Research Center

About the RDMPG

The Radiation Dosimetry and Medical Physics Group (GDRFM) at the Department of Nuclear Physics (DFN) has played a pioneering role in the field of Applied Physics at IFUSP since the 1970s. This group introduced Thermoluminescent Dosimetry to Brazil, and it continues to be a national leader in this area. The applications in the field of Medical Physics in Brazil began in 1969 through the Radiation Physics course in the undergraduate program of the Physics Bachelor’s degree at IFUSP. Over the last four decades, this area has evolved and modernized, incorporating state-of-the-art instrumentation and expanding expertise through collaborations, partnerships, and the specialization of faculty and technical staff.

The GDRFM engages in various research areas at the forefront of Medical Physics:

1. Development of dosimetric materials.

2. Dosimetry techniques applied to computed tomography and mammography.

3. X-ray spectrometry applied to diagnostic imaging.

4. Development of radiologically equivalent materials for use in radiological protection.

5. Quality control techniques and dosimetry applied in diagnostic imaging modalities.

In addition to research activities, the group has made significant contributions to university extension, notably through the Individual External Monitoring Service (SMIE) and the Quality Assurance Program (PGQ). SMIE has been monitoring ionizing radiation, both individual and environmental, since 1981, processing approximately 500 trunk monitors and 50 wrist monitors routinely. The dosimeters, based on Thermoluminescent Dosimetry (TL), represent the total body dose received by workers through individual monitoring. The service is accredited by the Evaluation Committee for Research and Calibration Services of the Evaluation Committee for Testing and Calibration Services (CASEC), specially designated for this purpose by the National Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN). 

The Quality Assurance Program involves the application of methodologies for image quality assessment and dose measurement, identifying whether diagnostic imaging equipment is being used appropriately and safely by clinics and hospitals. This methodology, developed and refined by the GDRFM, serves as a model for similar programs nationwide. Currently, the methodology is applied at the Institute of Radiology of the Hospital das Clínicas (INRAD) and the Cancer Institute of the State of São Paulo (ICESP), both affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine at USP. These institutions have also been partners in various research projects conducted by the GDRFM.

In terms of infrastructure, the GDRFM maintains two facilities: the Dosimetry Laboratory, housing part of the group’s experimental facilities, such as thermoluminescent and optically stimulated dosimeter readers, and the “Fontes” Building, which also houses part of the group’s instrumentation storage and conservation infrastructure. This building contains several radioactive sources primarily used for dosimeter calibration in the SMIE and X-ray equipment in projects related to materials equivalent to tissues and dosimetric materials.

Finally, personnel training at the undergraduate and graduate levels in areas associated with Medical Physics is highly active in the GDRFM, having produced dozens of master’s and doctoral graduates in related fields. GDRFM faculty teach courses that contribute to professional development, such as Radiation Physics, Physics of the Human Body, Biological Effects of Ionizing and Non-Ionizing Radiations, among others. In the realm of human resources development, the GDRFM shares responsibility for the Medical Physics Residency Program in the diagnostic imaging modality, offering two annual positions for theoretical and practical training in accordance with the Ministry of Health’s regulations for specialized personnel training to work as Medical Physicists in hospitals.