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In most developing countries, medical digital imaging devices
and techniques such as CAT scans and magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI) are scarce. Knowledge of and training for these advanced
medical tools are of utmost importance for the future health of
these countries, which is why Nigerian medical physicist Rachel
Obed came to the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical
Physics (ICTP). The Centre's Training and Research in Italian
Laboratories (TRIL) programme, as well as its bi-annual College on
Medical Physics, offered the right mix of theory and applied
training for her to advance her knowledge of the field.
Her research achievements as a TRIL fellow working with Professor
Gianrossano Giannini at the University of Trieste have earned her
the top prize at this year's College on Medical Physics, which was
held from 13 September to 1 October at ICTP. The prize, which
includes a Euro 500 award, was donated by Ali Binesh, a medical
physicist from Iran and a participant in the last two ICTP medical
physics colleges, in memory of his father, who was also a medical
physicist.
Obed's TRIL work focussed on an experimental form of radiotherapy
known as boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT). The technique uses
neutrons to target cancer cells that have concentrations of boron.
The idea is to selectively destroy the cancer cells without
damaging normal tissues surrounding the cells.
Another TRIL fellow, Ali Asghar Molavi, received a prize from the
TRIL programme in recognition of his quality fellowship work at the
Medical Physics Department of the Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria
in Trieste.
The College on Medical Physics also recognised the best posters at
the conference. Posters from 25 countries were presented; the one
produced by A.K.M. Saiful Islam Bhuian of Bangladesh won the award
(a Euro 500 cash stipend also donated by Dr. Binesh) for top
poster. Awards of merit were given to the following
participants:
For more information about the College, visit its website.
