The Medical Physics group has always been active in the development of innovative techniques for biomedical imaging, with particular attention to the development of techniques for image processing and reconstruction. In conventional radiology, the group also has expertise in the characterization of X-ray sources and detectors, both for planar imaging (in projection) and in three-dimensional imaging (computed tomography, CT).

In addition to conventional imaging, which exploits the absorption of x-rays by the material, the group has been working for years on phase contrast imaging, which exploits the undulatory properties of X-rays and the variation of the waves phase shift  in different materials to produce images. This research activity is partly carried out at synchrotron light sources.

Another area of research of the group is the development of innovative positron emission tomography (PET) systems. PET is a technique based on radionuclides linked to appropriate biological molecules, which provides important functional information on the patient. The most widely used radiopharmaceutical, for example, is based on a glucose analog that accumulates in tumors and makes it possible to diagnose lesions at a very early stage.