Omar Pena Rose Hills
Spectroscopy of Ac-225 Daughters to Quantify Tumor Microenvironments
Angular correlation spectroscopy is a technique that studies the angles between successive gamma rays emitted in nuclear decay cascades. Recent studies have used pH-dependent changes in angular correlations to estimate the pH around Indium-111, a PET radiotracer, opening new opportunities for medical imaging applications. Extracellular tumor pH has been shown to regulate cancer aggressivity and treatment response, making it an important but challenging metric to measure in oncology.
My project focuses on Actinium-225 (Ac-225), a promising radioactive isotope used for targeted cancer therapy. One of its decay products, Thallium-209 (Tl-209), emits a pair of gamma rays whose angular correlation has not been previously measured. I will investigate the angular correlation of the gamma-ray cascade from Tl-209 as a function of pH and develop a coincidence-detection approach to measuring these using sodium iodide detectors. In doing so, we will establish the groundwork for using Ac-225 as a quantum-scale sensor of the tumor microenvironment in addition to its current application as a cancer treatment.
Message To Sponsor
Hello! As a graduating senior, I am honored by your support and grateful for the opportunity to carry out this research. My deep interest in improving the outcomes of cancer patients makes me eager to work on this project, especially given its strong potential for clinical translation. The vibrant undergraduate research culture at UC Berkeley is made possible by supporters like you and undoubtedly inspired my choice to pursue a PhD in Medical Physics at Johns Hopkins University after graduation.