用於癌症放射治療之典型醫用加速器概略圖示（圖片由史丹佛直線加速器中心提供）A schematic diagram of a typical medical accelerator used in cancer radiotherapy. (Image courtesy of the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center.)
放射線與生物物質之交互作用為本課程中心主題。本課程欲提供廣泛知識以了解不同輻射線如何釋放能量，包括次級輻射的產生和表現、輻射線如何影響細胞、不同輻射線為何有非常不同型態的生物效應。其它主題包括：輻射對生物系統（含DNA傷害、體外細胞生存模組、哺乳動物系統）的影響。課程含蓋放射治療、輻射症侯群，致癌機轉，另提及地球和外太空放射源及輻射保護相關事宜。課程中會以最新的文獻中的例子作為補充講解。The central theme of this course is the interaction of radiation with biological material. The course is intended to provide a broad understanding of how different types of radiation deposit energy, including the creation and behavior of secondary radiations; of how radiation affects cells and why the different types of radiation have very different biological effects. Topics will include: the effects of radiation on biological systems including DNA damage; in vitro cell survival models; and in vivo mammalian systems. The course covers radiation therapy, radiation syndromes in humans and carcinogenesis. Environmental radiation sources on earth and in space, and aspects of radiation protection are also discussed. Examples from the current literature will be used to supplement lecture material.
