Developing Next-Generation Radiotherapy Delivery and Expertise at the UI

Project Lead: John Buatti

Funding Approved: Fiscal Year 23
Project Status: In Progress  
Funded amount: $3M over three years

The Midwest FLASH Lab is paving the way for the University of Iowa to redefine cancer treatment by exploring ultra-high dose-rate radiation therapy, known as FLASH. This innovative approach, delivering radiation in milliseconds instead of minutes, offers a promising avenue to preserve healthy tissues while effectively combating cancer cells.

The project's primary goal is to establish the UI as a leading institution for FLASH science and training in the U.S. The project aims to leverage significant existing UI resources and grow the funded NIH research portfolio substantially, in addition to attracting talented faculty and student researchers and scholars.

Activities to date:

  • Established the Summer Cancer Undergraduate Research Program (SCURP) for underrepresented minority students. 
  • Finalized vault renovation plans, selected a contractor, and began the renovation process. The floor was reinforced to support additional required radiation shielding walls. Shielding calculations have been completed and will be included in a report for the Iowa Department of Public Health.
  • Held bi-weekly meetings with RadiaBeam to discuss progress on the FLEX-9 accelerator system, which was completed and installed at the university in spring 2024. 
  • Established a team of medical physicists to commission the FLEX-9 system at Iowa, developing detailed plans to measure the radiation dose delivered by the ultra-high-dose-rate radiation beam, including selecting and purchasing appropriate equipment.

Next Steps:

In the third year of the Midwest FLASH Lab project, the team will be ready to offer irradiation services and plans to add x-ray FLASH capability at some point during the year. The team plans to submit several research proposals, including three R01 grant applications, a P01 grant application. The team will also submit a multi-college T32 application for graduate and post-doctoral FLASH training.