IOMP President’s Message
John Damilakis, PhD
President, IOMP
IOMP Awards, IDMP 2025, WC2025, gratitude and reflections
Dear Colleagues,
As my time as President of the IOMP comes to an end, I’d like to share a few reflections before passing the role to the next President during the World Congress in Adelaide. These past three years have been busy, rewarding, and filled with collaboration across our global community.
One of the important steps we took was updating how IOMP is run. The Executive Committee reviewed changes to our Statutes and Bylaws so that processes became clearer and more transparent. While not the most visible part of our work, these updates help the organization keep up with the times.
Celebrating the achievements of medical physicists has always been close to my heart. During this term, IOMP presented a wide range of awards, from those recognizing young scientists to prizes honoring lifetime contributions https://www.iomp.org/2025-iomp-awards-announcement/ Each award carried a message: medical physicists play a vital role in healthcare, and their efforts deserve recognition and visibility.
We also kept alive our tradition of global celebrations. The International Day of Medical Physics (IDMP), held every November 7, gave us a chance to connect with the public and each other. Each year had its own theme, sustainability in healthcare, honoring the giants who shaped our field, inspiring young professionals, and now, looking ahead to emerging technologies https://www.iomp.org/idmp/ In 2024, we even organized a 24-hour online event that truly showcased the worldwide reach of our community.
Similarly, the International Medical Physics Week (IMPW) became a highlight of the year. Through daily webinars and discussions, it brought together colleagues from different regions to share expertise. The 2025 edition focused entirely on artificial intelligence, reflecting how strongly AI is shaping research, training, and clinical practice in medical physics https://www.iomp.org/international-medical-physics-week-impw-2025/
Our big gatherings also left a mark. The 2023 International Conference on Medical Physics (ICMP) in Mumbai welcomed more than 1,400 participants and was a great opportunity to learn and connect. Looking ahead, preparations are already moving forward for ICMP 2027 in Abu Dhabi. Even more immediate is the World Congress 2025 in Adelaide, which promises to be an inspiring event with themes ranging from AI in healthcare to patient safety https://wc2025.org/
Education has been at the heart of much of what we’ve done. The IOMP School grew its activities, offering free webinars and in-person workshops on topics like radiotherapy and CT dosimetry combined with machine learning. These onsite sessions showed the value of hands-on learning and gave colleagues worldwide new skills to apply in their practice. The Accreditation Board also worked hard, ensuring training programs met high standards and supporting universities seeking recognition for their efforts https://www.iomp.org/accreditation/
Partnerships played a big role too. IOMP worked closely with WHO, IAEA, IUPAP, IRPA, ICRP, and ISR, showing how medical physics fits into the bigger picture of healthcare and safety. An example of how these collaborations can help amplify our voice is the joint publication “Enhancing Radiation Safety Culture in Health Care” in 2024 https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240091115
We also strengthened how we share knowledge. Medical Physics International began publishing conference abstracts, our newsletters reached tens of thousands of readers, and our online presence kept members connected https://www.iomp.org/publications-2/ Plans are already in motion for a new journal to launch in 2026, which will open even more doors for communication and sharing research.
As I wrap up my term, I want to thank the IOMP Executive Committee for their tireless dedication. Looking back, what stands out most is the strength of our global medical physics community. Together we’ve celebrated, innovated, and connected across borders. As I hand over the role, I feel proud of what we’ve accomplished and excited to see where the future will take us.