Department of Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering

Message from the Head of the Department

Medical Physics is an applied discipline among the basic sciences of medicine, which investigates concepts of physics to be applied in medical diagnosis and medical therapy. In other words, it is the common ground and the link between physics and medicine. With regard to the various dimensions and vastness of the field of medical physics, this discipline has been inevitably applied to basic medical programs as well as clinical ones such as radiotherapy, radiobiology and radiation protection, medical imaging systems, nuclear medicine, ultrasound waves, laser and the like.

The discipline of biomedical engineering is an integration of engineering, basic sciences, medical sciences and biology, acting as a bridge toward modern technology through the study of the principles and performance of living systems and the application of biological and physiological data on human body. This discipline plays a significant role in different areas such as biomedical instrumentation, modeling and controlling biological systems, processing of biological signals and medical images, robotics in medical design, neural networks, modeling the structure and human brain functions, rehabilitation engineering and artificial organs.

These two disciplines have the objective of providing graduates with the ability to perform their job in educational, research, service, counseling and industrial areas with respect to the application of physics and biomedical engineering in the field of medical sciences. The purpose of these disciplines is to educate students who can fulfill the needs of the country and who can reach beyond the borders of knowledge pertaining to their major through mastering different areas of physics and biomedical engineering, achieving advanced methods and new principles of education, research and innovation in scientific and research areas.  

These two significant and applied disciplines together provide an opportunity which is increasingly leading to the development of the objectives, as well as educational and research programs, of the department. We sincerely hope that we can take significant steps in improving healthcare systems and services in our society, depending on the great knowledge of our learned faculty members, and the drive and motivation of talented TUMS students.

Dr. Mohammadreza Ay

Head of Department

About the Department

The foundation of TUMS in 1934 marked the beginning of teaching physical medicine by Mr. Mahmood Morshed Zadeh. The Medical Physics Laboratory was founded by Dr. Farhad in 1939-1940, which was later expanded and transformed into a department in 1966, headed by Dr. Manouchehrian. In the following years, Dr. Abolghassem Pezeshkian was appointed as head of the Department of Physiology and Medical Physics, and Dr. Azizi was assigned as the head of the Section of Medical Physics. In 1971, the department of the “three PHs” was founded, consisting of Physiology, Pharmacology, and Medical Physics majors. Upon the dissolving of the said department in 1973, Medical Physics Laboratory turned into an independent department under the direction of Dr. Abolfazl Rasouli. Over the course of the following years, the department saw as its head Dr. Ezzatollah Golban-Moghaddam, Dr. Ali-Akbar Khodadust and Dr. Gholamreza Rahbari. From 1996 to 2004, Dr. Saeed Sarkar was appointed as the head of the department for four consecutive terms. Afterwards, Dr. Hossein Gharaati, for one year, Dr. Mohammadali Oghabian, for two years, and Dr. Mohammad-Javad Abolhassani, for two years, acted as the head of the department. In June 2010, Dr. Alireza Ahmadian was assigned this position.

Over the years, in addition to medical physics and biomedical engineering, other postgraduate programs have been established such as the postgraduate program in medical physics and biomedical engineering. Also, the population of faculty members in different branches, education environments and research facilities expanded considerably.

Prior to 2012, 19 M.Sc. degrees in medical physics, 10 Ph.D. degrees in biomedical engineering, 7 M.Sc. degrees in medical physics, and 3 Ph.D. degrees in biomedical engineering were offered by the department.

Currently, faculty members of the department are actively cooperating with the Institute for Advanced Medical Technologies, Cancer Institute of Imam Khomeini Hospital, the Medical Imaging Center, Farabi Research Center of Ophthalmology, and the Center of Nuclear Medicine Research in Shariati Hospital. They also have a close cooperation with the Departments of Radiotherapy, Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Biomedical Engineering, Medical Imaging, Molecular Imaging, Medical Nanotechnology, Robotic Surgery, and Optics and Laser, where they offer services on medical treatments, education and research.

In order to download the department's booklet, please click here.

Mission & Vision

The Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering has seen in its future the following points regarding its vision and missions:

• Improving the interaction between faculty members in our department and those of other departments of basic and clinical sciences in general, and interdisciplinary areas in particular, for the purpose of writing theses on mutual areas;
• Improving student satisfaction, both in medical and non-medical fields, from educational programs, both qualitatively and quantitatively;
• Establishing constructive and permanent interaction with the Dean of TUMS School of Medicine, with the purpose of resolving educational issues and optimizing departmental capacities and capabilities;
• Conducting applied research in cooperation with active research centers outside the university, with the help of faculty members and Ph.D. candidates in conformity with the priorities set by the department, as well as strategies and policies adopted by the school and the university;
• Applying student-oriented strategies based on modern techniques of teaching, seminars, workshops and journal clubs at the department;
• Updating curriculums and course contents with the assistance of faculty members, in line with the goals of the university;
• Attempting to develop hardware facilities of the department, particularly in laboratories for medical and non-medical students, and for the optimal use of the physical space at the department; 
• Developing a sense of cooperation among faculty members for executive-educational activities in all levels of education in the department;
• Attempting to encourage faculty members to reinforce educational and research cooperation in their areas of specialty through establishing sub-committees in two areas of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering;
• Holding departmental meetings and seminars on new scientific breakthroughs for graduate students and Ph.D. candidates
• Holding seminars, sessions and workshops in order to improve and update the scientific level of the department;
• Improving and institutionalizing the idea of using Ph.D. students as Teacher Assistants in teaching both theoretical and practical M.A. courses;
• Developing websites to provide access to the department’s library including published books, theses and journals;
• Improving collaborations among students, faculty members and active research centers at the university in order to establish applicable projects and to receive their feedbacks;
• Reforming the structure of graduate studies and research in the department in proportion to the amount of activities by both groups of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, as well as submitting reports on departmental activities to the Chancellor of the university;
• Updating the departments webpage, reporting on the educational activities of department the with the cooperation of faculty members;
• Establishing and improving an active center with the assistance of graduate students and Ph.D. candidates in order to approach goals and educational-research priorities of the department; and
• Encouraging faculty members to collect financial supports outside the university to help advance practical projects.