Rodney D Wiersma, PhD, DABR

Dr. Rodney Wiersma is a Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at UCLA and an American Board of Radiology (DABR) certified medical physicist with over 15 years of clinical and research experience in radiation therapy. His work bridges medical robotics, high dose rate FLASH radiotherapy, preclinical small animal IMRT, image-guided treatment planning optimization, and quality assurance (QA) systems. He holds several U.S. patents, with technologies licensed to commercial companies.

Dr. Wiersma’s research has pioneered frame- and mask-free stereotactic radiosurgery using real-time optical tracking with robotic motion compensation, the development of 3D-printed compensators for small animal IMRT, and combined megavoltage/kilovoltage imaging techniques for real-time tumor tracking. His innovations aim to improve treatment precision, reduce patient discomfort, and translate cutting-edge laboratory advances into the clinic. His work has been supported by multiple NIH grants, Department of Defense funding, American Cancer Society awards, and foundation grants, enabling the development and clinical translation of novel radiotherapy technologies.

Dr. Wiersma has taught core graduate and undergraduate courses in medical physics, mentored numerous MS and PhD students, and directed medical physics research programs. He is an active leader in professional service, serving on NIH study sections, collaborating internationally to advance QA standards, and helping bring modern radiotherapy capabilities to underserved regions worldwide.