IOMP President’s Message
John Damilakis, PhD
President, IOMP
IDMP 2024, AOCMP-SEACOMP Congress 2024, MEFOMP Conference 2025
Dear Colleagues,
The IOMP will celebrate the International Day of Medical Physics (IDMP) this year on the 7th of November by organizing a 24-hour event titled ‘Around the World in 24 Hours: Celebrating Medical Physics.’ The IDMP 2024 theme is ‘Inspiring the next generations of Medical Physicists’. To align with this theme, we will organize a webinar on the 7th of November titled ‘Bridging the Gap: Inspiring Future Generations to Address the Global Shortage of Medical Physicists.’ The session will bring together IOMP’s partner international organizations to discuss strategies and initiatives that can inspire the next generation of medical physicists, especially in scientific areas and geographical regions where their presence is most needed. The 24-hour program will include presentations prepared by IOMP’s regional and national organizations and other events. Stay tuned!
The AOCMP-SEACOMP 2024 Congress, held in Penang, Malaysia from October 10 to 13, was a significant event that brought together medical physicists from across the Asia-Oceania region. Apart from Malaysia, countries such as Japan, Indonesia, Australia, India, China, Thailand, and many others were well represented, emphasizing the broad international scope of the event.
The Congress featured 15 proffered sessions and 9 plenary sessions, providing a rich scientific program. Each session showcased the latest research, technologies, and developments in medical physics, with an emphasis on improving patient care and outcomes through innovative approaches. The plenary sessions, featuring renowned experts, offered valuable insights into topics such as radiation therapy, diagnostic imaging, and AI’s transformative role in medical physics. The poster session was another highlight of the Congress, with 151 posters presented by researchers from around the region. Moreover, the Congress hosted 5 pre-congress workshops, which served as valuable opportunities for skill development. The Congress supported young researchers and professionals through 38 travel awards. This support for emerging professionals is crucial to ensuring continued growth and development in the field of medical physics across the region.
Overall, the AFOMP-SEAFOMP 2024 Congress in Penang was a resounding success. A big thank you to Congress Chairpersons Chai-Hong Yeong and Jeannie Wong. The Congress served not only as a forum for sharing scientific knowledge but also as a celebration of the collective progress made by medical physicists across Asia and Oceania.
MEFOMP Conference 2025 – Workshop on CT dosimetry and machine learning
The Middle East Federation of Organizations of Medical Physics (MEFOMP) organizes the MEFOMP Medical Physics Conference 2025 from February 8 to 10, 2025, at the Kuwait Cancer Control Center, Ministry of Health, Kuwait. This conference is a unique opportunity not only for medical physicists but also for radiologists, nuclear medicine physicians, radiation oncologists, referring physicians, biomedical engineers, regulators, nurses and other healthcare professionals to connect, share knowledge, and explore the latest advancements in our field.
The IOMP School jointly with MEFOMP will organize a workshop on ‘Advances in CT Dosimetry and Machine Learning: Optimizing Patient Safety and Dose Estimation’ from February 7 to February 10, 2025 at the same venue. This workshop will cover topics such as dosimetry in diagnostic and radiotherapy CT (CBCT), machine learning workflows, and radiomics. The four-day program will offer a balanced mix of theoretical sessions and hands-on training. Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be intimidating, and our goal is to provide not only theoretical knowledge but also practical experience and help participants break the ice so that, after the course, they feel confident and ready to start working with AI. Practical sessions are limited to a number of pre-selected participants, ensuring focused guidance and support. More information will be announced soon.