Faculty Focus: Daniel Hyer, PhD

What is your hometown?

My hometown is Madison, OH.

How/when did you become interested in science and/or medicine?

I initially became interested in medicine when I was an engineering student at Georgia Tech and I took a class in medical imaging. I found the applications in medicine to be far more interesting than the engineering courses that I was taking at the time!

When did you join the University of Iowa faculty?

I joined the faculty in 2012 after completing my residency in medical physics, also at the University of Iowa.

How or why did you choose to join the faculty at the University of Iowa?

I chose the University of Iowa because of the great people in our department. Everyone from the leadership to the front desk really cares about each other and tries to do the best for our patients.

Is there a teacher or mentor who helped shape your career?

John Bayouth helped shape my early career as he guided me through residency and helped me understand the important parts of being a medical physicist. I am now the medical physics residency director and I try to do the same for our current residents. From a research and career growth perspective, Ryan Flynn has always challenged me and helped shape my research career and continued growth as a faculty member.

How do you see your faculty role impacting medicine and/or science?

My current research project focuses on the development of a new technology that will improve normal tissue sparing for patients treated with proton therapy. This project is an academic/industrial partnership funded by an R01 grant and we are currently building our first prototype!

What is the biggest change you've experienced in your field since you were a student?

The development of new technology, specifically MRI guided linear accelerators, and the associated ability to perform adapted therapy is the biggest change to the field since I was a student.

What one piece of advice would you give to today's students?

Persistence is the key to everything.

In what ways are you engaged in professional activities outside the University (i.e. population based research, mentoring high school students, sharing your leadership/ expertise with organizations or causes, speaking engagement off campus, etc.)?

I have been the president of the Missouri River Valley chapter of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine. This chapter represents physicists from Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, and Kansas.

What are some of your outside (personal) interests?

Cars, fishing, downhill skiing, photography, and family!

Learn more about Daniel Hyer, PhD.