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PHYC41050

Academic Year 2026/2027

Radiobiology & Ethics (PHYC41050)

Subject:
Physics
College:
Science
School:
Physics
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Sean Cournane
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
Blended
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module is designed to provide an introduction to a number of topics including radiobiology, professionalism, leadership and ethics, all of which are relevant to the area of medical physics. The radiobiology section details the principles of radiation interaction with biological cells, the possibility of tissue injuries and their subsequent mechanisms of repair. The lectures provide insight into the kinetics of biological cells and how this knowledge and modelling may be used for improved therapeutic techniques. The professionalism section provides an overview of the professional expectations of a medical physicist, while the topic of effective leadership is discussed. Finally, ethical issues encountered for healthcare professionals, researchers and academics are reviewed.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module, students should have acquired an understanding of the principles of radiobiology and its importance in the areas of diagnostic imaging and radiation oncology physics. The student should also have acquired an appreciation of the professional issues encountered in the role of the medical physicist, the importance of effective leadership and also the ethics considerations in the profession.

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

24
Specified Learning Activities

48
Autonomous Student Learning

48
Total

120

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
The module will combine lectures, group work and reflective / case-based learning. Students will be required to work in small groups for the radiobiology assignment. Students will be expected to actively participate in case-based learning workshops and will also be required to present the Ethics and Professionalism assignments in groups. The radiobiology component of the module will also be assessed with an end-of term exam.

AI Usage:

Students may use generative AI tools for limited support in this module. Students may use AI for planning and researching their work, assisting with their presentations, refining the language of text they alone have authored or debugging their own code, but not to generate text, interpret results (including experimental data, simulations), solve assigned problems, generate presentations, formulate scientific conclusions or write the code required for computational assignments. Students remain fully responsible for the accuracy and reliability of their learning, and should be able to demonstrate their understanding of the work submitted during discussions with staff. Specifically, students are expected to be able to answer questions and explain and justify the theory, procedures, analysis and conclusions provided in their assignments and projects, as well as the structure and workings of any code used. For any assignment/presentation/project, students must include a statement that they had adhered to this AI usage statement, which is based on UCD guidelines, citing any AI tools used and (if requested) the prompts submitted.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade Component repeat (in-module) Offered
Exam (In-person): End of trimester exam. In-person exam at the exam centre. End of trimester
Duration:
2 hr(s)
 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
50
 No
Group Work Assignment: Group presentation on the role of the current and future role of the Medical Physicist. Week 10 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
20
 No
Group Work Assignment: Group presentation and discussion on Research Ethics Applications. Week 12 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
20
 No
Report(s): Report on the analysis of colony formation assay and LQ survival analysis in Radiobiology. Week 6 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
10
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer Yes - 2 Hour
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

Name Role
Dr Irene Hernandez Giron Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Assoc Professor Luis Leon Vintro Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Brendan McClean Lecturer / Co-Lecturer

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Tues 11:00 - 11:50
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Wed 10:00 - 11:50
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