Some aspects of virtual medicine and human space science research

Abstract: Virtual clinical trials (VCTs), and in particular virtual imaging trials, are becoming a fundamental research tool in medical research, for the development, validation and regulatory approval of new drugs, new diagnostic or therapeutic techniques, and for their technological asssessment. VCTs feature virtual patients, virtual medical examinations and virtual referring physicians, employing Monte Carlo computer simulations and computational (in silico) reproductions of the human anatomy and of the exam apparatus. This approach permits to cut the cost, time, funds, personnel, and patient burden problems, for producing the scientific assessment of new medical approaches. In illustrating this new field, at the frontier of the research in computer science, physics, engineering, and medicine, an ongoing study will be shown, for a virtual imaging and virtual dosimetry study of bone loss assessment during long-term spaceflight, via in-flight X-ray computed tomography of the astronauts' body extremities.

Short bio:  Paolo Russo was born in Napoli in 1958. In 1981 he graduated in Physics magna cum laude at the University of Naples Federico II, where he became in 1984 research assistant, then associate professor (1992) and full professor (2001) of medical physics. His scientific activity is entirely in the field of Medical Physics, mainly in the development of systems for X-ray and gamma-ray medical imaging, with a focus on techniques for X-ray radiography and computed tomography for breast cancer imaging. He served as a reviewer for various international peer reviewed scientific journals and for national and European Science funding agencies, and he was PI for several national scientific projects. For 2013-2020 he was Editor-in-Chief of the "European Journal of Medical Physics". In 2018-19 he was Chair of the Publications and Communications Committee of the European Federation of Organizations for Medical Physics (EFOMP). For 2018-2021 he was Chair of the Publications Committee of the International Organization for Medical Physics (IOMP). For 2018-2024 he was member of the Board of Directors of the International Medical Physics Certification Board (IMPCB). He edited the "Handbook of X-ray Imaging: Physics and Technology" (2018). He co-authored over 160 papers in international peer reviewed journals and scientific book chapters and over 100 communications to international conferences.

Where: Accademia Pontaniana, Via Mezzocannone 8, 80134 Napoli NA. The colloquium will be also broadcast online, on Zoom.
How to join online: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84640651456?pwd=TlpSNkZKK25MVkxFdngySm1HZTh4QT09
Meeting ID: 846 4065 1456
Passcode: 656302