Radiology (RADI)

RADI 4000. Special Topic. 4 Credit Hours.

This course is intended for 4th year medical students interested in Radiology Residency and Radiology Research opportunities. Students must contact the coordinator prior to committing to this course. A designated faculty member will be assigned to the student prior to enrollment.

RADI 4001. General Diagnostic Radiology. 4 Credit Hours.

This course is designed as an introduction to diagnostic radiology. The primary goals of the course are directed toward introducing the student to the different diagnostic imaging modalities available and teaching the student to select the appropriate radiologic examinations for different clinical problems. Students will have the opportunity to receive a working knowledge of diagnostic radiology through lectures, individual projects, reading assignments, participation in subspecialty rotations, teaching conferences, and study of the American College of Radiology teaching file.

RADI 4006. Pediatric Radiology. 4 Credit Hours.

By being with the pediatric radiologist on a one-on-one basis through most of the working day, the student will have the opportunity to gain some insight as to the radiologist's role as a clinician, consultant, and teacher; and acquire some knowledge of general pediatrics, neonatology, urology, orthopaedics, and other specialties. The student may attend Diagnostic Radiology Lectures.

RADI 4007. Review Of Radiology for the Intern. 0.5 Credit Hours.

This is a refresher course in Clinical Diagnostic Radiology. In a large group format, a Radiology faculty member will review with the participants the basics of evaluating the chest X-ray, chest CT, abdominal CT, spinal, head, and pediatric cases. In addition, time will be spent on reviewing the appropriate studies to order for the work-up of various clinical scenarios.

RADI 4020. Mammography- A Multidisciplinary Approach. 4 Credit Hours.

This elective is intended to educate students in the subject of mammography with a multidisciplinary approach. Students will be allowed to spend 2 days each week in medical oncology, surgical oncology, or radiation therapy. Students will primarily be assigned to the mammography section of radiology, learning what criteria are used to detect breast cancer and participating in the work-up of lesions and witnessing biopsies. In addition, they will attend tumor board once a week that is multidisciplinary one day per week will set aside for library student and the students will be asked to research a topic or participate in a project regarding mammography. We intend that this elective will thoroughly educate those who are interested in mammography and help them understand how our specialty is integrated with many other disciplines.

RADI 4202. General Diagnostic Radiology. 4 Credit Hours.

By being with the pediatric radiologist on a one-on-one basis through most of the working day, the student will have the opportunity to gain some insight as to the radiologist's role as a clinician, consultant, and teacher; and acquire some knowledge of general pediatrics, neonatology, urology, orthopaedics, and other specialties. The student may attend Diagnostic Radiology Lectures.

RADI 5001. Basic Radiation Safety. 1 Credit Hour.

This course provides the student with the opportunity to gain a conceptual understanding of the radiation protection principles involved in the research, diagnostic, and therapeutic uses of radiation sources. This course will cover the safe receipt, use, storage, and disposal of radiation sources in the biomedical research setting. The contents of this course fulfill HSC training requirements in order to use radioactive materials on campus. Successful participants will earn three HSC safety certificates of completion: Basic Radiation Safety Training, Basic Laser Safety Training, and Basic Laboratory Safety Training.

RADI 5005. Fundamentals Of Radiation Dosimetry. 3 Credit Hours.

The aim of this course is to introduce the students to the fundamentals of radiation dosimetry, including dosimetry quantities, interactions with matter, cavity theory and calibration protocols. More specifically, the topics that will be covered during this course are the following: 1) Introduction/Ionizing Radiation, 2) Quantities for describing interactions, 3) Exponential attenuation, 4) Charged particle and radiation equilibria, 5) Absorbed dose in radioactive media, 6) Radioactive decay, 7) X-ray interactions with matter, 8) Charged particle interactions with matter, 9) Cavity theory, 10) Dosimetry Fundamentals, and 11) Calibration protocols.

RADI 5007. Statistics in the Radiological Sciences. 2 Credit Hours.

