Perry Sprawls
Medical physicist and biomedical engineer specializing in the science and technology of medical imaging, development and innovations in the process of education, and improved healthcare in the developing countries of the world.
Born: March 2, 1934, on a farm near Williston, South Carolina, USA
Education:
B.S.in Physics, Clemson College, 1956. M.S. in Nuclear Science, Clemson College, 1960,
Ph.D. in Bioengineering, Clemson University, 1968. Additional Graduate Study: Nuclear Physics, Manhattan College,
1964. Physiology, Emory University School of Medicine, 1964-65.
Diagnostic Radiological Physics, American Board of Radiology
Medical Physics, American Board of Medical Physics
MRI Physics, American Board of Medical Physics
Clinical Engineering, Board of Examiners for Clinical Engineering
Clinical Engineering, American Board of Clinical Engineering
Electrical Engineering, Georgia State Board
Fellowships:
American College of Radiology (FACR)
American Association of Physicists in Medicine (FAAPM)
Career:
Appointed Professor Emeritus of Radiology, Emory University School of Medicine, in 2005, at the conclusion of a 45- year tenure on the faculty that began in 1960 in the Department of Physics. An interest in the applications of physics to medicine and healthcare soon led to a transition to the physics faculty in the Department of Radiology. Academic management positions included serving as the Director of the Division of Radiological Sciences, Director of the Magnetic Resonance Education Center, and Co-Director of the Emory-Georgia Institute of Technology Graduate Program in Biomedical Information and Computer Science.
Early career research addressed patient radiation dose issues associated with advances in fluoroscopy. With a Ph.D. in Bioengineering and graduate study in cardiovascular physiology he was an active research collaborator with the Departments of Surgery and Physiology for many years. Within Radiology much of his research contributed to the development of mammography as we practice it today. Of special significance has been his development of mathematical models of the x-ray imaging process that are used for optimizing procedures. His development of a method for the computer interpretation of medical images (radionuclide scans) in the 1960s was a first step in this long-time evolution in the process of computer-aided diagnosis.
For many years Dr. Sprawls provided clinical physics support for x-ray imaging, mammography, etc., at Emory and Grady Hospitals and the Emory Clinics and the development of MRI at Emory.
The greatest career contributions of Dr. Sprawls have been in medical imaging and medical physics education, not only at the university level in the U.S. but around the world. At Emory he has developed, directed, and taught in programs at all academic levels including undergraduate, graduate school, medical school, medical post-graduate (residents and fellows), and continuing medical education.
The highly effective Physics of Radiology for Residents program developed and taught by him has been recognized nationally and used as a model for a syllabus by the ACR and AAPM some years ago. The companion textbook by Dr. Sprawls is used both nationally and internationally and is now becoming available online at http://www.sprawls.org/ppmi2. Radiology residents and radiology faculty throughout the world are now using the "Sprawls Course" through the multifunction web resource at http://www.sprawls.org/resources.
The Emory Magnetic Resonance Education Center (MREC), developed and directed by Dr. Sprawls, provided the Radiology Faculty with the opportunity to provide high-quality education both to the national and international radiology communities in the early years of MRI. Much of the MRI physics taught by Dr. Sprawls in this program is available today in his textbook, Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Principles, Methods, and Techniques. It is currently being used in many countries along with the Sprawls MRI Course that is available online through the Philips Online Learning Center.
He has had major leadership roles in the educational activities of the professional organizations: AAPM, RSNA, ACR, and SMRI. He currently (2005-06) serves as Director for Medical Imaging Continuing Education for the AAPM and Chair of the committee responsible for the Physics Tracks for the RSNA Refresher Courses.
Throughout his career a major interest has been the processes of learning and teaching and how they could be improved. This has often been achieved by the application of technology to produce enriched learning environments and to enhance human performance for both learners and teachers. The fruits of this work that began in the Emory physics classroom in 1960 are now benefitting education around the world, especially in the fields of medical imaging, medical physics, and engineering.. The Sprawls visuals produced with digital technology are used extensively in printed textbooks, classrooms, and web-based resources to enhance the learning of physics as it applies to medical imaging. Dr. Sprawls is recognized as an international leader in the process of developing shared and open web-based resources to improve education in all countries. He is now working with institutions and organizations around the world in the process of re-engineering the educational process (http://www.sprawls.org/RE). The desired outcomes are models for more effective and efficient learning activities, ranging from individual courses to the global practice of medical imaging and radiation oncology. His seminars and classes on the learning and teaching process help faculty apply established principles along with modern technology to increase the effectiveness of educational activities.
The innovative teleteaching system developed by Dr. Sprawls is now used to combine the values of live classroom sessions with web-based resources both in the the Emory curriculum and internationally.
