Firas Mourtada, MSE, Ph.D., D.ABR

Chief of Clinical Physics

Firas Mourtada, MSE, Ph.D., D.ABR, is the chief of clinical physics at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center, where he oversees the delivery of radiation treatments by working side by side with a team of radiation oncologists, physicists, and dosimetrists to ensure patients receive the safest and most effective treatment for cancer. He is also responsible for seeking and integrating cutting-edge radiation oncology technologies into our health system.

Since joining ChristianaCare in 2011, Dr. Mourtada also has worked to establish initiatives for clinical trials at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center as well as clinically oriented research in collaboration with the Center for Translational Cancer Research and within ChristianaCare’s Radiation Oncology Department.

Male doctor in lab coat with glasses

His own research work at ChristianaCare includes a National Institutes of Health-funded grant to investigate a novel dose calculation method for treatment planning of targeted radionuclide therapy. The results could help radiation oncologists better predict how tumors respond to such therapy and the likelihood of cancer recurring and spreading.

Dr. Mourtada has a master’s degree in biomedical engineering from The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. He earned his doctorate in radiation health from Johns Hopkins in 1997. He also completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, Md.

Download Dr. Mourtada’s CV.

Selected Research

Summary of Published Work: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Firas_Mourtada2?ev=prf_highl

Principal Investigator (15%), A Novel Dose Calculation Method for Targeted Radionuclide Therapy, R01 CA138986-01A2, NIH/NCI, 8/5/2010-7/31/2016, $978,495.

Principal Investigator, Evaluation of the Varian Eclipse AXB Dose Algorithm, Sponsored Research Agreement, Varian Medical Systems, 6/2011-12/2012, $20,000.

Co-Investigator (5%), Human Breast Cancer Stem Cell Surrogates, extension to R01 CA138239-01 ($3,053.539), NIH/NCI, Multi-PI- Cristofanilli/Reuben/Woodward, $599,556. 7/1/09-6/30/12.

MDACC Consortium Principal Investigator (2%), Idea Award, Army DOD BCRP BC073879, “Metabolic-Targeted Radionuclide Therapy for the Treatment of Breast Cancer” ($296,000).

MDACC Consortium Principal Investigator (10%), NIH SBIR Phase II proposal 2R44 CA105806-02 with Transpire, Inc., “Deterministic Radiotherapy Calculation Method” ($750,000), 9/2007-6/2011.

Co-Principal Investigator (5%), Development of radiolabeled serotonin transformation agent for imaging neuroendocrine tumors, SRA from Miyagi Clinic Sendai Medical Imaging Center. 6/07-6/09, ($247,000).

Principal Investigator (2%), Inverse Planning Software for Adaptive Intracavitary Brachytherapy, MDACC Technical Review Committee. 10/2006-6/2007 ($65,000).

Principal Investigator (10%), Adaptive Intracavitary Brachytherapy Applicator for Cervical Cancer MDACC Technical Review Committee. 9/2004-9/2005 ($30,000).

Principal Investigator (5%) Institutional Startup Funds, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. 12/2002-12/2005, $175,000 ($58,333 /year).

Principal Investigator, Commissioning of BEBIG 106Ru/106Rh Eye Plaques: A Practical Clinical Procedure for US Hospitals, SRA from BEBIG. 6/06-6/07, ($10,000).

MDACC Co-Investigator, NIH SBIR Phase I with Transpire, Inc.: Deterministic Radiotherapy Calculation Method, 04/2005-09/2005, CA105806-01A1 ($100,000).

MDACC Principal Investigator, NIH SBIR Phase I with NoviMarte, Inc.: Multi-Purpose Radiopharmaceutical Synthesis Platform, HHSN261200522013C, 08/2005-3/2006, ($100,000).

Principal Investigator, Intravascular Brachytherapy Dosimetry Research, Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Inc. SR2003-00008635HM 01, 4/7/2003-4/30/2004, ($21,500).

Principal Investigator, Dosimetric Evaluation of Pulsed Dose-rate Brachytherapy for Gynecological Cancer Treatment: A Monte Carlo Study, SRA from Nucletron. 4/04-8/05, ($60,000).

MDACC Principal Investigator, Development of Acuros Dose Engine for Brachytherapy, Radion Technologies SRA. 09/04-09/05 ($38,000).

Principal Investigator, TheraSight? Dosimetry Characterization, SRA from Theragenics Corp. (Period: 6 months, Amount: $7,000).