Background
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is organizing the International Symposium on Standards, Applications and Quality Assurance in Medical Radiation Dosimetry (IDOS 2026), building on the successes of previous symposia since 1987.
Through its human health programme, the IAEA has enhanced the capabilities of its Member States to prevent, diagnose and treat health problems by developing and applying nuclear techniques – all within a quality assurance framework. As countries around the world expand their use of ionizing radiation, accurate measurements in radiation dosimetry are vital for safety and effectiveness across medical and industrial applications. Primary standards dosimetry laboratories and secondary standards dosimetry laboratories ensure the traceability of measurements to the International System of Units (SI). In conjunction with the standards developed by these laboratories, dosimetry codes of practice (or protocols) are used to further ensure traceability and to optimize the application of ionizing radiation in medicine. The harmonization of dosimetry protocols is equally important, especially for collaborative multi-centre studies or clinical trials.
Recent technical developments in imaging and radiotherapy affect dosimetry standards, audits and quality assurance (QA) guidance in the fields of external radiotherapy, brachytherapy, radiopharmaceutical therapy, nuclear medicine, diagnostic radiology, and radiation protection in medicine. Computational methods, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and Monte Carlo, are increasingly contributing to many aspects of radiation medicine – adding to the complexity of available tools and the associated requirements. In light of these innovations, there is a need for a scientific exchange at the international level to comprehensively review the status of dosimetry and medical dosimetry applications.
Purpose and Objectives
The symposium will provide an international forum to discuss and disseminate the latest advances in radiation dosimetry for medical application of ionizing radiation, radiation protection and associated standards. By covering all medical specialities that utilize ionizing radiation, the symposium will specifically focus on the fields in which dosimetry standardization is essential: radiotherapy, diagnostic and interventional radiology, radiopharmaceutical therapy and nuclear medicine. Moreover, the symposium will address cross-cutting topics such as artificial intelligence-based dosimetry methods, uncertainty of measurements, and dosimetry audits; outline future trends; and identify areas for improvement. Its proceedings and conclusions will help to provide relevant recommendations for the medical and scientific community.
Target Audience
This symposium will be of interest to medical physicists, radiation metrologists and other scientists and researchers working in radiation dosimetry with responsibilities in radiation metrology, external beam radiotherapy (including proton and light ion beam therapy), brachytherapy, diagnostic and interventional radiology, nuclear medicine (including radiopharmaceutical therapy), and radiation protection dosimetry.
The IAEA welcomes and encourages the participation of women, early career professionals and individuals from developing countries.
Expected Outcomes
The symposium will serve as an opportunity for scientists in medical institutions, research centres, universities and standards laboratories to review the latest developments covering the entire dosimetry chain.
It is expected that selected papers will be published in a book of extended abstracts (published through the conference webpage) and slim proceedings (IAEA publication) with the possibility of selected open-source full papers collected on a repository referenceable from the proceedings.
