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University of California San Francisco

Our Team

Benjamin Paul Ziemer, PhD

Assistant Professor Division of Physics
Department of Radiation Oncology

Triple science major, avid sunshine runner, Bill Murray enthusiast, Midwest born but thinks the West Coast is the best coast.

Meet Dr. Ziemer

We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained, … and used for the progress of all people.

Dr. Benjamin P. Ziemer received a BS in Chemistry, Math, and Physics from UW Madison. He went on to receive an MS and Ph.D. in Particle Physics from UC Irvine. His doctoral work was on the MINERvA experiment at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory developing the software simulation, specifically the particle tracking and energy reconstruction, and analysis of quasi-elastic final states. Changing career focus to medical physics, he did research on low-dose cardiac perfusion imaging and automated knowledge-based planning for stereotactic radiosurgery during post-doctoral positions at UC Irvine and UC San Diego, respectively. Dr. Benjamin Ziemer desires to bring the concepts of pattern recognition, knowledge-based automation, machine learning, and, in general, highly quantitative/statistical methods to radiation therapy in order to improve patient outcomes, reduce normal tissue complications and reduce both inter-and intra-clinic variations in cancer treatment. He believes in forming strong collaborations both within UCSF, across the UC Health System, and other external institutions to bring strong, dedicated minds together to study the collected vast, differentiated datasets to make progress in any one given individual’s struggle against cancer.
Education

Education

1998-2003 University of Wisconsin Madison BS Chemistry
1998-2003 University of Wisconsin Madison BS Mathematics
1998-2003 University of Wisconsin Madison BS Physics
2003-2006 University of California Irvine MS Experimental Particle Physics
2006=2012 University of California Irvine PhD Experimental Particle Physics
Professional Experience

Professional Experience

2019-present University of California, San Francisco Assistant Professor Radiation Oncology
2017-2019 University of California, San Francisco Therapeutic Medical Physics Residency Radiation Oncology
2016-2017 San Diego State University Adjunct Physics Professor  
2015-2017 University of California, San Diego Post Doctorate, Therapeutic Physics  
2013-2015 University of California, Irvine Post Doctorate, Imaging Physics  
2012-2013 University of California, Irvine Post Doctorate, Particle Physics  

Awards & Honors

2003 University of Wisconsin Madison Chinese Department Language Award
2006 University of California Irvine Master Degree Fellowship
2008 Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) Visiting Scholars Grant
2009 Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) Visiting Scholars Grant
2015 AAPM Best in Physics Imaging
Publications

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/1PWHapdbnRaANC/bibliography/public/

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Woxpyz0AAAAJ&hl=en

Recent Significant Publications

Vasant Kearney, Benjamin P Ziemer, Alan Perry, Tianqi Wang, Jason W Chan, Lijun Ma, Olivier Morin, Sue S Yom, Timothy D Solberg, Attention-Aware Discrimination for MR-to-CT Image Translation Using Cycle-Consistent Generative Adversarial Networks.Radiology: Artificial Intelligence 2020 2(2):e190027

Robert Kaderka, Robert C Mundt, Nan Li, Benjamin Ziemer, Victoria N Bry, Mariel Cornell, Kevin L Moore, Automated closed-and open-loop validation of knowledge-based planning routines across multiple disease sites. Practical Radiation Oncology 2019 9(4):257-265

Logan Hubbard, Jerry Lipinski, Benjamin Ziemer, Shant Malkasian, Bahman Sadeghi, Hanna Javan, Elliott M Groves, Brian Dertli, Sabee Molloi, Comprehensive assessment of coronary artery disease by using first-pass analysis dynamic CT perfusion: validation in a swine model. Radiology 2018 286(1):93-102

Benjamin P Ziemer, Satomi Shiraishi, Jona A Hattangadi-Gluth, Parag Sanghvi, Kevin Lawrence Moore, Fully automated, comprehensive knowledge-based planning for stereotactic radiosurgery: Preclinical validation through blinded physician review. Practical Radiation Oncology 2017 7(6):569-578

Benjamin P Ziemer, Parag Sanghvi, Jona Hattangadi‐Gluth, Kevin L Moore, Heuristic knowledge‐based planning for single‐isocenter stereotactic radiosurgery to multiple brain metastases. Medical Physics 2017 44(10):5001-5009

Logan Hubbard, Benjamin Ziemer, Jerry Lipinski, Bahman Sadeghi, Hanna Javan, Elliott M Groves, Shant Malkasian, Sabee Molloi, Functional assessment of coronary artery disease using whole-heart dynamic computed tomographic perfusion. Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging 2016 9(12):e005325

Benjamin P Ziemer, Logan Hubbard, Jerry Lipinski, Sabee Molloi, Dynamic CT perfusion measurement in a cardiac phantom. International Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging 2015 31(7):1451-1459

T Walton, M Betancourt,… BP Ziemer, Minerva Collaboration, Measurement of muon plus proton final states in muon neutrino interactions on hydrocarbon at average neutrino energy of 4.2 GeV. Physical Review D 2015 91(7):071301

DD Stancil, P Adamson…  BP Ziemer, Minerva Collaboration, Demonstration of communication using neutrinos. Modern Physics Letters A 2012 27(12):1250077

Anne-Marie L Nickel, Fazila Seker, Benjamin P Ziemer, Arthur B Ellis, Imprinted poly (acrylic acid) films on cadmium selenide. A composite sensor structure that couples selective amine binding with semiconductor substrate photoluminescence. Chemistry of Materials 2001 13(4):1391-1397

Redefining Possible