Associate Professor of TNMU Participated in the ERASMUS+ KA171 Project Teaching Staff Mobility Program

On April 15 – 19, 2024, Associate Professor of TNMU Department of Medical Physics of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Equipment, Oksana Bahrii-Zayats, interned under the Erasmus+ KA171 Project Teaching Staff mobility program at the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain).

Oksana Bahrii-Zayats together with the curator of the academic mobility program, Isabel Barreiro.

Oksana Bahrii-Zayats interned at the Faculty of Physics under the guidance of Professor of the Department of Particle Physics, Head of the Laboratory of Radiation Physics Faustino Gomez Rodriguez, who, as part of a research project funded by the Carlos III Health Institute, created the first primary model of the absorbed dose of ionizing radiation in water using a portable calorimeter. This new measurement technique of maximum accuracy is one of the most modern calibration laboratories in Europe and guarantees the highest accuracy of ionizing radiation dose measurement. So far, a dozen hospitals in Spain have already been calibrated using this new system, as well as a British proton therapy centre in collaboration with IBA-Dosimetry. Dart (Detection and Radiation Technologies) is a detector that measures in real time, using liquid ionization chamber technology, the dose of radiotherapeutic radiation delivered to the patient with millimeter accuracy.

Accompanied by the head of the department of psychiatry, radiology, public health, nursing and medicine, Miguel Angel Pombara Kameana, Oksana Bahrii-Zayats visited the radiotherapy department of the University Hospital of Santiago de Compostela, where she had the opportunity to familiarize herself with the work of the department of radiotherapy (digital linear accelerator Varian TrueBeam) and brachytherapy ( Ir-192) and monitor the provision of medical services to the population.

Oksana Bahrii-Zayats also got acquainted with the organization of scientific research work in the laboratory of radiation physics, which is a scientific division of the University of Santiago de Compostela, where services are provided to support scientific research works and technology transfer initiatives related to the detection and application of ionizing radiation. The platform has a bunker with an area of 60 m², which houses a gamma irradiator (Cobalt 60) and a linear accelerator (Varian TrueBeam). The main areas of activity are calibration services (approximately half of all radiotherapy devices in Spain are calibrated), irradiation and veterinary radiotherapy for any public or private user. In addition to the medical sector, the laboratory conducts tests of radiation resistance of equipment and devices in the aerospace sector.

With the technical specialist of the laboratory of radiation physics, Marta Feriya Horata.

Employees of the laboratory of radiation physics, technical director Diego Miguel González Castaño and specialist of the technical sector Marta Feria Horata demonstrated the software that makes it possible to improve the understanding of the subject by students, got acquainted with the bunker of the Clinac linear accelerator, in which experimental work and scientific research are carried out.

After the lecture in the classroom of the Faculty of Physics.

During the mobility program, lectures on the subject “Medical Physics and Dosimetry” were given to master’s students of the Faculty of Physics majoring in radiation physics and students of the Faculty of Optics and Optometry on the topics “Medical devices based on the action of ionizing radiation”, “Lasers in medicine”, “Optical devices”, and practical classes with students were also held within the scope of the topic “Dosimetry of ionizing radiation”. Students are fluent in English, thoroughly apply the methods of mathematical physics during classes, take an active interest in the topics of lectures and participate in the discussion of the material.

During the practical session.

Alonso III de Fonseca, Paso de Fonseca Gardens, University of Santiago de Compostela building dating back to the 16th century.

Invaluable experience gained during mobility will be a good companion in the education of students of I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University, will give impetus to new ideas for improving the methodology of classes.

I would like to express my deeepest appreciation to the administration and the department of international relations of Ternopil National Medical University, as well as the curator of Erasmus+ KA171 Teaching Staff mobility Isabel Barreiro and the professor of the Department of Nuclear Physics Faustino Gomez Rodríguez for the opportunity to be a participant in the program.

Associate Professor of the Department of Medical Physics of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Equipment Oksana Bahrii-Zayats.