An overview of biomedical statistics methods and basic applications to experimental design with special emphasis given to those methods used in radiation detection, image analysis, and evaluations of diagnostic efficacy. Students will learn the theory behind these methods and apply them to actual and simulated problems in the Radiological Sciences using the R statistical programming environment.

RADI 5010. Medical Biophysics. 3 Credit Hours.

This course is an introduction to the basic principles of biophysics as applied to medicine and biology. Emphasis will be placed on non-imaging topics of medical biophysics such as mechanics, thermodynamics, diffusion, electrical conduction, biomagnetism, and light spectroscopy.

RADI 5011. Radiation And Nuclear Physics. 3 Credit Hours.

This course reviews nuclear structure, interactions of radiation with matter, and the statistical nature of radiation. The course covers gas, scintillation, and solid-state detector technologies and their applications, including spectroscopy.

RADI 5015. Physics Of Diagnostic Imaging 1. 3 Credit Hours.

This course introduces the student to the basic principles and radiological practice using noninvasive imaging systems. Topics include production of x-rays, interaction of radiation with matter, and the physics of imaging using computed tomography, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance. Prerequisites: consent of instructor.

RADI 5018. Physics Measurements In Imaging Lab. 2 Credit Hours.

This is a laboratory course focusing on performance of measurements used in quality assurance (QA), system characterization, and acceptance testing of medical imagers. Corequisites: RADI 5015.

RADI 5020. Principles of Health Physics 1. 3 Credit Hours.

This course covers the basic principles of protection dealing with the major forms of ionizing radiation.

RADI 5025. Molecular Oncology & Radiobiology. 1.5-3 Credit Hours.

This course is an overview of the physics and chemistry of radiation biology; the biological effects of ionizing and non-ionizing radiations and hyperthermia at the cellular and tissue levels and whole body and late effects.

RADI 5030. Neuroscience Imaging Laboratory. 1 Credit Hour.

Students are assigned to rotate in 6 laboratories at the RIC: MRI, PET, TMS, ERP, animal imaging, and optical imaging. In each lab, students will have the opportunity for hands-on experience on subject preparation, data acquisition, and processing.

RADI 5050. Human Neuroelectrophysiology. 3 Credit Hours.

A detailed study of the electrophysiological basis of human behavior, with an emphasis on event-related brain potentials associated with cognitive function, perception, and action. See instructor for prerequisite coursework.

RADI 5090. Radiological Sciences Seminar. 1-9 Credit Hours.

Enrolled students are required to attend a minimum of 9 faculty/outside speaker seminars per semester and complete an evaluation sheet on each seminar attended. To fulfill the number of seminars, students may include seminars offered by disciplines other than their own. A list of seminars of interest to the students will be supplied on the first class day. Students must also prepare a PowerPoint presentation on a Radiological Sciences topic and present their seminar for critique by program faculty and students. By the end of this course, each student should be able to: 1) Demonstrate competence in verbal communication. 2) Demonstrate competence in written communication. 3) Critically review research literature and analyze scientific data.

RADI 6012. Phys Nuclear Medi Imaging. 3 Credit Hours.

This course is a study of physical principles of planar, SPECT, and PET radionuclide imaging; instrument theory; dosimetry; computer uses; and safety considerations.

RADI 6014. Physics Of Dental Imaging. 2 Credit Hours.

This course is a survey of imaging procedures used in modern dentistry with an emphasis on the clinical objectives and physical principles underlying intraoral, panoramic, cephalometric, and digital dental radiography. Prerequisites: consent of instructor.

RADI 6015. Physics Measurements in Imaging 2. 3 Credit Hours.

Students will study and work with advanced methods for evaluating the performance of clinical imagining systems, including x-ray imagining, fluoroscopy, mammography, ultrasound, x-ray CT and MRI. Testing will follow procedures described in publications of the AAPM and ACR and used to achieve compliance with the regulations and recommendations the DSA, MQSA, ACR, NRC, MIPPA and State of Texas' Radiation Control Program. Students will study the procedures and then use "best practices" to perform the tests in a clinical setting. Methods for evaluating nuclear medicine equipment shall also be reviewed and carried out, but in a less intensive manner. Prerequisites: RADI 5015, RADI 6049, RADI 6012 and RADI 6016.

