The University of Rome Tor Vergata proudly participated in the 13th International Conference on Radiation, Natural Sciences, Medicine, Engineering, Technology and Ecology (RAD 2025), held from June 16 to 20, 2025, at the Hunguest Hotel Sun Resort in Herceg Novi, Montenegro.
During this prestigious international forum, Chiara Ferrari, PhD student from the Department of Industrial Engineering, presented the study “Empowering Medical Physicists in Radiation Emergencies: Bridging Expertise with Frontline Response.” This impactful contribution was co-authored with Dr. Guglielmo Manenti and Prof. Andrea Malizia, from the Department of Biomedicine and Prevention at Tor Vergata.
The work addresses the critical and growing need for integrating Medical Physicists into emergency response systems—both within hospitals and at incident sites. With nuclear and radiological emergencies posing unique and high-risk challenges, the study emphasizes the untapped potential of Medical Physicists to provide essential guidance, radiation survey expertise, and risk communication—if appropriately trained.
The paper also echoes the recommendations of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regarding the role of Medical Physicists in both in-hospital and pre-hospital emergency teams, highlighting the need for systematic training, curriculum integration, and AI-based emergency support tools.
This important recognition further strengthens Tor Vergata’s role in advancing interdisciplinary research in nuclear safety, health protection, and emergency management.
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Full abstract here :
Empowering medical physicists in radiation emergencies: Bridging expertise with frontline response
Chiara Ferrari¹, Guglielmo Manenti², Andrea Malizia²
¹ Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
² Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University di Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
https://doi.org/10.21175/rad.abstr.book.2025.37.5
Nuclear and Radiological Emergencies are exceptional events characterized by specific critical issues in their management, in addition to those naturally connected to all types of emergencies. An effective response requires intervention teams with training and dedicated instrumentation. The low probability of occurrence and the specificity of the resources needed to deal with them implies a considerable effort if one wants to be ready to respond anytime and anywhere. The emergency and health services must address critical decisions that cover many practical aspects, ranging from managing medical emergency response to long-term follow-up of those exposed. The risk of being overwhelmed is strong, special equipment and abilities are required. Optimizing existing resources in the territory is a necessary step towards building a sustainable healthcare model. Because of their background, Medical Physicists can carry out numerous duties since the early moments, the most critical, if they have been trained to handle an emergency. They could serve as an additional resource, for example, by providing guidance in radiation surveys, conducting dose assessments for support activities, and effectively communicating associated risks. The International Atomic Energy Agency promotes the participation of Medical Physicists in emergency teams, within hospitals (in-hospital emergency team) and on the incident site (pre-hospital emergency team). Such integration requires overcoming organizational and logistical challenges, especially the case of integration in the pre-hospital first responders’ teams. The Medical Physicist professional program should incorporate emergency management courses as part of its curriculum. Regular retraining through mandatory continuing education is essential to fully prepare medical physicists for their roles as healthcare professionals. This presents both a new and ongoing challenge, particularly following the recent update to the educational framework to include Artificial Intelligence. This emerging expertise can play a pivotal role in implementing advanced tools for addressing emergency situations. This study aims to explore organizational challenges and enhance the involvement of Medical Physicists in hospital emergency response, as well as their integration into on-site emergency medical teams.
You can download the full book of abstract here: https://www.rad-conference.org/RAD_2025-Book_of_Abstracts.pdf
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