Francisco Aguirre

Biography

The goal of the proposed research is to assure the National Cancer Institute and the cooperative study groups that the radiation doses delivered to clinical trial patients is accurate with minimal uncertainty. I have the experience, expertise, leadership and motivation necessary to successfully carry out my responsibilities as part of a team that will complete the proposed work. I have a broad background in physics, with specific training and expertise in the area of quality assurance in radiotherapy, audit visits, assessment of institutions, problem solving and clinical radiation therapy. As part of the team for this grant for the previous 25 years as well as a consultant for the International Atomic Energy Agency, the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health organization I have carried more than 175 visits to institutions within the U.S., Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa. I have also been part of evaluation panels to investigate accidents, formulate guidelines and policies in radiotherapy quality assurance and development of radiotherapy projects. As part of my extramural activities I have been and continue to be a member of the Radiation Physics Committee of ASTRO and the Radiological Physics center representative to the radiotherapy committees of CALGB and SWOG. I have also been a member of AAPM task groups dealing with radiotherapy issues. I have teaching responsibilities within the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center as the coordinator of the IAEA training program for international fellows and have been and continue to be Co-Director of an IAEA international course in quality assurance in medical physics at the Argonne National laboratory in Illinois. Among the main areas of activity for this grant I am responsible for the quality program of the mailed TLD dosimetry program anf for the commissioning of the OSL dosimetry program. I am also responsible for the quality of the instrument calibration and dosimetry within the MDACC Accredited Dosimetry Calibratiion Laboratory. I am also dedicating efforts to the design of an automatic 2 1/2 scanning system customized to the needs of the RPC during audit visits. In summary, I have a demonstrated record of successful and productive activities within the area of activity of our grant, and my expertise and experience are significant for the proposed project.

Research Interest

Radiation Physics, oncology