Dr. Fallone recently developed and built the first operational integrated linac-MR system (www.linac-MR.ca), the first whole-body pre-commercial linac-MR system and is presently completing the commercial/linac system. The linac-MR takes continuous MRI images to guide, in real-time, the linac radiation beam to the tumour avoiding healthy tissues. Since cancer tumours reside in soft-tissue, uncertainties in the tumour position due to breathing or motion is avoided by using MRI imaging which shows soft-tissue best. Although the merging of an MRI with a linac was believed impossible because of mutual interferences, Dr. Fallone and his team successfully demonstrated operation in 2008. Fallone developed and demonstrated, through continuous cine imaging, the automatic processing of target detection, tracking of the moving target and conforming of the radiation to the moving target while avoiding healthy tissues.
This capability resulted in decreased side effects and improved clinical outcome for all cancer tumors treated by radiotherapy (RT), as well as, tumors which currently, are not treated by RT because of breathing motion or that cannot be adequately “seen” by current systems while treating. A spin-off company, of which Dr. Fallone is the CEO, has been created to commercialize the technology.
Dr. Fallone is senior author on over 45 peer-reviewed publications of the physics and engineering on the linac-MR integration. Dr. Fallone’s work includes 210 peer-reviewed co-authored research articles, 90 peer-reviewed proceedings and book chapters, 313 published abstracts, 306 posters, 271 conference presentations, 110 externally invited conferences, and 10 patent groups, that involve international filing, directly supervised over 80 graduate students, 25 medical physics residents, and awarded research grants from the Canadian Institute of Health Research, National Science and Engineering Research Council, Whitaker Foundation, Canada Foundation for Innovation, Alberta Cancer Foundation, Alberta Innovates:Health Solutions, Western Economic Diversification (Canada), Economic Development and Trade (Alberta).
He has been very active in international research, educational and professional activities, receiving numerous international awards, the most notably, being Knighthood to the Order of Merit, Italy (highest recognition in Italy) for his contributions to cancer research, especially MR-guided Radiotherapy.
- Company: University of Alberta & Cross Cancer Institute
- Short Bio:Professor and Director of Medical Physics, Dept of Oncology and Director of Medical Physics
- http://mp.med.ualberta.ca/faculty_staff/g_fallone.htm
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