Physics Colloquium: Accelerating Drug Design with "Faster-Than-Light"' Particles: Biomedical Applications of the Cerenkov Effect

Physics has contributed to how we image and treat cancer for many decades. A new technique improves the development and testing of cancer drugs by utilizing a physics phenomenon called the Cerenkov Effect. The Cerenkov Effect is when visible light is produced by particles traveling faster than light. My work has explored whether we can use the Cerenkov Effect to study cancer therapeutics that emit alpha particles. I’ll also present two future projects. One extends my past work to create a device to study the distribution of drugs on a microscopic level. The second project utilizes the Cerenkov Effect to look for radioactive contamination in water. The goal is to create a device that people in the developing world can use to monitor their well-water for contamination. We’ll design a container for a water sample and create software that will allow cell phones to make the measurement. The availability of such a technology could decrease cancer and birth defect rates in a number of places around the world.