Education
- Ph.D., Nuclear and Radiological Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2014
- M.S., Nuclear and Radiological Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009
- Education Abroad Program, University of California – Berkeley, 2005
- B.S., Physics, University of British Columbia, Canada, 2006
Background
Dr. Shaheen A. Dewji (she/her/hers) is an Assistant Professor in the Nuclear & Radiological Engineering and Medical Physics Programs at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where she oversees the Radiological Engineering, Detection, and Dosimetry (RED²) research group. Dewji joined Georgia Tech following three years as faculty at Texas A&M University in the Department of Nuclear Engineering, and as a Faculty Fellow of the Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy Initiatives (NSSPI).
In her prior role at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Dewji was Radiological Scientist in the Center for Radiation Protection Knowledge, where her work included assessment of patient release criteria for nuclear medicine patients, as well as development of dose coefficients associated with the external exposure and internal uptake of radionuclides associated with the external exposure and internal uptake of radionuclides in applications of emergency response, defense, nuclear medicine, long duration space travel, and occupational/public safety. Prior, Dr. Dewji spent five productive years with the Safeguards and Security Technology Group at ORNL as a Nondestructive Assay Systems Engineer, focusing on nuclear material measurement of uranium enrichment, holdup (MUF/ID), and signature analysis. Dr. Dewji completed her Masters and Ph.D. degrees in Nuclear and Radiological Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, GA and was a fellow of the Sam Nunn Security Program. As a native of Vancouver, Canada, she received her Bachelor of Science in Physics from the University of British Columbia and also participated in the UBC Science Co-op Program and the Go Global/Education Abroad Program with the Department of Nuclear Engineering at the University of California Berkeley as part of her undergraduate studies.
Dewji currently serves on the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine – Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board.
Research Thrusts
Thrust Area 1 - Computational Dosimetry: Research activities include the development of dose coefficients using age/sex-specific anthropomorphic computational phantoms and radionuclide biokinetic models for occupational nuclear workers, members of the public, nuclear medicine, space, defense, and emergency response.
Thrust Area 2 - Radiation Detection: Research activities include the employment of validation and verification of gamma-ray spectroscopic detector responses for contaminated environmental media for environmental assessment and decommissioning; field triage assessment of radiation uptake during nuclear, radiological, and fission product release events; and nuclear materials control, accounting, and safeguards of special nuclear material.
Thrust Area 3 - Nuclear Safety, Security & Nonproliferation Policy, and Nuclear Knowledge Management: Research activities include evaluation of nuclear safety, security, and nonproliferation policy, including low dose regulation, nuclear safeguards and nonproliferation, emergency response, nuclear forensics, and nuclear knowledge management.
Awards and Distinctions:
- National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine – Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board (2020-2023)
- Health Physics Society – Elda E. Anderson Award (2018)
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory – Environmental Sciences Division – Science Serving Society (2016)
- Georgia Institute of Technology, Division of Professional Practice Graduate Student of the Year (2012)
- Roy G. Post Foundation Scholarship (2012)
- Institute of Nuclear Materials Management – Robert J. Sorenson Memorial Scholarship (2009)
- Sam Nunn Security Program, Georgia Institute of Technology (2008-2009)
- Science Applications International Corporation Fellow, Georgia Institute of Technology (2008-2009)
- Health Physics Society – Richard J. Burk Jr. Fellowship (2007-2008)
- University of British Columbia – Undergraduate Scholar Program Scholarship (2000-2001)
- Governor General of Canada – Bronze Medal for Academic Excellence (2000)
Representative Publications
- ROSENSTROM, E. ASANO, K. GRIFFIN, C. LEE, D. HOOPER, S. DEWJI, “Dose Coefficient Simulation for Use in Dosimetry Assessment of Fission-Based Weapon”. Radiation Research. Published Ahead of Print. July (2021) DOI: 10.1667/RADE-21-00012.1.
- SIVABHASKAR, A. E. PERRY, S. A. DEWJI, “Comparison of Neutron Organ and Effective Dose Coefficients for PIMAL Stylized Phantom in Bent Postures in Cranial and Caudal Irradiation Geometries”. Health Physics Journal. 120(5):559-572, May (2021) DOI: 10.1097/HP.0000000000001382.
- SCHWARZ, W. GODWIN, M. WAYSON, S. DEWJI, D. JOKISCH, C. LEE, W. BOLCH. “Specific absorbed fractions for a revised series of the UF/NCI pediatric reference phantoms: Internal electron sources”. Physics in Medicine and Biology. 66(3) 035005. Jan. (2021) DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/abc709.
- SCHWARZ, W. GODWIN, M. WAYSON, S. DEWJI, D. JOKISCH, C. LEE, W. BOLCH. “Specific absorbed fractions for a revised series of the UF/NCI pediatric reference phantoms: Internal photon sources”. Physics in Medicine and Biology. 66(3) 035006. Jan. (2021) DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/abc708.
- K. GRIFFIN, T. CUTHBERT, S. DEWJI, C. LEE. “Stylized versus Voxel Phantoms: A Juxtaposition of Organ Depth Distributions”. Physics in Medicine and Biology. 65(6): 065007, Mar. (2020) DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/ab7686.
- S. DEWJI, K. BALES, E. ASANO, K. VEINOT, K. ECKERMAN, S. HART, L. FINKLEA, A. ANSARI. “Estimation of External Contamination and Exposure Rates Due to Fission Product Release”. Health Physics Journal. 119(2):163-175, Aug. (2020). DOI: 10.1097/HP.0000000000001168.
- S.DEWJI, K. BALES, K. GRIFFIN, C. LEE, M. HILLER. “Age-dependent Comparison of Monoenergetic Photon Organ and Effective Dose Coefficients for Pediatric Stylized and Voxel Phantoms Submerged in Air”. Physics in Medicine and Biology, 63(17):175019, Sept. (2018) DOI:10.1088/1361-6560/aad64e.
- M. B. BELLAMY, K.F. ECKERMAN, K.G. VEINOT, M.M. HILLER, S.A. DEWJI, C.E. EASTERLY, N.E. HERTEL, R.W. LEGGETT, R.P. MANGER. “Effective Dose Rate Coefficients for Immersions in Radioactive Air and Water”. Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 174 (2):275-286,April (2017)DOI: 10.1093/rpd/ncw103.
- S. DEWJI, S. CROFT, N. HERTEL. “Sensitivity Analysis of High-Resolution Gamma-ray Detection for Safeguards Monitoring at Natural Uranium Conversion Facilities”. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment and Nuclear Instruments, 848:153-161, March (2017) DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2016.12.018.
- S. DEWJI,N. HERTEL, S. CROFT, D. LEE, J. CHAPMAN, R. MCELROY. “Validation of Gamma-Ray Detection Techniques for Safeguards Monitoring at Natural Uranium Conversion Facilities”. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment and Nuclear Instruments, 823:135-148, July (2016)DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2016.03.069.
- S.DEWJI, M. BELLAMY, N. HERTEL, R. LEGGETT, S. SHERBINI, M. SABA, K. ECKERMAN. “Estimated Doses to Members of the Public from External Exposure to Patients with 131I Treatment”. Medical Physics, 42(4):1851-1857, April (2015)DOI: 10.1118/1.4915084.
- S. DEWJI, N. HERTEL, A. ANSARI. “Assessing Internal Contamination After a Radiological Dispersion Device Using a 2×2-inch Sodium Iodide Detector”. Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 155(3):300-316, July (2013)DOI 10.1093/rpd/nct014.