Carolyn MacDonald

Carolyn MacDonald

Professor and Director, Center for X-ray Optics
Department of Physics
Center for X-ray Optics

Contact

Physics 223/Life Sciences 1145
518-772-4585
[email protected]
Education

PhD Harvard University (1986)

Assistant Professor, University at Albany (1986-1994)

Associate Director, Center for X-ray Optics (1991-2002)

Associate Professor, University at Albany (1994-1998)

Professor, University at Albany (1998-present)

Director, Center for X-ray Optics (2002-present)

Chair, Physics (2008-2014)

Carolyn Photo
About

Research Areas:

  • Medical imaging
  • Materials science
  • X-ray Optics

 

Current Research:

My current research is primarily involved with the development of x-ray technology, especially the application of crystal and polycapillary x-ray optics to a variety of applications, including medical imaging, therapy, and materials analysis. Areas of current investigation include the development of practical x-ray phase imaging and x-ray microfocus therapy.  Past projects include the use of polycapillary and curved crystal optics to produce monochromatic beams, the development of a "micro gamma camera" for nuclear medicine, and the development of convergent beam diffraction systems for protein and macromolecular crystallography. Current and past external funding exceeds $4M, primarily from NIH, NASA and the Breast Cancer Research Program.


 

 

Research Links:

https://www.albany.edu/x-ray-optics

 

Selected Recent Publications (of > 100):

 

  1. Shi L, Bennett NR, Nguyen E, MacDonald C, Wang A, Liu W. High resolution imaging with focused kV x-rays for small animal radio-neuromodulation. Med Phys. vol 50, #7, pp. 4459-65, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1002/mp.16413
 
  1. Weiyuan Sun, Uttam Pyakurel, Carolyn MacDonald, Jonathan Petruccelli, “Grating-free quantitative x-ray phase retrieval for x-ray phase imaging with conventional sources,” Biomed. Phys. Eng. Express 2022 8 055016 https://doi.org/10.1088/2057-1976/ac741d
 
  1. Uttam Pyakurel, Weiyuan Sun, Pikting Cheung, Desirée D’Moore, Xiaoyun Zhang, C.A. MacDonald, and Jonathan C. Petruccelli, “Phase and dark field imaging with mesh-based structured illumination and polycapillary optics Med. Phys. Volume48, Issue11 November 2021, Pages 6642-6657 https://doi.org/10.1002/mp.15247
 
  1. Huagang Yan, Weiyuan Sun, Prithvi Mruthyunjaya, Beth Beadle, Weihong Yu, Bushra Kanwal, Carolyn MacDonald, and Wu Liu, “Dosimetry Modeling of Focused kV X-ray Radiotherapy for Wet Age-related Macular Degeneration,” Med. Phys. 47 (10), pp. 5123-5134. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1002/mp.14404.
 
  1. Congxiao He, Weiyuan Sun, C. A. MacDonald, Jonathan C. Petruccelli, “The application of harmonic techniques to enhance resolution in mesh-based x-ray phase imaging,” JAP Vol.125, Issue 23, 2019, pp. 233101-1 to 233101-10, https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5094167.
 
  1. Huagang Yan, Xiangyu Ma, Weiyuan Sun, Stacy Mendez, Stefan Stryker, Sean Starr-Baier, Gianpiero Delliturri, Ravinder Nath, Zhe (Jay) Chen, Kenneth Roberts, Carolyn MacDonald, and Wu Liu, “Monte Carlo dosimetry modeling of focused kV x‐ray radiotherapy of eye diseases with potential nanoparticle dose enhancement,” Medical Physics 45 (10), 8/2018.
 
  1. C. A. MacDonald, invited review article, “Laboratory x-ray optics,” Annual Review of Materials Research, Volume 47, Novel Functionality Through Metamaterials, pp. 115-134, 2017.
 
  1. Sajjad Tahir, Sajid Bashir, Jonathan C. Petruccelli, C. A. MacDonald, “Mesh-Based Phase Contrast Fourier Transform Imaging ,” Optics Communications 389:103-109, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.optcom.2016.11.041.
 
