Dr. Michael McNitt-Gray is a distinguished leader in medical physics and radiological sciences with profound expertise in diagnostic imaging technologies. He currently serves as Professor of Radiological Sciences at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, where he also holds the position of Director for the Biomedical Physics Graduate Program, a CAMPEP-accredited program he has led since 2004. His educational foundation includes a BS in Electrical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis (1979) and an MS in Electrical Engineering from Carnegie-Mellon University (1980), followed by seven years of industry experience before returning to academia. Dr. McNitt-Gray earned his PhD in Biomedical Physics from UCLA in 1993 and has established himself as a premier authority in medical imaging physics, recently expanding his leadership responsibilities as Assistant Vice Chancellor of Research, Radiation Safety at UCLA.
Dr. McNitt-Gray's research has fundamentally advanced the field of X-ray Computed Tomography through pioneering investigations into radiation dose estimation and image quality assessment over the past two decades. His contributions to the American Association of Physicists in Medicine Task Group Report 204 were instrumental in developing the Size Specific Dose Estimate (SSDE), a critical metric now widely adopted for patient dose assessment in CT imaging. His extensive work on quantitative imaging biomarkers has directly influenced clinical trial methodologies, particularly through his significant role in establishing the Lung Image Database Consortium (LIDC) and Image Database Resource Initiative (IDRI), which created the definitive reference database of lung nodules on CT scans used globally by researchers. His methodological innovations in Monte Carlo simulation techniques for dose estimation and standards development for quantitative imaging have become essential resources for advancing precision medicine applications in radiology.
Beyond his technical contributions, Dr. McNitt-Gray maintains influential leadership positions that shape the future direction of medical imaging, serving on the ICRU Committee on Image Quality and Patient Dose in Computed Tomography and the ACR CT Accreditation Program Physics Subcommittee. His active participation in the RSNA's Quantitative Imaging Biomarkers Alliance (QIBA) demonstrates his commitment to standardizing imaging protocols across institutions to ensure reliable quantitative data extraction for clinical decision-making. As a dedicated mentor and educator, he has trained generations of medical physicists through UCLA's graduate program while maintaining ABR certification in Diagnostic Medical Physics since 1998. Current research directions focus on optimizing radiation dose reduction methods in CT while preserving quantitative imaging capabilities essential for cancer detection, diagnosis, and treatment monitoring, ensuring his continued impact on patient care through scientifically rigorous imaging protocols.