RADI 6016. Physics of Diagnostic Imaging 2. 3 Credit Hours.

This course includes theory and applications of various forms of electronic imaging systems; advanced diagnostic imaging principles involving mathematical image analysis, digital image processing, digital image display, and concepts of electronic imaging. Prerequisites: consent of instructor.

RADI 6017. Neuroimaging Methods. 3 Credit Hours.

This course will deal extensively with several noninvasive brain imaging techniques to study the functional organization of the human and animal brains. Methods covered include positron-emission tomography (PET), event-related potentials, magneto-encephalography, optical imaging, voltage and calcium imaging, autoradiography, as well as transcranial magnetic stimulation. The course will only touch upon anatomical and functional MRI as well as high field MRI, as students will receive exhaustive MRI training from other classes. Course format will include both lectures on the several methods and seminars in which recent technical advances in the field are discussed. Prerequisites: consent of instructor.

RADI 6018. Foundations Of Neuroscience Imaging. 3 Credit Hours.

This course will explore several advanced topics in cognitive neuroimaging techniques. Examples of such topics include strategies to study the functional and/or anatomical organization of the human brain and paradigms used for studying a variety of brain functions. Students interested in functional MRI as well as DTI will have an opportunity to gain extensive knowledge and experience.

RADI 6020. Advanced Topics In Cognitive Neuroscience. 3 Credit Hours.

This course will explore several advanced topics in cognitive neuroscience. It includes exhaustive study of a brain function in normal and in disease states. Brain functions include but are not limited to sensation, perception, action, language, motion, and cognition.

RADI 6021. Prin/Health Physics 2. 3 Credit Hours.

RADI 6022. Programming for Medical Physics. 1 Credit Hour.

The purpose of the course is to demonstrate to students the usefulness of programming for medical physics. The Matlab programming language is chosen because it enables rapid coding and data visualization. Students will first be taught basic programming techniques. Then , they will be shown specific examples of these techniques being applied to medical physics. Finally, they will create a final program, which performs a task of the student's choosing and utilizes several concepts from the course. Students will be graded based on their attendance and programming projects. Must have familiarity with the field of medical physics.

RADI 6023. Introduction To Clinical Medical Physics Practice. 1-9 Credit Hours.

This course allows students to observe professional medical physicists in a clinical setting and learn the roles of various other medical professionals in the Radiology and Radiation Oncology medical clinic. Students participate in simple tasks related to medical physics data and are shown how to evaluate data to provide reports and tables. Students are also trained in basic safety and ethical issues in clinical medicine and the professional conduct of the medical physicist, following the guidelines established in AAPM Report 109. This material is intended to cover ethical issues in clinical medicine and in the professional conduct of the medical physicist .The term ethics is used here in the sense of a permissible standard of conduct for members of profession. While different people may have different opinions of what is ethical professions always have certain ethical standards or codes of conduct that are compiled in written form and are generally by practitioners. In addition to becoming familiar with written codes of conduct, the student shall be introduced to commonly encountered situations in which a choice of actions is available, some of which would be considered unethical and some of which be considered ethical, according to current standards of care of practice. These would include more specific issues that arise with respect to recent patient privacy concerns and legislation specific to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and compliance both in clinical practice and research. A case-based approach in a seminar setting with class participation is utilized. This allows the student to put him or herself in the place of an individual who faces an ethical dilemma and to explore variations of the case that is presented. Other faculty members are also encouraged to attend, to offer comments, and to relate situations that they encountered either first- or secondhand.

RADI 6024. Radiological Anatomy & Physiology. 3 Credit Hours.

This course will provide students with an opportunity to learn anatomy, physiology, and commonly used medical terminology as it relates to radiologic imaging. Anatomic and physiologic features will be illustrated with radiologic images in formats commonly encountered in clinical radiology. By the end of the course, students are expected to be familiar with basic medical terminology and have a good understanding of medical anatomy, physiology, and some basic pathology as related to specific organs for which radiologic images are commonly applied.

