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Benjamin Paul Ziemer, Ph.D.Assistant Professor
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Professional Focus
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.
Dr. Ziemer particular focus is on stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and central nervous system cancers. He has studied and published upon knowledge-based machine learning techniques to improve radiation treatment plan quality, in terms of both quantitative plan metrics and overall physician preference, for patients with brain metastases. He has presented similar work at conferences on spinal cord/column cancers. In addition, he is researching on how improved quality and precision of radiation therapy can be quantified into better tumor control and less adverse treatment effects for patients with brain and spinal cancers.
Last but not least, Dr. Ziemer understands that a large role in a medical physicist’s position is to provide support in the Radiation Oncology Department. Together with administrative staff, nursing staff, dosimetrists, radiation technologists and radiation oncologists, we can provide the best treatment experience and overall care to patients at UCSF.
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
| 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 |
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