Skip to Main Content

INFORMATION FOR

    David J. Carlson, PhD, DABR, FASTRO, FAAPM

    Professor of Therapeutic Radiology
    DownloadHi-Res Photo

    Additional Titles

    Vice Chair for Physics, Therapeutic Radiology

    Director of Medical Physics, Therapeutic Radiology

    About

    Titles

    Professor of Therapeutic Radiology

    Vice Chair for Physics, Therapeutic Radiology; Director of Medical Physics, Therapeutic Radiology

    Biography

    Dr. Carlson serves as Professor, Vice Chair, & Director of Medical Physics in the Department of Therapeutic Radiology at the Yale School of Medicine and the Department of Radiation Oncology at Yale-New Haven Health. He is certified by the American Board of Radiology in Therapeutic Radiologic Physics. He completed his residency in Radiation Oncology Physics at Stanford University and received his PhD in Medical Physics from Purdue University. Dr. Carlson currently serves as Deputy Editor for the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, and Physics. He is a Fellow and past Member of the Board of Directors of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM). He is a Past Chair of the Science Education and Program Development committee of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO). He was elected as a Fellow of ASTRO in 2023 and currently serves as a Member of the Board of Directors of ASTRO as Vice Chair of Science Council. The goals of Dr. Carlson’s research are to improve radiation therapy outcomes for cancer patients by developing accurate models of treatment response and to advance our understanding of the underlying biophysical mechanisms that govern radiation response.

    Last Updated on October 22, 2025.

    Appointments

    Education & Training

    PhD
    Purdue University (2006)
    BA
    Middlebury College, Physics (2002)
    Resident
    Stanford University
    Intern
    Medical College of Wisconsin

    Board Certifications

    • Therapeutic Medical Physics

      Certification Organization
      American Board of Radiology
      Original Certification Date
      2009

    Research

    Overview

    Current and Past Research Supported by:

    Agency: National Institute of Health (NIH)

    ID #: 1R21EB026553-01A1 (PI: Liu, W.)
    Project: Tumor-targeted delivery and cell internalization of theranostic gadolinium nanoparticles for image-guided nanoparticle-enhanced radiation therapy
    Role: Co-investigator

    Agency: National Institute of Health (NIH)
    ID #: 3UM1CA186689 (PI: LoRusso, P.)
    Project: ViKTriY Early Clinical Trials Consortium
    Role: Co-investigator

    Agency: American Cancer Society (ACS)
    ID #: 128352-RSG-15-197-01-TBG (PI: Bindra, R.)
    Project: Pre-clinical development of Mibefradil as a novel glioma radiosensitizer
    Role: Co-investigator

    Agency: NIH/NIAID, The Dartmouth Physically-Based Biodosimetry Center for Medical Countermeasures Against Radiation (Dart-Dose CMCR) Pilot Program
    ID #: Pilot grant from U19AI1091173 (Swartz, H.)
    Grant Name: Comparing In Vivo biodosimetry with EPR to independent physical dosimetry methods
    Role: PI

    Agency: Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
    ID #: Subcontract #HHSO100201100024C from Dartmouth College
    Project Name
    :
    In Vivo biodosimetry using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy
    Role: PI

    Agency: Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center (YCC)
    Grant Name: Non-invasive imaging of tumor hypoxia in non-small cell lung cancer patients undergoing stereotactic body radiotherapy
    Role: PI

    Agency: American Cancer Society (ACS)
    ID #: IRG-58-012-52
    Grant Name: Modeling relative biological effectiveness and oxygen effects in x-ray, proton, and carbon ion radiotherapy
    Role: PI

    Medical Research Interests

    Biophysics; Cell Hypoxia; DNA Damage; Heavy Ion Radiotherapy; Lung Neoplasms; Physics; Prostatic Neoplasms; Radiation Oncology

    Research at a Glance

    Yale Co-Authors

    Frequent collaborators of David J. Carlson's published research.

    Publications

    Featured Publications

    2025

    • Recent innovations to foster personalized adaptive radiation therapy, Harms J, Cella L, Petersson K, Carlson DJ
      Harms J, Cella L, Petersson K, Carlson DJ, Int. J. Radiation. Oncol. Biol. Phys. 122: 528–531 (2025)
      Peer-Reviewed Original Research

    2024

    • Membership data from scientific and professional societies: An ally in the quest to improve the retention of women in medical physics and radiation oncology societies, Bertholet B, Carlson DJ, Aznar MC
      Bertholet B, Carlson DJ, Aznar MC Int. J. Radiation. Oncol. Biol. Phys. 119: 1344–1346 (2024)
      Peer-Reviewed Original Research
    • In vivo verification of electron paramagnetic resonance biodosimetry using patients undergoing radiotherapy treatment, Draeger E, Roberts K, Decker RD, Bahar N, Wilson LD, Contessa J, Husain Z, Williams BB, Flood AB, Swartz HM, Carlson DJ.
      Draeger E, Roberts K, Decker RD, Bahar N, Wilson LD, Contessa J, Husain Z, Williams BB, Flood AB, Swartz HM, Carlson DJ. , Int. J. Radiation. Oncol. Biol. Phys. 119: 292–301 (2024)
      Peer-Reviewed Original Research

    2022

    Academic Achievements & Community Involvement

    Activities

    • activity

      Medical Physics

    • activity

      Medical Physics

    • activity

      International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, and Physics

    • activity

      Radiation Research

    • activity

      Physics in Medicine and Biology

    Honors

    • honor

      Elected to Board of ASTRO as Science Council Vice Chair

    • honor

      Invited Participant to an International Workshop on “The Role of Oxygen in Radiation Therapy” at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

    • honor

      Fellow

    • honor

      Host of a Podcast for the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics on Advances in Particle Therapy

    • honor

      Appointed by the Faculty of Science to serve as an External Expert Referee for an Associate professorship in Medical Radiation Physics in the Department of Physics, Stockholm University

    Get In Touch

    Contacts

    Academic Office Number
    Mailing Address

    Yale School of Medicine

    PO Box 208040

    New Haven, CT 06520-8040

    United States

    Administrative Support

    Locations