Surdutovich studies how radiation damages DNA

Cancer is often treated using radiation. Visiting Assistant Professor Eugene Surdutovich, of the Department of Physics, studies how radiation interacts with DNA using a multidisciplinary approach; his research makes use of concepts from physics, chemistry, biology, and medicine. He published his most recent work on this topic in Physical Review E (Volume 82, Article Number 051915, 2010) “Shock Wave Initiated by an Ion Passing Through Liquid Water.” Surdutovich’s hypothesis is that when an energetic ion passes through tissue, it initiates a pressure wave that has a very high amplitude at very small distances from the ion track. The resulting shock wave propagates outward, and may damage any DNA molecules in its path. This hypothesis is new and has previously not been considered when studying the interaction of radiation with tissue, but Surdutovich believes that it may make “a very important contribution to the direct chemical effects of low-energy electrons and holes.”