Geoff Nelson

Geoff Nelson, PhD, DABR

Languages spoken: Russian, English, Ukrainian

Academic Information

Departments Primary - Radiation Oncology

Academic Office Information

geoff.nelson@hci.utah.edu

Board Certification

  • American Board of Radiology (Therapeutic Medical Physics)

Geoff Nelson, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Utah. He specializes in imaging, automation, and brachytherapy. He received his BS in Biomedical Physics from California State University Fresno and his Masters and Doctorate in Bioengineering from Stanford University. He completed his clinical residency in Medical Physics in 2015 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He worked as the Lead Physicist at Overlake Hospital in Bellevue, Washington before joining the medical physics team at the Huntsman Cancer Institute in May of 2017.

Education History

Undergraduate California State University, Fresno
 BS
Graduate Training Stanford University
 MS
Doctoral Training Stanford University
 PhD
Residency University of Wisconsin¿Madison
 Resident

Selected Publications

Journal Article

  1. Zhao H, Nelson N, Streitmatter S, Nordin B, Martin T, Price RG, Kunz JN, Bhagroo S, Huang YJ, Nelson (2025). Correlation between exposure (mAs) and image quality for a rapid cone-beam CT on a ring gantry linear accelerator. Journal of applied clinical medical physics, 26(12), e70374.
  2. Nelson N, Oare C, Nelson G, Martin T, Huang J, Zhao (2025). Feasibility of HyperSight CBCT for adaptive radiation therapy: A phantom benchmark study of dose calculation accuracy and delivery verification on the Halcyon. Journal of applied clinical medical physics, 26(9), e70245.
  3. Zhao H, Nelson G, Sarkar V, Oare C, Szegedi M, James SS, Kunz J, Price R, Huang Y (2024). Comprehensive Image Quality Evaluation and Motion Phantom Studies of an Ultra-Fast (6-Second) Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Imaging System on a Ring Gantry Linear Accelerator. Advances in radiation oncology, 10(2), 101681.
  4. Nelson G, Sarkar V, Szegedi M, Molineu A, Olch AJ, Kunz JN, Zhao H, Huang YJ, Pillai S, Rassiah (2024). Validation of Acuros for total body irradiation at extended distance. Journal of applied clinical medical physics, 25(9), e14468.
  5. Dial C, Nelson G, Sarkar V, Paxton A, Price R, Salter (2024). Automation framework for online review of daily dose distributions using CT on Rails in proton therapy. Physica medica, 123, 103379.
  6. Huang YJ, DeCesaris CM, Sarkar V, Zhao H, Kunz J, Nelson G, Li X, Suneja G, Burt LM, Gaffney D (2024). Image-guided preplanning workflow for high-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy for gynecological malignancies. Brachytherapy, 23(1), 25-34.
  7. Fenlon JB, Nelson G, Teague KM, Coleman S, Shrieve D, Tward (2024). A Dosimetric Correlation Between Radiation Dose to Bone and Reduction of Hemoglobin Levels After Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer. International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics, 118(1), 85-93.
  8. Kunz J, Sarkar V, Paxton AB, Bhagroo S, Nelson G, Salter (2023). Characterization of an Onboard Transmission Detector for Efficient Linear Accelerator Output Quality Assurance. Cureus, 15(11), e48742.
  9. Price RG, Lloyd S, Wang X, Haaland B, Nelson G, Salter (2023). Adipose Tissue Distribution and Body Mass Index (BMI) Correlation With Daily Image-Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT) Shifts of Abdominal Radiation Therapy Patients. Cureus, 15(6), e40979.
  10. Li X, Su FC, Sarkar V, Zhao H, Ibanez S, Kunz JN, Nelson G, Jessica Huang (2022). Impact of detector selection on commissioning of Leipzig surface applicators with improving immobilization in high-dose-rate brachytherapy. Brachytherapy, 21(4), 511-519.
  11. Hutten RJ, Nelson G, Sarkar V, Johnson SB, Tao R, Hitchcock Y, Chan J, Schroeder J, Kokeny (2022). Feasibility and clinical utility of a workflow interfacing radiation oncology lung stereotactic body radiotherapy treatment planning and diagnostic radiology. Practical radiation oncology, 12(6), e512-e516.
