The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) has awarded Dr. Daniel Low, professor and vice chair of medical physics research and innovation in the department of radiation oncology at UCLA, with the 2026 Gold Medal, the organization’s highest honor. Low was selected for his outstanding contributions to the field of radiation oncology through research and professional service.
ASTRO is the leading professional organization dedicated to advancing radiation oncology through patient care, education, scientific research and advocacy. The Gold Medal is awarded to up to four members each year whose work has made a significant contribution to the field.
Low’s research focuses on improving the safety and accuracy of radiation therapy, with an emphasis on radiation therapy quality assurance, image-guided radiation therapy and modeling human breathing motion. His work aims to improve tumor imaging and treatment planning while minimizing radiation exposure to healthy tissue. More recently, Low has developed five-dimensional computed tomography, or 5DCT, to improve lung tumor imaging in patients with irregular breathing. In a study of 108 patients, the technique more accurately captured tumor size and motion than conventional 4DCT, potentially improving radiation treatment planning.
“It is a tremendous honor to receive the ASTRO Gold Medal, particularly because ASTRO has been such an important part of my career for more than three decades,” said Low, who is a member of the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. “I was introduced to ASTRO early in my academic career and was inspired by its commitment to research, education, patient care and advocacy, as well as its inclusion of medical physicists in the organization’s leadership. I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute to a field I care deeply about and to be recognized alongside so many outstanding medical physicists and radiation oncology professionals.”
Low will be recognized during the Awards Ceremony at the 2026 ASTRO Annual Meeting in Boston on Sept. 29.
