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Reimagining cancer treatment
Humza Nusrat
Biomedical Physics PhD student
As a graduate student researcher at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Biomedical Physics PhD student Humza Nusrat is developing a new technique to optimize cancer treatment.
What’s new about your method of cancer detection?
We’re really trying to change the paradigm and make people think differently about radiation therapy, which traditionally has been based on the concept of absorbed dose. By developing a new way to measure cell death, we can avoid the uncertainties now associated with absorbed dose. Our detector uses scintillators, materials that light up blue in the presence of radiation, much like how in Lord of the Rings, Frodo’s sword Sting glows around orcs.
How would you rate your TMU graduate experience?
I feel really blessed to be here. I was lucky enough to be part of the IINN (Industry Insights and Navigating Networks) program, which enabled us to develop professional skills, network and job shadow with employers like Klick Health, and apply our graduate experiences to make ourselves career-ready.
How else is TMU helping you to be career-ready?
I’ve had the chance to get involved with different research beyond my scintillator project, such as calorimetry (measuring tiny temperature changes in response to radiation) and cutting-edge technologies such as MR-Linac, which will be very common in the next 10 years. So being one of the first in the world to work with this technology is invaluable for my career.
Photo: Narrative Drive
"Being one of the first in the world to work with this technology is invaluable for my career."

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