  1. Laila Hassan, C. A. MacDonald, "Coherent scatter imaging Monte Carlo simulation," J. Med. Imag. 3(3), 033504 (2016), doi.org/10.1117/1.JMI.3.3.033504.
 
  1. Katie Kern, Lubna Peerzada, Laila Hassan, C.A. MacDonald, "Design for a coherent scatter imaging system compatible with screening mammography," J. Med. Imag. 3(3), 030501 (2016), doi: 10.1117/1.JMI.3.3.030501.
 
  1. Sajid Bashir, Sajjad Tahir, C.A. MacDonald, Jonathan C. Petruccelli, “Phase imaging using focused polycapillary optics,” Optics Communications 369 (2016) 28–37, https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.optcom.2016.02.017.
     
  2.  Tianxi Sun and C.A. MacDonald, “Monochromatic X-ray imaging using a combination of doubly curved crystal and  a polycapillary X-ray lens,” Journal of X-ray Science and Technology, 23, pp. 141-146, 2015, DOI: 10.3233/XST-150477
     
  3.  H. Abbas, D.N. Mahato, S. Satti, “Measurements and Simulations of Focused Beam for OrthovoltageTherapy,” Medical Physics, 2014.
  4. Sajjad Tahir, Sajid Bashir, Jonathan C. Petruccelli, Carolyn MacDonald, Fourier transform image processing techniques for grid-based phase imaging, Proc. SPIE 9209, Advances in Computational Methods for X-Ray Optics III, 920913 doi: 10.1117/12.2062889.
  5. Sajjad Tahir, Sajid Bashir, Jonathan C. Petruccelli, Carolyn MacDonald, Fourier transform image processing techniques for grid-based phase imaging, Proc. SPIE 9209, Advances in Computational Methods for X-Ray Optics III, 920913 doi: 10.1117/12.2062889.
  6. Sajid Bashir, Jonathan C. Petruccelli, Carolyn MacDonald, Phase imaging using polycapillary optics Proc. SPIE 9207, Advances in X-Ray/EUV Optics and Components IX, 92070X, doi:10.1117/12.2063229.
  7. Bushra Kanwal, Alexandru F. Petrescu, Tianxi Sun, Carolyn A. MacDonald, Modeling of a compound imaging system with a curved monochromator and polycapillary optics in Proc. SPIE 9209, Advances in Computational Methods for X-Ray Optics III, 92090O doi:10.1117/12.2063309
  8. Laila Hassan, Lubna Peerzada, Katie Kern, C. A. MacDonald, “Coherent scatter imaging simulation forscreening mammography,” in Penetrating Radiation Systems and Applications XIII, Proceedings of SPIE Volume: 8509, 2012.
  9. Tianxi Sun and C.A. MacDonald, “Full-field transmission x-ray imaging with confocal polycapillary x-ray optics,” Journal of Applied Physics, 113, pp. 053104-1 to 053104-4 (2013).
  10. M. Bass, C. DeCusatis, J Enoch, V. Lakshminarayanan, G. Li, C. MacDonald, V.N. Mahajan, E. VanStryland, eds., Handbook of Optics Third Ed., Volumes I-V, McGraw-Hill 2010.
     
 
Some Older Publications:

 

