IOMP President’s Message
John Damilakis, PhD
President, IOMP
IMPW 2025: A Week of AI-focused webinars, Welcoming the new IOMP ExCom
Dear Colleagues,
The IOMP designated May 5–9, 2025 as International Medical Physics Week (IMPW), a global celebration of our field. We dedicated the entire week to daily webinars on Artificial Intelligence in Medical Physics. Each webinar was led by world experts. Organizers and speakers came from Europe, Asia, North America, and Australia, reflecting the truly international nature of IMPW.
The first session on Monday was a panel debate pitting AI-driven algorithms against human judgment in medical X-ray dose estimation. Panelists examined how AI can enhance dosimetry and dose optimization, while also discussing its pitfalls: biases, interpretability challenges, and safety concerns. The debate emphasized that while AI offers powerful tools for image quality and dose control in X-ray imaging, the expertise of medical physicists remains vital to ensure safe and ethical application.
Tuesday’s session featured a formal debate on AI and personalized medicine in radiation oncology. The discussion focused on how AI can automate routine tasks e.g. image segmentation, treatment planning optimization, and quality assurance, potentially improving efficiency and precision. At the same time, speakers stressed that clinical decision-making and complex problem-solving remain the domain of trained physicists.
Day 3 on Wednesday addressed how AI is reshaping medical physics education and training. Speakers showcased cutting-edge AI applications in our field and emphasized the importance of data and workflow in AI. AI could transform both classroom teaching and clinical practice. The two talks underscored that future medical physicists must be AI-literate. The implication is clear: by updating education and training, our community will be prepared to leverage AI for better patient care.
On Day 4 the focus shifted to ethics, law, and governance of AI. Speakers discussed foundational legal and ethical challenges, such as patient privacy, liability, and the regulation of AI in healthcare. They highlighted how algorithmic biases and data privacy issues can worsen health disparities, stressing the need for ethical frameworks and guidelines. This session made it clear that as AI tools proliferate, medical physicists must engage with ethics and policy, from patient consent to international standards, to ensure AI advances patient safety and equity.
The webinar on Friday explored AI’s impact on nuclear medicine and theranostics. Experts in PET imaging and radionuclide therapy reviewed how AI can optimize image reconstruction, enhance diagnostic accuracy, and aid dosimetry for radiopharmaceutical treatment. The speakers illustrated that in modern nuclear medicine, with complex imaging systems, AI has the potential to unlock new capabilities while also requiring physicists to validate and guide algorithms.
IMPW 2025’s AI webinar series was unprecedented in scope. By dedicating every session to AI, IOMP signaled that AI is no longer niche but central to our profession. For medical physicists, these discussions were more than informative lectures, they were a call to action. Information about these webinars can be found at https://www.iomp.org/iomp-school-webinars-2025/#elementor-tab-title-2411
Looking Ahead: Welcoming the new IOMP Executive Committee
The elections for the new Executive Committee (ExCom) of the IOMP have now concluded, marking a key milestone in our democratic and globally representative governance process. Organized in accordance with the IOMP Statutes and Bylaws, the electoral procedure was carried out with transparency, integrity, and a strong commitment to the principles of fairness and inclusiveness that guide our organization.
I am delighted to report that the elected officers and committee chairs are highly competent individuals (https://www.iomp.org/election-results-for-term-2025-2028/). The new team represents a diverse and dynamic blend of clinical, academic, and research expertise from around the globe. These leaders will formally assume their roles at the World Congress on Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering 2025 in Adelaide, Australia. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the IOMP Nominating Committee, whose work ensured a strong and balanced slate of candidates. Special thanks are also due to all those who stepped forward as candidates.
I extend my warm congratulations to the new ExCom and offer them my full support. Together, we will continue advancing the science and practice of medical physics for the years ahead.