April Meeting
- EXO-200 Status
- April 12, 2008
Other Conferences Attended
- SACNAS
- October 27-30, 2011
- European Science Open Forum
- July 3-July 7, 2010
- Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting
- June 26-July 3, 2010
- Xenon Detector Workshop
- November 16, 2009
- Erice Nuclear Physics School: Neutrinos in Cosmology, in Astro-, Particle- and Nuclear Physics
- Sept 16, 2009
- SLAC Summer Institute 2007: Dark Matter: From the Cosmos to the Laboratory
- July 30
- SLAC Summer Institute 2006: The Next Frontier: Exploring with the LHC
- July 17
Teaching
Physics Department Teaching Assistant, Stanford University
- Physics 120
- Electromagnetism
- Winter 2012
- Physics 25
- Modern Physics
- Spring 2010
- Physics 67
- Introduction to Laboratory Physics
- Spring 2009
Athletic Academic Resource Center Tutor, Stanford University
Led 2-hour tutorial 1-2 times a week for 5-20 students
- Physics 25
- Modern Physics
- Spring 2011
- Physics 43
- Electricty and Magnetism
- Spring 2011
- Physics 23
- Electricity and Optics
- Winter 2011
- Physics 41
- Mechanics
- Winter 2011
- Physics 21
- Mechanics and Heat
- Fall 2010
- Physics 45
- Light and Heat
- Fall 2010
Teaching-related Training and Activities
- CTL 312
- Science and Engineering Course Design
- Winter 2012
- Training
- Small Group Evaluator Training
- January 2012
- Workshop
- Effective Use of Clickers and Peer Instruction
- September, 2011
- Phys 294
- Teaching of Physics Seminar
- Autumn 2007
Service and Outreach
Professional
- Organizing Committee for APS March Meeting Session “Sexual and Gender Diversity Issues in Physics”
- May 2011 - March 2012
Stanford University
- Physics Department Teaching Mentor
- January 2012 - Present
- Local Organizing Committee for Western UGWP Conference 2012
- July 2011 - January 2012
- SPLASH Teacher
2 classes of "Medical Physics: Treating Cancer with Particles" - November 2010
- Graduate Student Council: Diversity Advocacy Committee
- Aug 2008 - Present
- Student Hosted Colloquia Committee
- June 2008 - Present
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
- Kid's Day Opening Talk
- August 2010
- Tour Guide
- June 2009- Sept 2010
- SLAC User’s Congressional Outreach in DC
- February 2010
- Representatitve on QuantumDiaries.org
- Mar 2009 - Mar 2010
- SLAC Association for Student Seminars Czar
- Jul 2008 - Dec 2008
About Me
I am a member of:
In addition to my scientific research, I am passionate about diversity, teaching, and outreach. I'm a linux (ubuntu) user who believes strongly in open source software and cross-platform standards. In my free time I dance salsa rueda and read.
A few random things I am in: