Program Overview

Introduction to the Biomedical Physics PhD Program

The Biomedical Physics (BMP) PhD Program is a joint program supported by the Departments of Radiology and Radiation Oncology within the Stanford University School of Medicine. The objective of the PhD in BMP is to train students in research focused on technology translatable to clinical medicine, including radiation therapy, image-guided therapy, diagnostic, interventional, and molecular imaging, and other forms of disease detection and characterization with molecular diagnostics.

Program Overview

The program is designed to train students in translational research, leveraging the world-class research environment at Stanford. The BMP program is the first PhD program at Stanford housed in clinical departments, and it aims to train the next generation of leaders in this burgeoning field.

Program Directors

The program is directed by Daniel Ennis, Ted Graves, Sharon Pitteri, and Daniel Spielman.

Program Description

The Biomedical Physics program is an essential component of Stanford Medicine’s commitment to excellence in education, scientific discovery, bench-to-bedside research, and clinical innovation. The program is supported by Stanford Radiology and Stanford Radiation Oncology.

Research Areas

The program focuses on research areas such as:

• Medical Physics
• Radiological Sciences Laboratory (RSL)
• Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS)
• Canary Center at Stanford for Cancer Early Detection

Application Deadline

The application deadline for the program is December 2, 2025.

Program Goals

The program aims to train students in research focused on technology translatable to clinical medicine, including:

• Radiation therapy
• Image-guided therapy
• Diagnostic, interventional, and molecular imaging
• Other forms of disease detection and characterization with molecular diagnostics

Program Support

The program is supported by the Departments of Radiology and Radiation Oncology within the Stanford University School of Medicine.

University Support

Stanford University has a rich tradition of innovation and education within these disciplines, with advances ranging from the development and application of the medical linear accelerator towards radiation treatment of cancer to the engineering of non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging having been pioneered here.

Program History

The BMP program was created in 2021 to train doctoral students within the world-class research environment at Stanford.

Program Vision

The program is committed to excellence in education, scientific discovery, bench-to-bedside research, and clinical innovation.

Program Leadership

The program is led by the BMP Program Directors, with support from the Department Chairs, Dr. Quynh Le and the late Dr. Sam Gambhir.

University Leadership

The program is part of Stanford Medicine, which is led by Dean Lloyd Minor.

Program Location

The program is located within the Stanford University School of Medicine.

Program Accreditation

The program is part of Stanford University, which complies with all applicable civil rights laws and does not engage in illegal preferences or discrimination. Stanford's Non-Discrimination Policy is available on the university's website.