Smart Medicine Podcast | Dr. Ehsan Samei on Medical Physics 3.0, Virtual Imaging Trials & the Future of Imaging

Welcome back to the Smart Medicine Podcast.I’m your host, Dr. Ali Fatemi, Founder of SpinTecx, clinical medical physicist, and entrepreneur.In this episode, we are honored to welcome Ehsan Samei, one of the most influential leaders in modern medical physics and medical imaging.Dr. Samei is a board-certified medical physicist and Professor at Duke University, with appointments in Radiology, Physics, Biomedical Engineering, and Electrical & Computer Engineering. He also serves as Chief Imaging Physicist for the Duke University Health System.A past president of American Association of Physicists in Medicine, Dr. Samei’s work spans X-ray imaging, image quality science, simulation and modeling, dosimetry, and translating imaging physics into patient-centered clinical care. He is the founder or co-founder of several landmark initiatives, including the Duke Imaging Physics Residency, the Center for Virtual Imaging Trials, and the globally influential Medical Physics 3.0 movement. In recognition of his impact and leadership, he received the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Award in 2022.Beyond science, Ehsan is a talented musician and a devoted father.What Medical Physics 3.0 is, why it matters, and how it works in real clinical practiceHow imaging is evolving from regulatory compliance to quantitative, patient-specific optimizationWhat virtual imaging trials are and how they extend beyond traditional phantom and clinical studiesWhether virtual imaging trials will become routine in scanner development and clinical QAHow AI and automation are reshaping the role of medical physicistsWhether AI can—or should—replace radiologists or physicistsAdvice for students, residents, and young scientists entering medical physics todayWhat fundamentally changes in medicine when imaging systems become adaptive, data-driven, and AI-nativeThank you for joining us on the Smart Medicine Podcast.