Name: Alonso Gutierrez
Majors: BS ME and BS in Physics
Class of 2003
1) How and when did you first become interested in the biomedical
field as related to engineering and science?
I first became interested during a summer internship I attended at
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. Throughout the internship,
weekly seminars were given to the students on various topics of
engineering and applied physics. One of the seminars described how
protons were utilized to treat patients with specific types of cancer.
I immediately found this quite interesting and realized that my
passion for engineering and physics could be applied to improve the
diagnosis and treatment of people with illnesses. Ultimately, I
decided that this would be my career path, and I applied to graduate
school in this area of study.
2) Briefly describe your work.
My work focuses on the area of radiation oncology. Radiation oncology
is a specific field where various cancers are treated with radiation.
The goal is to deliver a high radiation dose to kill the tumor and
minimize the dose to the surrounding healthy tissues. My specific
research supports this goal by developing a technique which can be
used to treat abdominal and pelvic cancers. The technique consists of
a surgical operation to place a saline-filled bag that isolates the
tumor. The bag can be inflated to push away healthy tissue while the
radiation is being given to the tumor. This allows a large dose of
radiation to be delivered to the tumor while the adjacent, healthy
tissues are spared.
3) What are your ultimate career goals?
I will be finishing my Ph.D. in the coming year and will be taking a
position as a radiation oncology physicist in a radiation therapy
clinic, preferably in an academic/university teaching hospital. Long
term, I hope to become board certified by the American Board of
Radiology and continue to better the field by developing research and
implementing it in a clinical setting for the benefit of cancer
patients. I also aspire to have the opportunity to develop or further
develop the field of radiation oncology in Central American
countries.
4) How did your SMU Engineering education prepare you for your current
research and what you hope to do in the future?
The problem solving skills and critical thinking one learns at SMU in
engineering classes and labs are unmatched and last a lifetime. SMU
engineering courses teach students to use creativity and apply the
scientific method in problem solving. In research with any field of
study, a fundamental understanding of the scientific method and a
little creativity are vital components for success. SMU engineering
classes also promote the development of interpersonal skills through
student group projects and presentations. In research, collaboration
with other individuals is inevitable, and one must be able to work in
a group environment and clearly express one's ideas. SMU engineering
has provided me with a unique skill set that has given me success to
this date and continues to do so.
5) What advice would you give to a high school student related to
engineering and the biomedical field?
Engineering is a wonderful field of which to become a part because of
the many branches of study. Even within a certain branch of
engineering such as biomedical engineering, there exists a multitude
of areas with which one can become involved. As you start an
engineering program, enroll in an introductory course that will
provide you with a flavor of what is available. This will help you
narrow down where your interest lies. Once you obtain an interest for
a given area, become involved in that field either through research or
an internship.
