Perry Johnson, PhD
Director of Physics
Dr. Perry Johnson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Florida, and the Director of Physics at the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute. As Director, he ensures safe, high-quality radiation therapy is delivered to each patient through a continuous focus on quality assurance and ensures UFHPTI is at the forefront of modern proton therapy practice. Dr. Johnson is a proud alumnus, returning to the University of Florida after completing residency training at the MD Anderson Cancer Center Orlando and spending several years as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Miami.
Dr. Johnson’s scholarly work includes more than 30 peer-reviewed articles, one book chapter, two pending patents, and several abstracts. He is a Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator for multiple grants and clinical trials, totaling more than $13,000,000 in award support. He serves as an Associate Editor for the International Journal of Particle Therapy and provides reviews for several other journals and conferences.
A primary focus for Dr. Johnson is patient safety. He serves as Co-Chair of the Quality and Safety Committee at UFHPTI and Chair of the American Association for Physicist in Medicine (AAPM) Work Group on the Prevention of Errors in Radiation Oncology. Through his committee work, he has led and participated in several national initiatives related to patient safety, focusing on training, education, and prospective risk analysis. He has been invited to speak on these topics at a variety of local, national, and international meetings.
Dr. Johnson is also passionate about education and teaches/advises graduate students, as well as being actively involved in training both medical and physics residents. In 2022, he was a finalist for AAPM’s Arthur Boyer Award for Innovation in Medical Physics Education and received the Medical Physics Education Award for the Department of Radiation Oncology – Jacksonville. He previously received the Exemplary Teacher’s Award, recognizing him as a top educator within the UF College of Medicine.
Dr. Johnson is board certified by the American Board of Radiology in Therapeutic Medical Physics and is licensed by the state of Florida in Therapeutic Radiological Physics. He currently serves as president-elect for the Florida Chapter of the AAPM.
Board Certification
Therapeutic Medical Physics – American Board of Radiology
Residency – Therapeutic Medical Physics
MD Anderson Cancer Center Orlando, Orlando, FL
Doctorate - Medical Physics
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Masters - Medical Physics
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
Bachelor of Science - Nuclear and Radiological Engineering
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
Dr. Johnson is a leading proponent of mixed-reality visualization (i.e., holograms) in medicine. Recently, he was awarded a grant to study the use of mixed-reality to improve breast cancer setup and delivery, and is currently running the world’s first clinical trial combining mixed-reality and radiotherapy. His other research interests include proton arc therapy, outcome modeling, and simulated-error training. He is a Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator for multiple grants and clinical trials, totaling more than $13,000,000 in award support.
Arthur Boyer Award for Innovation in Medical Physics Education – Finalist
American Association of Physicists in Medicine (2022)
Medical Physics Education Award
Department of Radiation Oncology, UF-Jacksonville (2022)
Top Downloaded Article – DOI: 10.1002/mp.15349
Medical Physics (2021)
Top Downloaded Article – DOI: 10.1002/mp.14030
Medical Physics (2020)
Exemplary Teachers Award – Top 10% UF College of Medicine faculty
University of Florida (2020)
Outstanding reviewer
International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics (2016)
Robert’s Prize Winner – Best article – DOI: 10.1088/0031-9155/56/8/001
Physics in Medicine and Biology (2011)
Robert’s Prize Finalist – Top 10 article - DOI: 10.1088/0031-9155/54/12/001
Physics in Medicine and Biology (2009)
Graduate Student Mentor Award
University of Florida (2011)
Lawrence T. Fitzgerald Award – Best student presentation
Florida Chapter – America Association of Physicist in Medicine (2010)
Graduate Student Award
American Nuclear Society (2010)
Alumni Fellowship
University of Florida (2009)
Graduated with highest honors
Georgia Institute of Technology (2006)
“As a graduate of the UF medical physics program, it's tremendously rewarding to return to my alma mater, where I have the opportunity to collaborate with former teachers and mentors while serving in a similar capacity for the next generation of students and trainees. UFHPTI was just coming online when I started graduate school and I remember seeing photos of the gantries and beam line and being awed by the sheer scale of it all. Serving now as Director of Physics, I appreciate even more the people it takes to operate such a facility, their professionalism, expertise, commitment, and compassion, all working to provide the best outcomes for our patients.”
Find Dr. Johnson’s publications through PubMed*
*Please note, the resulting PubMed entries may not reflect a complete or accurate listing for faculty members. Many journals are not indexed by PubMed, and there may be articles by other authors of the same name listed for each search.