Rate My Professor Frank Verhaegen

Prof. Frank Verhaegen is a full professor of medical physics in the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences at Maastricht University, specializing in radiotherapy physics. He obtained his degree in engineering physics and PhD in medical physics from the University of Ghent, Belgium. Early in his career, he worked as a researcher at the Institute of Cancer Research and the National Physical Laboratory in London, UK. He then served as associate professor of medical physics at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Since 2009, he has held his current professorial position at Maastricht University while also heading the Physics Research Department at Maastro Clinic in Maastricht, Netherlands, where he leads clinical physics research.

Verhaegen's research interests center on external beam radiotherapy, image guidance, brachytherapy, proton radiotherapy, and preclinical radiation research. His expertise includes radiation physics, x-ray and ultrasound imaging, Monte Carlo simulations, and preclinical studies. He has published extensively, with over 13,000 citations across more than 600 works. Key publications include 'Monte Carlo modelling of external radiotherapy photon beams' (2003, Physics in Medicine & Biology, 702 citations), the book 'Monte Carlo techniques in radiation therapy' (2013, CRC Press, 368 citations), 'A review of treatment planning for precision image-guided photon beam pre-clinical radiotherapy' (2014, 95 citations), and 'Roadmap for precision preclinical x-ray radiation studies' (2023, Physics in Medicine & Biology). Recent contributions cover photon-counting computed tomography for radiotherapy, explainable AI in radiotherapy, and murine organ segmentation. His work has advanced precision dosimetry, small animal radiotherapy platforms, and international guidelines such as the AAPM WGDCAB Report 372 on brachytherapy commissioning and GEC ESTRO ACROP consensus for rectal cancer contact brachytherapy, exerting substantial influence on radiotherapy physics and translational research.