About Vladimir Bashkirov, PhD

My expertise is in state-of-the-art radiation detector design, Monte-Carlo simulation, medical imaging, and data treatment applied to radiation therapy. Since 1979, I am participating in novel particle detector development, its application, simulation, and data analysis.  I worked in the field of high energy physics at the largest particle physics centers in Europe, such as INFN (Italy), DESY(Germany), and CERN(Switzerland). Since 1999 I became interested in the applications of state-of-the-art high-energy physics detectors and methods in medicine. I accepted a postdoctoral position at LLU Radiation Medicine Department to work on the development of the nanodosimetry project. In 2003, I started to work on proton CT scanner development. In 2005, I took the position of Research Associate Professor and Core Physics Lab Director at former LLU Radiation Research Laboratories. Since April 2011, I have been PI on the multi-PI project “Translating Proton CT from the Physics Laboratory to Clinical Application” (R01), funded by a four-year grant from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. In 2011, the Labs were transformed to the BS Division of Biomedical Engineering Sciences and I continued to work on the pCT and nanososimetry projects. Since 2014  I am participating as a Co-Investigator in the research "Large-Area Plasma Panel Detectors for Particle Beam Radiation Therapy", funded by the NIH/NCI SBIR grants, and now also in the projects “3D High Speed RF Beam Scanner for Hadron Therapy of Cancer”, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, and NIH funded SBIR project “Ultrafast and precise external beam monitor for FLASH and other advanced radiation therapy modalities”
Together with Prof. R.Schulte, I focus on exploring new uses of our proton CT (pCT) scanner, in particular for helium and carbon beam therapy. We are further developing the idea of analyzing scattered charged particles from the patient using our pCT system for tissue characterization and therapeutic beam delivery monitoring.  
We also continue to support the development of novel beam monitors (research with Dr. Friedman, Integrated Sensors), in particular for ultrahigh dose-rate applications (FLASH radiotherapy).
We continue to support the development of new accelerators technology as well as neutron capture therapy. A far-reaching goal is to establish a research center for advanced radiation technology and compounds to perform innovative proton therapy.  
Recently we start to explore the application of our invention - novel 2D positive ion detector array - for cancer diagnostic via single-ion detection of volatile biomarkers from cancer tissue samples.