Speaker Event: Dr. Julianne Pollard-Larkin "How Medical Physics is Transforming Healthcare"

Reception: 4pm to 5pm - CSI Atrium
Lecture: 5pm - CSI 121

FREE and OPEN TO EVERYONE

This lecture will provide an overview of the innovations and impact Medical Physics has had on health and society. Beyond highlighting innovations like FLASH radiation therapy and modalities like the MR linac, Dr. Pollard-Larkin will emphasize the personal discovery that occurs when students choose a field of study full of purpose, impact on healthcare, leadership opportunities, financial stability and personal growth. She will also show how Physics students can use their personal life story as the inspiration for their passion in their profession. Dr. Pollard-Larkin sees her identity, heritage and upbringing as a huge source of strength, passion, creativity and motivation for all of her career successes. She will walk the students through her personal story and show them how to reframe their personal narrative for their own benefit. She also will go over some of the clinical and scientific innovations she works on in her capacity as a chief clinical medical physicist at the top cancer center in the world, MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Bio:
Dr. Julianne Pollard-Larkin is a Full Professor of Medical Physics at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. A recognized leader in the field, she serves as Service Chief of the Thoracic Radiation Physics group, a position she has held for nearly a decade. In this role, she advances clinical care while mentoring and training the next generation of medical physicists, radiation oncologists, radiation therapists, dosimetrists, and graduate students.

Her research focuses on cutting-edge approaches to cancer treatment, including FLASH ultra-high dose rate radiotherapy, radiotherapy dose management for patients with cardiac devices, motion management strategies in thoracic radiation, and radiobiology. She is also deeply engaged in science communication and was recently featured in the American Institute of Physics’ We Are Scientists campaign and documentary series.

Beyond her clinical and research work, Dr. Pollard-Larkin is a Fellow of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) and currently chairs AAPM’s Communication Coordination Committee. She also chairs the Graduate Education Committee at MD Anderson’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, where she helps shape the future of biomedical education.

Dr. Pollard-Larkin earned her Ph.D. in Biomedical Physics from the University of California, Los Angeles, and her B.S. in Physics and Mathematics from the University of Miami. She completed her residency in Medical Physics at MD Anderson, where she subsequently joined the faculty.

A committed advocate for outreach in STEM, Dr. Pollard-Larkin is passionate about inspiring and supporting students from all backgrounds to pursue careers in science and follow in her footsteps.

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