The Graduate Program in Physics Applied to Medicine and Biology (FAMB) is a unique program in the Brazilian scenario given its exclusive dedication to the application of Physics methods to Medicine and Biology. The origin of this interdisciplinary tradition dates back to its genesis in the mid-1990s and, in turn, was born from the pioneering characteristics of today’s Department of Physics (DF) of the Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters of Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP), University of São Paulo (USP).

The pioneering attitude of the FFCLRP faculty members led, in the late 1970s, to a reformulation in the Physics sector, which culminated in the hiring of several professors with experience of working at the Physics/Medicine/Biology interface. It should be emphasized that by this time the USP campus in Ribeirão Preto had a long tradition in Biomedical Sciences research and teaching, where research groups with outstanding production and courses in the field were already established. This was the ideal scenario to establish innovative initiatives such as the incipient participation of physicists in medical projects. Therefore, at the same time, efforts were made to start projects related to the Medical Physics area.

The structure of the University Hospital and the Instrumentation, Dosimetry, and Radioprotection Center (CIDRA) were the foundations to approve in August 1986, after a two-year study, the Physics Applied to Medicine and Biology program at the Master level. In 1995, the course was extended to the doctorate level. It is noteworthy that the FAMB Graduate was a pioneer in this specialty in Latin America, creating a unique niche for professional activity and that remains at the forefront of knowledge until the present day.

After these 20 years since the creation of the doctoral level course, the FAMB program is, despite being consolidated, constantly evolving and improving in order to maintain the levels of excellence achieved and with a strong regional, national and international insertion.

The Graduate Program in Physics Applied to Medicine and Biology (FAMB) is the only program in Brazil with a full emphasis on applications of Physics methods in Medicine and Biology. Our goal is to prepare professionals with a broad interdisciplinary vision and capable of developing new researches and applications in the interface between Physics and Medicine and Biology. This is an important segment of interdisciplinary research that has direct impact in developing new knowledge in Medicine and Biology.

Some of the research topics are: i) Medical imaging, therapy and development of new sensors, products and processes using either ionizing and non-ionizing radiation; ii) use of mathematical-physics algorithms to aid in decision making in medical diagnosis, in the evaluation of medical images and in the modeling of biological processes; iii) applications of electronic paramagnetic resonance (EPR) techniques in dosimetry and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in diagnosis, including functional imaging; iv) development of theoretical models to help the understanding of phenomena observed in the Medical and Biological Sciences; v) development of new techniques of clinical diagnosis by ultrasound, as well as development of biomedical instrumentation; vi) development of biosensors and biomedical transducers; (vii) biomaterials, etc.