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Laurel Stothers
Laurel Stothers was a participant in the 2017 UBC Three Minute Thesis competition, with her presentation, “Medical Imaging for Radiation Therapy”.
Research topic
Optimizing a multi-detector CdZnTe Compton camera for real-time proton range determination in proton radiotherapy
Faculty
Home Town
Cloverdale
Country
Canada
Selected Award(s)
Why did you decide to pursue a graduate degree?
I chose to pursue a graduate degree in science because it is one of the few opportunities in life which gives you the freedom to tackle an interesting problem from infinitely many self-driven angles.
Why did you decide to study at UBC?
Joining the Medical Imaging Research Group (MIRG), lead by Dr. Anna Celler, was my main reason for studying at UBC. MIRG is a team of excellent physicists, mathematicians and computer scientists who do one of a kind research on diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine procedures, and who I am humbled to join.
Learn more about Laurel's research
External beam radiotherapy using high-energy protons has the potential to precisely deliver high radiation doses to target tumor volumes, and effectively treat cancerous tumors close to critical organs. However, tumor movement and inhomogeneous patient anatomy contribute to uncertainties in proton range determination, which impact treatment efficacy. My research goal is to design a Compton camera to accurately determine proton range in real-time, eliminating potential treatment complications, and optimizing dose delivery in proton beam radiotherapy.