Mattea Welch, Medical Biophysics
PhD Candidate
Student’s Name: Mattea Welch
Country of Origin: Marmora, Ontario, Canada
Pre-MSc/PhD Education: BSc with honours thesis in Biomedical computing at Queen’s University, ON, Canada and MSc in Medical Biophysics at University of Toronto, ON, Canada
Recent Research Experience:
1) MR-based gel dosimetry for small animal irradiators; 2) Patient outcome quantification using Radiomics
Current Research: I am currently wrapping up a publication based on my Master’s thesis. This work involves characterizing and correcting the effects of time and temperature on the accuracy of MR-based 3D Fricke Xylenol Orange Dosimeters (FXG), which provide a means of assessing the combined dosimetric and geometric performance of pre-clinical irradiators. Additionally, I have begun work on my PhD project in the field of Radiomics. Radiomics involves the quantification of tumor features extracted from standard medical images. These features can then be used to predict patient outcomes, risk of toxicity and genetic mutations that normally require invasive biopsies.
Why Faculty of Medicine? My undergraduate degree in Biomedical Computing originally sparked my interest of technology in the medical field. I was able to explore this interest more by joining the highly collaborative environment within the Faculty of Medicine, which provided connections to some of the top hospitals and clinicians in the country; allowing me to see quickly how clinical research can effect patient care.
Future Education Plans and/or Career Goals: My career goals at this stage are ever-changing. The Faculty of Medicine provides an abundance of knowledge to its students regarding different career paths in and out of academia; giving people like me an opportunity to explore all that is available.