Wei Liu, Ph.D.

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SUMMARY

The research of Wei Liu, Ph.D., focuses on the following topics:

• Application of operations research techniques in radiotherapy.
• Robustness quantification in proton therapy.
• Accurate and fast dose linear energy transfer calculation in proton therapy.
• Motion management.
• Patient outcomes study via machine learning and big data.
• Application of artificial intelligence in radiotherapy.

Dr. Liu pursues the application of large language models such as ChatGPT in radiotherapy. His research integrates interdisciplinary methods from physics, operations research, computer science and radiation oncology.

Focus areas

• Robust biological optimization and robustness quantification.
• Dose-averaged linear energy transfer calculation.
• Motion management.
• Patient outcomes studies.
• Artificial intelligence.
• Large language models.

Significance to patient care

Dr. Liu's research develops novel algorithms for proton therapy that achieve robustness quantification and robust optimization.

His research can advance tumor control through more reliable target coverage, causing less toxicity to nearby critical organs. His research in this area helps improve patients' quality of life and survival. It also advances proton therapy to achieve the long-term goals of improving the therapeutic ratio of proton therapy for patients with cancer.

Professional highlights

• Associate section editor, International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, 2022-present.
• Reviewer, Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO/ZonMw) and KWF Kankerbestrijding (Dutch Cancer Society), 2022-present.
• Co-chair, Particle Therapy Co-Operative Group Thoracic Subcommittee, 2022-present.
• Member, Study section, National Institutes of Health, 2021-present.
• Funding recipient, The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fund for AI Research and Innovation, 2024.
• Fellow, American Association of Physicists in Medicine, 2023.
• John Laughlin Young Scientist Award, American Association of Physicists in Medicine, 2019.
• Mentored Quantitative Research Career Development Award (K25), National Institutes of Health-National Cancer Institute, 2012-2017.
• Honored with the new scientific terminology, "Liu-Limit," University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2012.