Thomas L. Morgan Retires

May 09 2018

The APAM Department's Medical Physics program presented Professor Thomas L. Morgan with a plaque in appreciation of his contributions to the program over the past five years.

Dr. Morgan, who has a Ph.D. in Radiological Sciences from the University of California, Irvine, taught Heath Physics and Heath Physics Practicum in the Medical Physics program while also serving as the Chief Radiation Safety Officer and Executive Director of Environmental Health & Safety at Columbia University.

Prof. Morgan will be retiring from the University in June to pursue other interests. The APAM Department thanks Prof. Morgan and wishes him great success in his future endeavors.

Photo (left-right): Thomas Morgan and C.S. Wuu

Photo (left-right): Thomas Morgan and C.S. Wuu

The APAM Department's Medical Physics program presented Professor Thomas L. Morgan with a plaque in appreciation of his contributions to the program over the past five years.

Research Specialty

Executive Director, Radiation Safety Programs and Chief Radiation Safety Officer, Columbia University, NewYork Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center and New York State Psychiatric Institute

Education

B.S. Biology, University of California, Irvine, 1975

B.A., Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, 1976

M.S., Radiological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, 1979

Ph.D., Radiological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, 1983

Biography

Dr. Morgan has more than 20 years of experience in operational health physics. As a graduate student he was licensed by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission as a Senior Nuclear Reactor Operator for the TRIGA Reactor at University of California, Irvine. Trained as a radiation biologist, Dr. Morgan has conducted biomedical research in radiation biology, human cancer genetics, clinical radiation oncology and health physics. He has also taught Principles of Radiation Biology to radiation oncology residents and radiation therapy technologists in training.

In 1994 Dr. Morgan was appointed Radiation Safety Officer of a large community teaching hospital in Los Angeles. In 2000, he was hired as the Radiation Safety Officer of a company that manufactured and distributed radioactive source. In this position he was responsible for employee health and safety in a manufacturing operation that handled thousands of curies of radioactivity each year.

In 2003 Dr. Morgan moved to the University of Rochester where he was hired as the Radiation Safety officer for a research university and associated medical school and Level I trauma facility. In 2011 he was named Executive Director of Radiation Safety Programs and Chief Radiation Safety Officer for Columbia University, including Barnard College, NewYork Presbyterian and Allen Hospitals, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (Palisades, NY) and Nevis Laboratories (Irvington, NY).

Certificates and Licenses

  • Certified Health Physicist, American Board of Health Physics (2005-present)
  • Licensed Medical Physicist (Medical Health Physics), New York Education Department (2003-present)
  • Senior Nuclear Reactor Operator, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (1979-1983)

Professional Experience

Columbia University, New York, NY

·      Executive Director, Radiation Safety Program/Chief Radiation Safety Officer (2011-present)

·      Adjunct Professor, Applied Physics, Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics (2013-present)

University of Rochester, Rochester, NY

·      Radiation Safety Officer (2003-2010)

Eckert & Ziegler Isotope Products Laboratories, Valencia, CA

·      Director of Health Physics and Radiation Safety Officer (2000-2003)

Southern California Permanente Medical Group, Department of Radiation Oncology, Los Angeles, CA

·      Radiation Biologist (1991-2000)

·      Radiation Safety Officer (1994-2000)

California State University, Long Beach, Health Sciences Department, Long Beach, CA

·      Adjunct Professor, Radiation Therapy Option (1992-2000)

Battelle, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Department of Biology and Chemistry, Richland, WA

·      Senior Research Scientist II (1989-1991)

·      Postdoctoral Fellow (1986-1988)

Michigan State University, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Carcinogenesis Laboratory, E. Lansing, MI

·      Postdoctoral Fellow (1983-1986)

University of California, Irvine, Department of Chemistry, TRIGA Nuclear Reactor Facility

·      Senior Nuclear Reactor Operator (1979-1983)

Select Publications

1.    E. Martin, M. Prasarn, E. Coyne, B. Giordano, T. Morgan, P-L. Westessen, J. Wright and G. Rechtine. J. Spinal Cord Med. 36: 112-117 (2013).

2.    T.L. Morgan. Quality Assurance for PET and PET/CT Systems.  Book review of IAEA Human Health Series No. 1. Health Phys. 103: 810-811 (2012).

3.    E. Martin, M. Prasarn, E. Coyne, B. Giordano, T Morgan, P-L. Westessen, J. Wright, and G.R. Rechtine.  Analysis of Radiation Exposure to the Orthopaedic Trauma Patients During Their Inpatient Hospitalization.  Injury 43: 757-761 (2012).

4.    B.D. Giordano, J.N. Grauer, C.P Miller, T.L. Morgan, and G.R. Rechtine II. Radiation Exposure Issues in Orthopedics.  J Bone Joint Surg Am. 93: e69(1-10) (2011).

5.    G.R. Rechtine II and T.L. Morgan.  Comments on Radiation Exposure from Musculoskeletal Computerized Tomography Scans.  Invited web commentary.  J. Bone Joint Surg., 91A (Dec 2009).

6.    B.D. Giordano, G.R Rechtine II, T.L. Morgan, and J.F. Baumhauer.  Cervical Spine Imaging Using Mini C-Arm Fluoroscopy: Patient and Surgeon Exposure to Direct and Scatter Radiation. J. Spinal. Disord. Tech. 22: 399-403 (2009).

7.    B.D. Giordano, J.F. Baumhauer, T.L. Morgan, and G.R. Rechtine II.  Patient and Surgeon Radiation Exposure: Comparison of Standard and Mini-C-Arm Fluoroscopy.  J. Bone & Joint Surgery 91: 297-304(2009).

8.    B.D. Giordano, G.R. Rechtine II, T.L. Morgan.  Minimally invasive surgery and radiation exposure (letter to the editor).  J. Neurosurg: Spine 11: 375-376(2009).

9.    B.D. Giordano, J.F. Baumhauer, T.L. Morgan, and G.R Rechtine II.  Cervical Spine Imaging Using C-Arm Fluoroscopy: Surgeon Exposure to Direct and Scatter Radiation. Spine 33: 1970-1976 (2008).

10. R.M. Yang, T. Morgan, and G.C. Bellman.  Radiation Protection During Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy: A New Urologic Surgery Radiation Shield. J. Endourology 16: 727-731 (2004).

11. S. Iganej, R. Kagan, P. Anderson, A. Rao, M. Tome, R. Wang, M. Dowlatshahi, H. Cosmatos, and T. Morgan.  Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the neck from an unknown primary: management options and patterns of relapse.  Head & Neck 24: 236-246 (2002).

12. M. Dowlatshahi, S. Iganej, A. Ciabatone, A. Peddada, M. Miller, M. Tome, A. Rao, M. Ryoo, G. Becker, M. McNicoll, T. Morgan, J. Ryoo and R. Kagan.  Uninterrupted moderately accelerated radiotherapy in the treatment of unresectable/advanced head and neck cancer: one institution’s experience and a comparative analysis. Am. J. Clin. Oncol. 23: 149-154 (2000).

13. T.L. Morgan. Radiation safety aspects of emergency surgery on patients containing high levels of radioactive materials.  RSO Magazine 5: 19-22 (2000).

14. T.L. Morgan.  Elements of an Effective Radiation Safety Program.  RSO Magazine 5: 20-21 (2000).

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