OUR RESEARCH

Modeling how radiation can cure cancer

At b-lab, we develop computer models that simulate how radiation affects the body, from DNA strands inside cells to entire tumors and organs. Our research helps improve cancer treatments that use radiation, like targeted drugs (radiopharmaceuticals) or microsphere-based liver therapies. We also build and test precise virtual models to guide the design of experiments and patient treatments.

Our themes

Radiopharmaceutical therapy, radioembolization, and radiation biology at multiple space and time scales
Monte Carlo radiation Transport

How does radiation move through matter?

Radiation zips through tissue, hitting atoms and losing energy in tiny bursts. The pattern of those hits decides whether a cell lives or dies. We build high-fidelity computer models—Monte Carlo codes like GEANT4, TOPAS, and PHITS—to track every particle step. From whole-body scans down to micron-scale meshes, our simulations show where energy lands and how to measure it in the clinic.

Who’s on the job? Tool-loving medical physicists, particle-tracking software engineers, and computational mathematicians who turn super-computer time into sub-millimetre dose maps.
Why it matters. Better particle maps mean safer radiotherapies, shorter development cycles for new isotopes, and open-source tools the whole field can build on.

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Quantitative Radiation Biology

How do living tissues respond after the hits?

A DNA break is only the start. Cells sense damage, launch repair crews, and sometimes trigger self-destruct. Organs add layers of immune response and healing. We link physics to biology: micro- and nano-dosimetry, DNA repair kinetics, by-stander signalling, and whole-organ toxicity. Lab experiments and in-silico models meet to explain why some tissues bounce back while others scar.

Who’s on the job? Radiobiologists and molecular biologists team with biophysicists and data scientists—people fluent in both “cells in dishes” and “damage-yield equations.”
Why it matters. Cracking these repair codes guides smarter drug–radiation combos and trims side-effects for patients who already have enough on their plate.

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Imaging for therapy

How can images show us radiation in real time?

SPECT, PET, CT, and MRI turn invisible radiation and anatomy into pictures, but noise and blur hide the details that matter. Our group writes GPU-accelerated reconstruction algorithms and fusion pipelines that sharpen each voxel, align multi-modal scans, and convert counts to dose maps you can trust.

Who’s on the job? Imaging physicists, biomedical engineers, and AI-savvy programmers who live for faster code, cleaner images, and the occasional all-night GPU compile.
Why it matters. Clearer images guide surgeons, flag treatment failures early, and pave the way for new theranostic drugs that need rock-solid quantification.

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Dosimetry and Personalized Radiation-Based Therapy

How do we tailor radiation treatments to each patient?

Every tumor, organ, and drug distribution is unique. Off-the-shelf dose prescriptions miss that diversity. We combine imaging, transport physics, and biological response models to predict dose–effect for radiopharmaceuticals, radio-embolization, and external beams. The goal: plans that maximize tumor control, minimize side-effects, and adapt as patients change.

Who’s on the job? Clinic-minded medical physicists, oncologists, dosimetrists, and health-data analysts who turn model outputs into treatment decisions at the bedside.
Why it matters. Personalised plans boost cure rates and spare healthy tissue—moving precision dosimetry from research paper to routine care.

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WHY OUR WORK MATTERS

Guiding the next radiotherapy

Can we do better for patients with metastatic cancer? We think so, by redesigning how radiation is used. Our work builds the models and tools that can make radiation therapies smarter, more targeted, and more personal. We use physics and math to simulate what happens inside the body so treatments can be planned with precision, not guesswork.

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100 Blossom St, Cox 802D & 125 Nashua St,
Boston, MA, 02141

The Bertolet Lab

at the Mass General Hospital

and Harvard Medical School