  12. Dial C, Sarkar V, Nelson G, Paxton A, Salter (2022). Technical note: A method for generating lesion-specific nonuniform rotational margins for targets remote from isocenter. Medical physics, 49(12), 7438-7446.
  13. Geoff Nelson, Adam Paxton, Jeremy Kunz, Jessica Huang, Martin Szegedi, Vikren Sarkar, Bill Salter (2021). FMEA occurrence values for four failure modes occurring using look-up tables for dose calculations. J Appl Clin Med Phys, 22(2), 9-12.
  14. Vikren Sarkar, Martin Szegedi, Adam Paxton, Geoff Nelson, Prema Rassiah'Szegedi, Chakravarthy B Reddy, Randa Tao, Ying J Hitchcock, Kristine E Kokeny, Bill J Salter (2020). Preliminary clinical experience with Calypso anchored beacons for tumor tracking in lung SBRT. Med Phys.
  15. Prema Rassiah, Fan'Chi Frances Su, Y Jessica Huang, Dan Spitznagel, Vikren Sarkar, Martin W Szegedi, Hui Zhao, Adam B Paxton, Geoff Nelson, Bill J Salter (2020). Utilization of Failure Mode Effect Analysis (FMEA) to generate an initial plan check checklist. J Appl Clin Med Phys, 21(8), 83-91.
  16. Adam B Paxton, Vikren Sarkar, Jeremy N Kunz, Martin Szegedi, Hui Zhao, Y Jessica Huang, Geoff Nelson, Prema Rassiah, Fan-Chi Frances Su, Bill J Salter (2020). Evaluation of the effects of implementing a diode transmission device into the clinical workflow. Phys Med, 80, 335-341.
  17. Geoff Nelson, Vadim Pigrish, Vikren Sarkar, Fan'Chi Su, Bill Salter (2019). The use of DirectDensity TM and dual'energy CT in the radiation oncology clinic. J Appl Clin Med Phys, 20(3), 125-131.
  18. Vikren Sarkar, Adam Paxton, Jeremy Kunz, Martin Szegedi, Geoff Nelson, Prema Rassiah'Szegedi, Hui Zhao, Y Jessica Huang, Frances Su, Bill J Salter (2019). A systematic evaluation of the error detection abilities of a new diode transmission detector. J Appl Clin Med Phys, 20(9), 122-132.
  19. Sarkar V, Paxton A, Szegedi MW, Zhao H, Huang L, Nelson G, Huang YH, Su F, Rassiah P, Salter B (2018). An evaluation of the consistency of shifts reported by three different systems for non-coplanar treatments. J Radiosurg SBRT, 5(4), 323-330.
  20. Lee A S, Tang C, Hong W X, Park S, Bazalova M, Nelson G, Sanchez-Freire V, Bakerman I, Zhang W, Neofytou E, Connolly A J, Chan C K, Graves E E, Weissman I L, Nguyen P K and Wu J C (06/12/2017). External Beam Radiation Therapy for the Treatment of Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Teratomas. Stem Cells.
  21. Nelson G, Wu M, Hinkel C, Krishna G, Funk T, Rosenberg J, Fahrig R (2016). Improved targeting accuracy of lung tumor biopsies with scanning-beam digital x-ray tomosynthesis image guidance. Med Phys, 43(12), 6282.
  22. Bazalova M, Nelson G, Noll JM, Graves EE (2014). Modality comparison for small animal radiotherapy: a simulation study. Med Phys, 41(1), 011710.
  23. Nelson GS, Perez J, Colomer MV, Ali R, Graves (2014). Facilitating Multimodal Preclinical Imaging Studies in Mice by Using an Immobilization Bed. 64(3), 170.
  24. Nelson G, Yoon S, Krishna G, Wilfley B, Fahrig R (2013). Patient dose simulations for scanning-beam digital x-ray tomosynthesis of the lungs. Med Phys, 40(11), 111917.
  25. Nelson GS, Perez J, Vilalta M, Ali R, Graves E (2011). Facilitating multimodal preclinical imaging studies in mice by using an immobilization bed. Comp Med, 61(6), 499-504.
  26. Zhou H, Rodriguez M, van den Haak F, Nelson G, Jogani R, Xu J, Zhu X, Xian Y, Tran PT, Felsher DW, Keall PJ, Graves EE (2010). Development of a micro-computed tomography-based image-guided conformal radiotherapy system for small animals. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys, 78(1), 297-305.

Review

  1. Poppe MM, Tai A, Li XA, Miften M, Olch A, Marks LB, Qureshi BM, Spunt SL, Shnorhavorian M, Nelson G, Ronckers C, Kalapurakal J, Marples B, Constine LS, Liu A (2024). Kidney Disease in Childhood Cancer Survivors Treated With Radiation Therapy: A PENTEC Comprehensive Review. International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics, 119(2), 560-574.

Case Report

  1. Martin T, Nelson G, Gaffney D, Dial C, Szegedi M, Rassiah (2025). Modified total skin electron treatment for a paraplegic patient. Journal of applied clinical medical physics, 26(7), e70162.