Assistant Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology
University of Toronto
Medical Physicist at Princess Margaret Hospital
Harry Keller was born in St. Gallen, Switzerland. He graduated from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in 1991 with a master’s degree in Nuclear Physics, followed by a Ph.D. in Medical Physics at the ETH Zurich and Inselspital Berne. His research in radiation medicine focused on performing quality assurance of treatment delivery by using a radiation detector behind the patient. After completing his thesis in 1998, Harry received a grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and did his postdoctorate studies at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, USA. The research team he worked with invented TomoTherapy®, a novel radiation treatment system, which was later launched around the world.
Harry’s wife Patricia, who is also from Switzerland, did not join Harry in the USA because she had just completed her studies and started a new job in Zurich. When Harry’s postdoc position at the University of Wisconsin turned into a permanent position, Patricia eventually moved to the USA, hoping they would return to Switzerland one day. However, in 2002 Harry received a job offer from a renowned professor in Toronto, who works at Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH), one of the top five cancer centers in the world. Harry was invited to join a new research team as a medical physicist, and to teach in the department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Toronto. Although this came as a big surprise and in Patricia’s words, “as a complete shock”, they decided to move to Canada because it represented an excellent career opportunity for Harry.
In 2003, Harry started to work as a medical physicist at PMH. As a hospital physicist, his work consists of three main areas: clinical duties, research, and teaching. Harry’s current research focuses on the use of advanced imaging modalities, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron-emission tomography (PET) to determine if a radiation treatment is effective. Despite great successes in the treatment of cancer with radiation there are tumours which are not responding to the treatment as desired. By acquiring images early on in the treatment one wishes to identify such tumours. On the clinical side, Harry’s work comprises the review of radiation treatment plans and quality assurance of linear accelerators. This often involves performing extensive series of measurements. Furthermore, Harry teaches a graduate course about radiation physics and dosimetry (the measurement of radiation) for students at the Department of Medical Biophysics and for medical physics residents. He is also involved in a similar course at Ryerson University. Harry finds the work environment at the University Health Network inspiring, providing research opportunities which may not exist in Switzerland in his particular field.
The Kellers still live in Toronto and are now a family of five. Their first child, Alicia, was born in the USA, and their son Aidan and their second daughter Ava were born in Toronto.
Harry’s Contact information:
- Website:
www.dro.facmed.utoronto.ca/inab/fac/physicists/Keller__Harald.htm - Email: harald.keller@rmp.uhn.on.ca
A.E.B
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