Professor Azam Niroomand-Rad is one of Iran’s and also world’s most influential scientist, mathematician, physicist, chemist and senior researcher and associated professors at the World Congress of Medical Physics and Bioengineering. Niroomand-Rad is also winner of 2009  Marie Skodowski-Curie Award for a distinguished career contributing to the advancement of international medical physics through research, teaching and leadership.

She is board certified by the American Board of Radiology (ABR) and the American Board of Medical Physics, and is recognized as a Diplomat of the ABR and a Fellow of the American Association of Physicist in Medicine (AAPM).

Niroomand-Rad is also Associate Editor of the Medical Physics Journal, and the current President of the International Organization of Medical Physics (IOMP). She obtained her PhD in Atomic and Molecular physics from Michigan State University in 1978 and completed her post-doctoral research in medical physics at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin.

Dr. Niroomand-Rad has published numerous articles and book chapters, and is Co-Inventor of a US Patent for designing a novel stereotactic method for treatment of spine lesions. She recently received the Teacher of the Year Award from the Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology.

In addition to her teaching, research, and patient care activities in her department, she has been very involved in the scientific, educational, and professional activities of the AAPM (serving as Chair of the International Affairs committee and the International Scientific Exchange program) and the IOMP.

Professor Niroomand-Rad has organized many international scientific programs in the physics of radiation oncology and has been an invited speaker to many conferences.

Most notably and passionately, in order to promote the status of Medical Physics worldwide, she has organized workshops and training courses in medical physics in developing countries and has helped establish several foreign national medical physics associations.

The World Congress of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, which is held every three years, is the world’s leading forum for presenting the results of current scientific work as well as major innovations in health-related technologies to an international audience.

Professor Niroomand-Rad is the immediate past President of the International Organization for Medical Physics, the former Director of Clinical Physics at the Department of Radiation Medicine and a retired Professor of Radiation Medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center.

Education:
1970 at age 23 – B.S. Mathematics, State Univ. of New York at Albany.
1971 at age 24 – M.S. Physics, Michigan State University, E. Lansing, MI.
1978 at age 31 – Ph.D. Physics, Michigan State University, E. Lansing, MI.
1981 at age 34 – Professor at Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin.
2001 at age 54 – Honorary Doctor of Science, Regent of the University of the State of N.Y.

Awards, Astonishing and Recognitions:

• Member of Sigma Pi Sigma, National Physics Honor Society.
• Graduated Summa Cum Laude, State University of N.Y. at Albany, Albany, NY.
• Recipient of full academic scholarship from Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Iran to complete Ph.D. degree in Physics.
• Recipient of Affirmative Action Fellowship Award from Michigan State University, E. Lansing, MI.
• Recipient of National Research Service Award in Medical Physics at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI.
• Recipient of Distinguished Alumni Award, Cazenovia College, Cazenovia, NY.
• Recipient of AAPM Travel Award.
• Recipient of AAPM International Affairs Travel Award.
• Fellow of American Association of Physicists in Medicine, AAPM, 1997
• Recipient of Honorary Doctor of Science Degree, Cazenovia College, Cazenovia, N.Y., 2001
• Recipient of “Teacher of the Year Award”, Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology, 2001.
• Merit Member of the Sociedad Cubana de Fisica, 2002
• Recipient of AAPM Achievement in Medical Physics Award, 2006

Books, Chapters, and Patents:

• Mechanics by K.S. Symon (Second Edition) Translated into Persian. Azam Niroomand-Rad and G.G. Hamedani, Arya Mehr University of Technology Publishing Company, 639 pages (1978).

• Co-Inventor: Sanford Katz, MD and Azam Niroomand-Rad, PhD of AKatz Brachytherapy Recording Template@ for 3D Conformal Ultrasound Guided Prostate treatments with Pd-103 Seeds. Patent application in progress (1998)

• Chapter 1, Volume 2: Production and Interaction of High Energy Photons and Electrons, Biomedical Uses of Radiation – therapeutic Applications, Edited by W. R. Hendee, VCH Publisher Inc. 1999.

• Chapter 9, Kilovoltage X-rays, Modern Technology of Radiation Oncology: A Compendium for Medical Physicists and Radiation Oncologists, Edited by Jake Van Dyke. Medical Physics Publishing, Madison, WI, 1999.

• Chapter 1, Ultrasound Guided Prostate Implant: An Evaluation of Dose Volume Relations, Advances in Medical Physics, Edited by M.M. Rehani, Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishing LTD, New Delhi, India, 1999.

• Chapter 7, Ultrasound-Guided Prostate Implant with Pd-103 seeds: A clinical Evaluation of Dose Volume Relations, Medical Physics, Edited by C. Kappas et.al., Monduzzi Editore Publication, International Proceedings Division, Bologna, Italy, 1999.

• Role and Responsibilities of Medical Physicists in Radiological Protection of Patients, Azam Niroomand-Rad, IOMP Position Paper, Radiological Protection of Patients in Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Nuclear Medicine, and Therapy. Published by International Atomic Energy Agency, Proceeding of an international conference held in Malaga, Spain, March 26-30, 2001. Pages 79 – 89, 2001.

• Co-Inventor for US Patent No.: 6,665,555 B2, entitled: Radiosurgery Methods that Utilize Stereotactic Methods to Precisely Deliver High Dosages of Radiation Especially to the Spine, Frazer Henderson, MD, James Rodgers, PhD, Azam Niroomand-Rad, PhD.

After completing high school in Tehran in 1966, Professor Niroomand-Rad received a Fullbright Scholarship for her undergraduate studies in physics and mathematics. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.S. in Mathematics from SUNY, Albany in 1970. Professor Niroomand-Rad received her PhD in Atomic and Molecular Physics in 1978 from Michigan State University and finished a Postdoctoral Fellowship funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health in 1981. In 1989, she was appointed Director of Clinical Physics and Associate Professor at the Department of Radiation and Medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center, where she was promoted to Full Professor and retired in 2006.

This award recognizes CNS alumni for outstanding professional achievement and support of the college or university. Award recipients exemplify the MSU commitment to the land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach activities through their dedication to professional, community and MSU service.

Nominations are submitted by CNS faculty, staff and alumni. The Board of Directors of the CNS Alumni Association selects the recipient and presents the award at the annual CNS Awards Convocation.

Professor Niroomand-Rad has been very active in a range of education, teaching and teaching programs around the world as well as in her own institutions.  She has published numerous articles and book chapters, and is co-Inventor of a US patent for designing a novel stereo tactic method for treatment of spine lesions.

She has traveled extensively to promote her profession and safe practice of radiation in hospitals and universities.  She organized workshops and training courses in medical physics in developing countries and helped to establish several foreign national medical physics associations.  One of biggest challenges of her career was working with the International Labor Organization (ILO) in Geneva, Switzerland to have the field of medical physics recognized, and their updated International Standard Classifications of Occupations will include the medical physics profession. She hopes this recognition will provide medical physicists with better access to funding for education, training, and purchase of safe equipment.