In the 1980s his career took on a new dimension with a desire to improve medical imaging and medical physics in the developing countries of the world.
A first activity was his development of the Emory Radiology-Xi'an (China) Cooperative Program in Medical Imaging and his serving as an Honorable Professor at Xi'an Medical University. The resulting innovative program to move a year of medical imaging into the senior year of the medical school curriculum for a select group of students was soon recognized as a model for other Chinese medical universities to address the need for young physicians to enter the specialty of medical imaging. The translation of the Sprawls Physical Principles of Medical Imaging into the Chinese language continues to serve many educational programs in the country. Xi'an Medical University is the location of the technology based Medical Imaging Education Center sponsored by the Sprawls Educational Foundation.
He has worked onsite with institutions and organizations in many developing countries and through the Sprawls Educational Foundation provides resources for program development and improvement in most of the developing countries of the world.
As the Senior Co-Director of the College on Medical Physics at the International Centre of Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy, sponsored by UNESCO, he provides leadership and classroom instruction for the periodic programs for medical physicists and scientists from most of the developing countries.
Publications: (Books authored)
- The Physical Principles of Diagnostic Radiology.
University Park Press, Baltimore, 1977. - The Physics and Instrumentation of Nuclear Medicine.
University Park Press, Baltimore, 1981. - The Physical Principles of Medical Imaging.
Aspen Publications, Rockville, 1987. - Principles of Radiography for Technologists.
Aspen Publications, Rockville, 1990. - The Physical Principles of Medical Imaging - Chinese Language Edition
Perry Sprawls, Author, Ye-cho Huang ,Translator.
Higher Education Press, Beijing, 1993. - The Physical Principles of Medical Imaging, 2nd Edition
Aspen Publications, Rockville, 1993.Medical Physics Publishing, Madison, WI, 2000 - Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Principles, Methods, and Techniques
Medical Physics Publishing, Madison, WI, 2000. - RadReview: Diagnostic Radiological Physics Examination and Study Guide.
Medical Physics Publishing , Madison, WI. 1996.
Publications: (Books edited)
- The Physics of MRI. Sprawls P., Bronskill M. (Co-Editors)
American Association of Physicists in Medicine, 1993 - The Expanding Role of Medical Physics in Diagnostic Imaging, D Frey, P. Sprawls (Co-Editors)
Advanced Medical Publishing, Sun Prairie, WI, 1997
Major Awards:
Achievement Award in Medical Physics, 1999. American Association of Physicists in Medicine
Harold Johns Medal for Excellence in Teaching and Leadership in International Education, 2003, International Organization for Medical Physics.
American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Activities:
Training of Radiologists Committee
Task Force on Cine Systems (Chairman)
General Medical Physics Committee
Education Council
Technologists Liaison Committee (Chairman)
Program Committee
Delegate to Alliance for Engineering in Medicine and Biology
1988 International Meeting Committee
NMR Committee
Continuing Education Committee
Board of Directors
President, SE Chapter
International Affairs Committee (Chairman)
International Scientific Exchange Task Group (Chairman)
History Committee
Continuing Education Sponsorship Subcommittee (Chairman)
1985 Annual Meeting (Co-chairman of LAC)
1993 Summer School (Co-Director)
1997 Summer School (Co-Director)
1989 AAPM/IPSM (United Kingdom) Travel Lectureship Award
Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) Activities
Associated Sciences Committee
Scientific Exhibits Committee
Physics Mini-Symposium Committee
Refresher Course Committee
American College of Radiology (ACR) Activities
Physics Commission
Physics Education and Training Committee (Chairman)
Learning Laboratory Committee, Physics Subcommittee
Mammography Physics Education Committee (Chairman)
MR Education and Training Committee
Science and Technology Assessment Committee (Chairman)
Society of Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Board of Directors (Two Terms)
Physician Continuing Education Committee (Chairman)
Scientific Poster Committee (Co-Chairman)
Commission for Accreditation of Medical Physics Programs (CAMPEP)
Continuing Education Credits Committee (Chairman)
American Board of Radiology
Diagnostic Radiology Examination Committee
American Board of Medical Physics
Medical Imaging Examination Committee
MRI Examination Committee
Georgia Radiological Society
Board of Directors
Physics Committee (Chairman)
American Registry of Radiologic Technologists
Radiographic Examination Committee
Nuclear Medicine Examination Committee
--------------------------
Civic Activities: Include many Baptist Church leadership positions and President of the Board, Asheville Lyric Opera.
Avocations and Special Interests: Mountain hiking; SCUBA Diving and underwater photography ( http://www.sprawls.org/underwater )Family: Charlotte Williams Sprawls (wife), publisher of Williams Translation of the New Testament.( http://www.sprawls.org/williams )
Charles Perry Sprawls (son), Classical Vocalist. New York