Dr. Kirkby completed a PhD in medical physics at the University of Alberta. This was followed by post-doctoral work and a residency in radiation oncology physics at the Cross Cancer Institute. In 2009 he moved to Lethbridge where he commissioned the radiation therapy facilities at the Jack Ady Cancer Centre (JACC). Currently, Dr. Kirkby is a senior medical physicist at the JACC, and the Director of the Graduate Program in Radiation Oncology Physics at the University of Calgary.
Kirkby, Charles
Medical Physics
Adjunct Professor
Biography
Area of Focus
- Prostate SBRT
- Lung SBRT and dosimetry
- Monte Carlo
- Medical Physics education
Summary of Research
Dr. Kirkby has a broad range of research interests relating to radiation therapy including Dose Adapted Personalized Ablative Radiotherapy (DAPAR), SBRT in lung and prostate, magnetic fields, nanoparticles, Monte Carlo methods and machine-learning applications. He has supervised or co-supervised multiple MSc and PhD students and teaches the statistics component of MDPH637.
Selected Recent Publications
- Paetkau, E. Tchistiakova, C. Kirkby, “Multi-omic feature reliability of deformable image registration-based images,” Biomed Phys Eng Express, 11 (3), 037005, (2025)
- Martell and C. Kirkby, “Dose Recommendations for PSMA PET Guided Boost Irradiation to Lymphatic Tissue in Prostate Adenocarcinoma, Clin Oncol, 38, 103730 (2025)
- Paetkau, H. Quon, J. Kwok, S. Weppler, W. Smith, E. Tchistiakova, C. Kirkby, “Dysphagia in head and neck radiotherapy: The Influence of Pharyngeal Constrictor Anatomy and Dosimetry,” Dysphagia, 40,77-87, (2025)
- Paetkau, S. Weppler, H. Quon, E. Tchistiakova, C. Kirkby, “Developing and validating multi-omics prediction models for late patient-reported dysphagia in head and neck radiotherapy,” Biomed Phys Eng Express, 10 (4), 045014, (2024)
- Paetkau, H. Quon, J. Kwok, S. Weppler, W. Smith, E. Tchistiakova, C. Kirkby, “Pharyngeal constrictor dose-volume histogram metrics and patient-reported dysphagia in head and neck radiotherapy,” Clin Oncol, 36 (3), 173-182, (2024)
- Sun, B. Burke, H. Quon, A. Swallow, C. Kirkby, W. Smith, “Do dosiomic features extracted from planned 3D dose distribution improve biochemical failure-free survival prediction: an analysis based on a large multi-institutional dataset?” Adv Radiat Oncol, 8 (5), 101227 (2023)
- Sun, W. Smith, C. Kirkby, “Stability of dosiomic features against variations in dose calculation: An analysis based on a cohort of prostate external beam radiotherapy patients,” J App Clin Med Phys, e13904 (2023)
- L. Sun, C. Kirkby, W. Smith, “External Beam Radiation Therapy Treatment Factors Prognostic of Biochemical Failure Free Survival: a Multi-institutional Retrospective Study for Prostate Cancer,” Radiother Oncol, 173, 109-118, (2022)
Area Of Focus
- Prostate SBRT
- Lung SBRT and dosimetry
- Monte Carlo
- Medical Physics education
Summary Of Research
Dr. Kirkby has a broad range of research interests relating to radiation therapy including Dose Adapted Personalized Ablative Radiotherapy (DAPAR), SBRT in lung and prostate, magnetic fields, nanoparticles, Monte Carlo methods and machine-learning applications. He has supervised or co-supervised multiple MSc and PhD students and teaches the statistics component of MDPH637.
Selected Recent Publications
- Paetkau, E. Tchistiakova, C. Kirkby, “Multi-omic feature reliability of deformable image registration-based images,” Biomed Phys Eng Express, 11 (3), 037005, (2025)
- Martell and C. Kirkby, “Dose Recommendations for PSMA PET Guided Boost Irradiation to Lymphatic Tissue in Prostate Adenocarcinoma, Clin Oncol, 38, 103730 (2025)
- Paetkau, H. Quon, J. Kwok, S. Weppler, W. Smith, E. Tchistiakova, C. Kirkby, “Dysphagia in head and neck radiotherapy: The Influence of Pharyngeal Constrictor Anatomy and Dosimetry,” Dysphagia, 40,77-87, (2025)
- Paetkau, S. Weppler, H. Quon, E. Tchistiakova, C. Kirkby, “Developing and validating multi-omics prediction models for late patient-reported dysphagia in head and neck radiotherapy,” Biomed Phys Eng Express, 10 (4), 045014, (2024)
- Paetkau, H. Quon, J. Kwok, S. Weppler, W. Smith, E. Tchistiakova, C. Kirkby, “Pharyngeal constrictor dose-volume histogram metrics and patient-reported dysphagia in head and neck radiotherapy,” Clin Oncol, 36 (3), 173-182, (2024)
- Sun, B. Burke, H. Quon, A. Swallow, C. Kirkby, W. Smith, “Do dosiomic features extracted from planned 3D dose distribution improve biochemical failure-free survival prediction: an analysis based on a large multi-institutional dataset?” Adv Radiat Oncol, 8 (5), 101227 (2023)
- Sun, W. Smith, C. Kirkby, “Stability of dosiomic features against variations in dose calculation: An analysis based on a cohort of prostate external beam radiotherapy patients,” J App Clin Med Phys, e13904 (2023)
- L. Sun, C. Kirkby, W. Smith, “External Beam Radiation Therapy Treatment Factors Prognostic of Biochemical Failure Free Survival: a Multi-institutional Retrospective Study for Prostate Cancer,” Radiother Oncol, 173, 109-118, (2022)