research profile
Dr. Jessica Miller’s Research
Research is a critical component to implementing new technologies that allow us to improve care for our patients in the fight against cancer.
Radiation therapy relies on an accurate understanding of tumor location within a patient as well as an accurate model of the radiation beam to be delivered. My research focuses on both of these aspects of radiation therapy delivery. Through optimized CT imaging we can better define the boundaries of a tumor and target the cancer more effectively. I also work with radiation detectors to characterize their response to radiation for a more accurate measurement of dose.
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Improving tumor delineation in the pancreas and liver through dual-energy CT
Tumor delineation in the pancreas and liver can be a challenge using conventional CT images. Dual-Energy CT provides many opportunities to better delineate tumor from healthy tissue and therefore has great potential to aid in radiation therapy. The Department of Human Oncology has installed a novel single-source dual-energy CT system, called TwinBeam, with potential for liver and pancreas imaging. We are currently quantifying the advantages gained through TwinBeam dual-energy CT.
Polarity and ion recombination effects in Microionization chambers
An increase in the delivery of small and nonstandard radiation fields has led to the development of small-volume ionization chambers, commonly categorized as microchambers. Small-volume dosimeters can provide high spatial resolution in areas of steep dose gradients. The University of Wisconsin Accredited Dosimetry Calibration Laboratory has experienced an increase in requests for the calibration of microchambers. This indicates that these chambers are being used for reference dosimetry measurements in a wide range of therapy applications. Unfortunately, microchambers exhibit anomalous polarity and ion recombination effects that are not demonstrated by larger-volume, reference-class ionization chambers. We are working to better understand and characterize these chambers.
