Education and Degrees

B.S.: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Nuclear Engineering
M.S.: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Nuclear Engineering
Ph.D.: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Nuclear Engineering

Areas of Interest

Image Guided Radiotherapy
Surface Imaging
Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy and VMAT

Selected Publications

Lyatskaya Y, Winey B, Kiger WS, Hurwitz M, Zygmanski P, Makrigiorgos GM, Bortfeld TR, Doppke KP, Lu X-Q, Chin LM, Biggs P, Gierga DP. Combined Clinical and Research Training in Medical Physics in a Multi-Institutional Setting: 13-year Experience of Harvard Medical Physics Residency Program. J Appl Clin Med Phys, 2023;24:e13806.

Giantsoudi D, Lalonde A, Barra C, Vanbenthuysen L, Taghian AG, Gierga DP, Jimenez RB.  Tattoo free set-up for breast cancer patients receiving regional nodal irradiation. Pract Rad Onc, 2023;13:1:e20-e27

Jimenez RB, Batin E, Giantsoudi D, Hazeltine W, Bertolino K, Ho AY, MacDonald SM, Taghian AG, Gierga DP. Tattoo free setup for partial breast irradiation: A feasibility study. J Appl Clin Med Phys, 2019;20(4):45-50.

Efstathiou JA, Heunis M, Karumekayi T, Makufa R, Bvochora-Nsingo M, Gierga DP, Suneja G, Grover S, Kasese J, Mmalane M, Moffat H, von Paleske A, Makhema J, Dryden-Peterson S. Establishing and Delivering Quality Radiation Therapy in Resource-Constrained Settings: the Story of Botswana. J Clin Oncol, 2016;34:1:27-36.

Chen H, Winey BA, Daartz J, Oh KS, Shin JH, Gierga DP. Efficiency gains for Spinal Radiosurgery using multi-criteria optimization IMRT guided VMAT planning. Pract Rad Onc, 2015;5:49-55.

Efstathiou JA, Bvochora-Nsingo M, Gierga DP, Alphonse Kayembe MK, Mmalane M, Russell AH, Paly JJ, Brown C, Musimar Z, Abramson J, Bruce KA, Karumekayi T, Clayman R, Hodgeman R Kasese J, Makufa R, Bigger E, Suneja G, Busse PM, Randall TC, Chabner BA, Dryden-Peterson S. Addressing the Growing Cancer Burden in the Wake of the AIDS Epidemic in Botswana: The BOTSOGO Collaborative Partnership. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol, 2014;89:468-475.

Gierga DP, Turcotte JC, Tong LW, Chen YL, DeLaney TF. Analysis of Setup Uncertainties for Extremity Sarcoma Patients Using Surface Imaging. Pract Rad Onc, 2014;4:261-266.

Chen H, Craft DL, Gierga DP. Multicriteria optimization informed VMAT planning. Medical Dosimetry 2014; 39:64-73.

Truong MT, Hirsch AE, Kovalchuk N, Qureshi MM, Damato A, Schuller B, Vassilakis N, Stone M, Gierga D, Willins J, Kachnic LA. Cone-beam computed tomography image guided therapy to evaluate lumpectomy cavity variation before and during breast radiotherapy. J Appl Clin Med Phys 2013;14:209-219.

Gierga DP, Turcotte JC, Sharp GC, Sedlacek DE, Cotter CR, Taghian AG. A voluntary breath hold technique for left breast with unfavorable cardiac anatomy using surface imaging. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2012;84:e663-e668.

Spadea MF, Baroni G, Gierga DP, Turcotte JC, Sharp GC. Evaluation and commissioning of a surface based system for respiratory sensing in 4DCT. J Appl Clin Med Phys 2010;12:162-169.

Riboldi M, Gierga DP, Chen GTY, Baroni G. Accuracy in breast shape alignment with 3D surface fitting algorithms. Medical Physics 2009;36:1193-1198.

Gierga DP, Riboldi M, Turcotte JC, Sharp GC, Jiang SB, Taghian AG, Chen GTY. Comparison of target registration errors for multiple image-guided techniques in accelerated partial breast irradiation. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2008;70:1239-1246.

Gierga DP, Brewer J, Sharp GC, Betke M, Willett CG, Chen GTY. The correlation of internal and external markers for abdominal tumors: Implications for respiratory gating.  Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2005;61:1551-1558.

Lawenda BD, Gagne HM, Gierga DP, Niemierko A, Wong WM, Tarbell NJ, Chen GTY, Hochberg FH, Loeffler JS. Permanent alopecia after cranial irradiation: Dose-response relationship. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2004;60:879-887.

Shortkroff S, Binello E, Zhu X, Gierga D, Thornhill T, Shefer RE, Jones AG, Yanch JC, Dose response of the AIA rabbit stifle joint to boron neutron capture synovectomy. Nucl Med Biol 2004;31:663-670.

Gierga DP, Chen GTY, Kung JH, Betke M, Lombardi J, Willett CG, Quantification of respiration-induced abdominal tumor motion and its impact on IMRT dose distributions. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2004;58:1584-1595.

Gierga DP, Shefer RE. Characterization of a Soft X-ray Source for Intravascular Radiation Therapy. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2001;49:847-857.

Gierga DP, Yanch JC, Shefer RE. An investigation of the feasibility of gadolinium for neutron capture synovectomy. Medical Physics 2000;27:1685-1692.

Gierga DP, Yanch JC, Shefer RE. Development and construction of a neutron beam line for accelerator-based boron neutron capture synovectomy. Medical Physics 2000;27:203-214.