UPEI departments of physics and biology offer new minor
Beginning in September 2013, UPEI's departments of physics and biology will offer a new minor in biomedical physics.
Biomedical physics is an interdisciplinary field of study in the life sciences that involves the application of physics methodology to the prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment of human disease. In the areas of physiology and health, physics and physical methods are applied to understand the production, operation, and safe use of ionizing radiation, microwave, radiofrequency, radioactive, magnetic, optical, and acoustic sources and their interactions with living tissues.
The objective of this minor program is to better prepare students who are interested in a career in the healthcare spectrum from biomedical research to clinical services. Due to the rapidly growing and changing aspects of biomedical technologies, there are extraordinary demands on professionals in the healthcare sector.
'I believe students who can think critically at the intersection of biology and physics will have a competitive advantage when moving to the next stage of their healthcare career path,' said Dr. Bill Whelan, professor in UPEI's Department of Physics.
The biomedical physics minor exposes students to medical imaging and therapy technologies, integrated with the underlying anatomy and physiology of the body. The knowledge and skills obtained can be applied to graduate studies, medical school, or post-baccalaureate degrees in one of the many healthcare professions.
For more information on the new minor, visit http://www.upei.ca/programsandcourses/biology or contact Dr. Sheldon Opps at (902) 566-0421, sopps@upei.ca or Dr. Marva Sweeney-Nixon at (902) 566-0633, msweeney@upei.ca.