  1.  M. Bass, C. DeCusatis, J Enoch, V. Lakshminarayanan, G. Li, C. MacDonald, V.N. Mahajan, E. VanStryland, eds., Handbook of Optics Third Ed., Volumes I-V, McGraw-Hill 2010.
  2.  C.A. MacDonald, Focusing Polycapillary Optics and their Applications, X-Ray Optics and Instrumentation, special issue X-Ray Focusing: Techniques and Applications, Volume 2010 (2010), Article ID 867049, 17 pages, doi:10.1155/2010/867049.
  3. Wei Zhou, Dip Mahato, C.A. MacDonald, “Analysis of Powder X-Ray Diffraction Resolution Using Collimating and Focusing Polycapillary Optics,” Thin Solid Films 518 (18) July 2010, pp. 5047-5056.
  4. Ayhan Bingolbali and C.A. MacDonald, "Curved crystal x-ray optics for monochromatic imaging with a clinical source,” Med. Phys. Volume 36, Issue 4, pp. 1176-1183, 2009, doi: 10.1118/1.3083568.
  5.  N. Mail, C. MacDonald and W. M. Gibson, “Microscintigraphy with high resolution collimators and radiographic imaging detectors” Medical Physics 36 (2), pp. 645-655, 2009.
  6. 1Ayhan Bingolbali and C. A. MacDonald, “Quality assessment system for curved crystal X-ray optics," Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, Volume 267, Issue 5, March 2009, Pages 832-841.
  7.  Z. W. Chen, W. M. Gibson, N. Mail, C. A. MacDonald, “Total reflection x-ray fluorescence with low power sources coupled to doubly curved crystal optics,” Spectrochimica. Acta. B, 60 (4), pp.471-8, 2005.
  8.  F.R. Sugiro, Danhong Li, C.A. MacDonald, “Beam Collimation with Polycapillary X-ray Optics for High Contrast High Resolution Monochromatic Imaging,” Med. Phys., 31, p. 3288, 2004.
  9.  C.A. MacDonald and W.M. Gibson, “Applications and Advances In Polycapillary Optics”, X-ray Spectrometry, 32 (3), 2003, pp 258-268.
  10. C.A. MacDonald, W.M. Gibson, and W. Peppler, "X-Ray Optics for Better Diagnostic Imaging," Technology In Cancer Research And Treatment, 1, (2), April 2002, pp 111-118.
  11. F.A. Hofmann, W.M. Gibson, C.A. MacDonald, D.A. Carter, J.X. Ho, J.R. Ruble, "Polycapillary Optic - Source combinations for Protein Crystallography," Jour. Applied Crys. 34, pp.330-335, 2001.
  12.  C.A. MacDonald, S.M. Owens, and W.M. Gibson, "Polycapillary X-Ray Optics for Microdiffraction," Journal of Applied Crystallography, 32, pp160-7, 1999
  13.  B.K. Rath, W.M. Gibson, Lei Wang, B.E. Homan and C.A. MacDonald, “Measurement and Analysis of Radiation Effects in Polycapillary X-ray Optics,” Journal of Applied Physics, 83, no.12, pp. 7424-7435, June 15 1998
  14.  Lei Wang, B.K. Rath, W.M. Gibson, J.C. Kimball, C.A. MacDonald, "Performance Study of PolycapillaryOptic Performance for Hard X rays," Journal of Applied Physics, 80 (7), pp.3628-3638, October 1, 1996.
  15.  D.G. Kruger, C.C. Abreu, E.G. Hendee, A. Kocharian, W.W. Peppler, C.A. Mistretta, C.A. MacDonald, “Imaging Characteristics of X-Ray Capillary Optics in Mammography,” Medical Physics 23 (2), pp. 187-196, February 1996.
  16.  C.A. MacDonald, "Applications and Measurements of Polycapillary X-Ray Optics," Invited Paper, Journal of X-Ray Science and Technology, 6, pp. 32-47, 1996, PMID 21307511
  17. B. Rath, R. Youngman, C.A. MacDonald, "An Automated Test System for Measuring Polycapillary X-Ray Optics," Review of Scientific Instrumentation, 65, pp.3393-3398, Nov. 1994.
  18. J.B. Ullrich, W.M. Gibson, M.V. Gubarev, C.A. MacDonald, "Potential for Concentration of Synchrotron Beams with Capillary Optics," Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A 347, pp. 401-406, 1994.

  19.  C.A. MacDonald, A.M. Malvezzi, and F. Spaepen, "Picosecond Time-Resolved Measurements of Crystallization in Noble Metals," Journal of Applied Physics, 65, no. 1, 1988, pp. 129-136.

     

  20. Patents:
  21. X-ray Imaging System Employing Point-Focusing, Curved Monochromatic Optics, patent number 07583789, disclosed 2005, filed 2006, granted 2009.
  22. Wide field coherent scatter imaging for radiography using a divergent beam, disclosed 5/2003, application 0794.075filed 12/2006, revised 1/2007, 2/2009, 8/2009, allowed 10/2009.