Uttam Pyakurel, PhD

Dr. Uttam Pyakurel grew up in the hilly region of Nepal. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physics from Tribhuvan University, Nepal, in 2012 and 2016, respectively. In 2022, he completed his PhD in physics at the University at Albany, SUNY, under the supervision of Dr. Carolyn MacDonald, where he received the Distinguished Doctoral Dissertation Award. His doctoral research focused on developing lab-based x-ray phase contrast and dark-field imaging systems using conventional x-ray sources for potential clinical use.

Following his PhD, Dr. Pyakurel completed a postdoctoral fellowship in radiation oncology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus under the supervision of Dr. Cem Altunbas. His research focused on developing quantitative cone beam CT (CBCT) methods for image-guided radiation therapy. He led the first-in-human clinical trial implementing a novel 2D anti-scatter grid technology in CBCT systems on a Varian TrueBeam and an IBA proton therapy system, focusing on the practicality of device implementation and its efficacy in reducing artifacts and improving CBCT image quality for potential clinical use.

In July 2025, Dr. Pyakurel joined the medical physics residency program at UCLA in the Department of Radiation Oncology. His clinical interests include image-guided radiation therapy and the development of advanced imaging methods to improve treatment precision. He is also interested in global radiation oncology and improving access to radiotherapy in low-resource settings. Outside of work, he enjoys learning about different cultures, history, and philosophy.