RADI 6025. Therapy Clinical Rotation 1. 10-12 Credit Hours.

The first clinical rotation is designed to give an introduction and an overview of all the clinical processes and the basic safety training. In detail the student will cover the following topics: employee orientation, radiation oncology orientation, HIPAA training, introduction to radiation protection, introduction to nursing and introduction to simulation, introduction to LINACs, LINAC QA and warm up, monitor unit calculations, electronic medical records orientation, regulations and professional recommendations.

RADI 6026. Clinical Therapy Rotation 2. 10-12 Credit Hours.

In the second semester of the clinical rotation, the students will cover the following topics: on board MV and kV imaging, ExacTrac design, function and daily, monthly QA, Linac Annual QA and the RPC process, TBI and TSE, IMRT planning, LDR planning and the COMS eye plaque process, patient safety, and learn shielding techniques for CT, kV imaging, LINAC and isotopes.

RADI 6027. Imaging Physics Clinical Rotation 1. 10-12 Credit Hours.

The first clinical rotation is designed to give an introduction and an overview of all the clinical processes and the basic safety training. In detail the student will cover the following topics: employee orientation, clinical radiology department orientation, HIPAA & MIPPA training, introduction to safety in the radiology clinic, introduction to general radiography, introduction to hard copy devices and image displays, electronic medical records orientation, introduction to ultrasounds imaging, introduction to mammography, regulations and professional recommendations.

RADI 6030. Physics Of Radiotherapy. 3 Credit Hours.

Theory, design, and operation of radiation-producing equipment used in radiation therapy are introduced. Exposure and absorbed dose calculations, patient dosimetry, treatment planning, and use of computers in radiation therapy are covered.

RADI 6031. Physics Measurements In Radiotherapy I. 3 Credit Hours.

Performance of measurements on radiation therapy equipment used to determine therapy treatment parameters is the opportunity for study in this course.

RADI 6032. Therapy Clinical Rotation 3. 10-12 Credit Hours.

In the third semester of the clinical rotation, the students will cover the following topics: treatment plan checks, weekly chart checks, brachytherapy planning and QA, LINAC design, SRS Treatment Planning (SRS) and daily, monthly and annual QA, participation in all aspects of SBRT treatment and treatment planning QA.

RADI 6033. Advanced Radiotherapy Physics. 3 Credit Hours.

This course includes the coverage of advanced radiation therapy special topics: intensity modulated radiation therapy, advanced brachytherapy, and radiation therapy shielding.

RADI 6034. Therapy Clinical Rotation 4. 10-12 Credit Hours.

In the fourth semester of the clinical rotation, the students will cover the following topics: medical dosimetry rotation, ultrasound, PET, MRI, SPECT imaging in radiotherapy and acceptance and commissioning of major equipment.

RADI 6035. Physics Measurements In Radiotherapy 2. 3 Credit Hours.

In this course students will have the opportunity to gain further didactic and hands-on familiarity with radiation therapy measurement equipment (ion chambers, films, TLDs, water tanks, profilers, etc.) and learn daily clinical practices. Students will have the opportunity to learn the roles of a radiation oncology team, the generation of radiation therapy treatment plans, patient quality assurance, and advanced, specialized radiation therapy techniques. Learning can be accomplished through attendance of didactic lectures, homework assignments, presentations of class projects, and a comprehensive oral exam. Prerequisites: RADI 5005, RADI 6030, and RADI 6031.

RADI 6038. Methods in Dosimetry & Shielding Design. 2.5 Credit Hours.

The goal of the course is to teach students the guidelines established by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) and the National Council of Radiation Protection (NCRP) relating to patient dosimetry and shielding design of radiological facilities. Students will be responsible to read, comprehend, and learn the selected Task Group reports. Students will be evaluated of their knowledge by weekly quizzes and a final oral evaluation held at the end of the course. Successful completion of the course will be accomplished when the student is knowledgeable and understands the recommendations for a practicing clinical physicist. Learning is accomplished through attendance of weekly lectures, assignments (presentation of assigned reports and guidelines), and class discussion.

RADI 6039. Imaging Physics Clinical Rotation 2. 10-12 Credit Hours.

In the second semester of the clinical rotation, topics covered include safety in the radiological clinic, nuclear medicine and MRI, introduction to fluoroscopy, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear medicine and regulations, professionalism and ethics.

RADI 6040. Imaging Physics Clinical Rotation 3. 10-12 Credit Hours.

The third clinical rotation will include safety in radiology clinic, advanced general radiography, advanced breast imaging and image-guided stereotactic breast biopsy, dental radiography and cone beam CT, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), advanced fluoroscopic imaging and special procedures, intermediate nuclear medicine and regulations, professionalism and ethics.

RADI 6042. Non-Ionizing Radiation Biology. 1-9 Credit Hours.

This course is an overview of the biological and known or potential health effects of non-ionizing radiation, with attention to radio frequency radiation in the microwave range, extremely low frequency (ELF) field exposures, LASER emissions, and ultraviolet (UV) light exposure.

RADI 6043. Imaging Physics Clinical Rotation 4. 10-12 Credit Hours.

The fourth clinical rotation will include safety in radiology clinic, imaging informatics, advanced imaging informatics, advanced magnetic resonance imaging, advanced nuclear medicine physics, regulations, professionalism and ethics.

RADI 6049. Intro To Magnetic Resonance. 2 Credit Hours.

This course presents the basics of the practice of magnetic resonance as the experimentalist or clinician first meets them. The approach begins with images, equipment, and scanning protocols. The student will have the opportunity to face issues pertinent to practice with theoretical background added as experience grows. Through this approach, key ideas are introduced in an intuitive style that is faithful to the underlying physics.

RADI 6050. Magnetic Resonance Imaging. 2 Credit Hours.

This course explores the physics of magnetic resonance image formation through discussion of imaging problems, reviews of current research topics with an emphasis on quantitative methods using MRI, and hands-on experience in MRI laboratories. Prerequisites: RADI 6049.

RADI 6051. Statistical Parametric Mapping. 3 Credit Hours.

Course content includes principles of NMR Spectroscopy as applied to the resolution of molecular structural problems in chemistry, biology, and medicine; and principles and methods for designing BOLD contrast MRI experiments and evaluating fMRI data.

RADI 6054. Introduction to Statistical Learning. 2 Credit Hours.

Machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) are becoming increasingly common tools for image data analysis and image interpretation. AI methods are also being developed for treatment planning. This short, intensive course is designed to give the student an introduction to the principal methods of statistical learning that underlie artificial intelligence algorithms. Students will learn how to use the R statistical programming language to work through statistical learning exercises both in-class and in homework assignments. Course will be taught 2 hours per day for 3 days per week in July and August. Topics covered will include, Classification Schemes, Resampling Methods, Linear Model Selection and Regularization, Tree-Based Methods, Support Vector Machines, and Unsupervised Learning. Prerequisites: Completion of RADI 5007, Statistics in the Radiological Sciences; Familiarity with R statistical programming environment. Open for Cross Enrollment on Space Available Basis.

RADI 6060. Biophotonics and Optical Imaging. 3 Credit Hours.

Optical methodologies for imaging, diagnosis, and therapy are rapidly advancing in biology and medicine. This course will review basic elements of optics and optical sources, especially lasers and light-emitting solid state devices, in the context of biomedical applications. Dosimetry, tissue optics, and the principles of laser-tissue interaction will be considered in depth. Current medical uses of lasers will be surveyed, along with their scientific and technical foundations. The course will conclude with several case studies of research areas that are currently hot topics in biomedical optics.

RADI 6062. Cognitive Neuroscience. 3 Credit Hours.

Cognitive Neuroscience deals with the neural basis of cognition and behavior, including considerations of perception, attention, motor control, language, learning, memory, executive function, spatial cognition, emotion, and social cognition. It also presents discussions on neurocognitive development and the evolution of the human brain. Unlike courses in basic neuroscience, this course has a more human focus, presenting in-depth discussions of neuroimaging techniques and literature. In addition, it focuses on psychological models of cognitive function derived from psychological experimentation, human lesion studies, and computational modeling. Cognitive Neuroscience presents an integrated view of the psychology and neurobiology of human cognition and behavior. By the end of the semester, students will have had the opportunity to: (1) become highly familiar with the structure of the human nervous system; (2) become conversant about the physical basis and limitations of neuroimaging techniques; (3) become familiar with the principal brain areas thought to be involved in a host of human cognitive competencies and behaviors, including perception, action, emotion, and language; and (4) understand how psychological theory and neural theory come together to form the foundation of cognitive neuroscience.

RADI 6071. Supervised Teaching. 1-12 Credit Hours.

This course is a presentation of lectures and supervised teaching under the direction of faculty.

RADI 6091. Special Topics. 1-12 Credit Hours.

This course covers topics of special interest which may include emerging and new modalities in radiological sciences relating to x-ray, nuclear, or magnetic imaging.

RADI 6097. Research. 1-12 Credit Hours.

This course is supervised research under the guidance of a faculty member.

RADI 6098. Thesis. 1-12 Credit Hours.

Registration for at least two terms is required for M.S. candidates. Prerequisites: admission to candidacy for the Master of Science degree.

RADI 7000. Off Campus. 4 Credit Hours.

All off campus rotations must be approved by the designated faculty member prior to the beginning of the rotation (at least one week before the course begins). Credit will not be given for any rotation that has not been approved in advance. Required paperwork includes: "Course Approval" form, a written letter or email for acceptance form the physician preceptor with the start and end dates of the course/rotation, and a course description of your learning objectives and responsibilities during the rotation. Forms must include a complete address and telephone number for the off campus location or residence address for the student while at the off campus site. Forms will not be approved after the rotation has already begun. Contact the department for assistance with enrolling in this course.

RADI 7005. Treatment Planning Techniques In Radiation Therapy. 3 Credit Hours.

The goal of the course is to provide an overview of the physics and clinical elements that contribute to the development of computerized treatment plans in radiation therapy. The commissioning and acceptance testing of a planning system will be discussed and demonstrated in several planning platforms. Anatomy specific treatment planning will be described, including imaging of the specific disease, as well as contouring and plan development. Multiple plans will be generated for each site using different planning modalities, such as 2D, 3D, and IMRT.

RADI 7006. Treatment Planning Techniques in Radiotherapy 2. 3 Credit Hours.

This course is a continuation of RADI 7005. It presents an in-depth study of multidisciplinary treatment of the cancer patient from the clinician's viewpoint. Students are required to master concepts specific to site-specific disease including: histopathology, etiologic and epidemiology factors, detection and diagnosis, tumor stage and grade, routes of metastases, dose fractionation and prognostic factors. This course is designed to approach each cancer type by anatomic system, addressing treatment factors with increasing degrees of complexity. Assigned exercises organized by treatment site and procedure type will be carried out under the direct supervision of an assigned advisor. These will be both simulated and real case assignments. The course is taught as a didactic course with applied planning. Didactic instruction will be provided by medical residents while practical planning instruction will be applied by a medical dosimetrist.

RADI 7010. Motor Learning And Brain Imaging. 3 Credit Hours.

This course is designed for the advanced student (doctoral or postdoctoral) to obtain a comprehensive overview of the field of motor learning from behavioral and brain imaging perspectives. Topic coverage will include general motor learning and speech motor learning (with reference to treatment of motor speech disorders). The course will be structured in a seminar format. The course will explore measurement methods and issues in motor learning and the neural substrates of learning in intact and disordered subject groups.

RADI 7077. Ethics, Leadership and Vision. 2 Credit Hours.

This foundational course introduces students to the core ethical content necessary for responsible research conduct. It will also provide basic knowledge on negotiations, professionalism, leadership, effective communication, etc. Open for Cross Enrollment on Space Available Basis.

RADI 7099. Dissertation. 1-12 Credit Hours.

Registration for at least one term is required for Ph.D. candidates. Prerequisites: admission to candidacy for Doctor of Philosophy degree.