McIARS is an interdisciplinary research institute. Its members are drawn primarily from the Faculties of Science, Engineering and Health Sciences at McMaster. Faculty at other universities are also involved. The common focus is on the uses of radiation. Applications include analytical techniques, isotope chemistry, medical diagnosis and therapy, study of radiation effects in living systems and on materials and in protection of the environment and humans. Collaborative and contractual links outside McMaster include those with government, healthcare and industry. There is also a network of formal and informal partnerships internationally and across Canada.

Members of McIARS use a wide variety of facilities throughout McMaster’s campus and in Hamilton’s network of academic healthcare institutions. There are three core facilities at the heart of McIARS. These are the McMaster Nuclear Reactor, McMaster Accelerator Laboratory and licensed laboratories for handling high levels of radioactive materials.

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McMaster Accelerator Laboratory
S. A. McMaster, Manager

The accelerator laboratory houses three charged particle accelerators a gamma ray irradiation facility and a variety of other radiation related apparatus. The main areas of application at present are in biology and medicine, although the facilities remain available for materials analysis and other applications.

A KN van de Graaff with a maximum 3 MV terminal voltage is used most frequently to accelerate protons onto lithium and other targets as a source of neutrons for in vivo body composition studies, particularly of trace toxic elements. Neutrons from this accelerator have also been used to develop new biological and physical techniques for radiation accident dosimetry.
Recently a Tandetron (2 stage, 1.25 MV per stage) accelerator has been installed. This is a high current device, being capable of producing about 1 mA. A third accelerator, also a KN, is being configured as Canada’s first radiobiological microbeam. This will permit studies in which single particles are directed onto single cells and the impact on target and surrounding cells can be assessed.

The Taylor source is a gamma irradiation facility based on 1 kCi (40 TBq) 137Cs. There are also x-ray, gamma ray and neutron sources, together with a wide range of radiation detection and metrology equipment.

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Radioisotope Laboratories
M. E. Cybulski, Laboratory Supervisor
D. M. Tucker, Senior Health Physicist

The High Level Facility consists of a suite of licensed laboratories, related infrastructure and services with controlled access, Health Physics supervision, full contamination monitoring and capacity to handle active effluents. This unique facility is approved for work using radioactive isotopes. Located within the laboratories, is the counting room for the neutron activation analysis laboratory (see above). Radioisotope Chemistry is currently conducting research on the design and development of novel radio pharmaceuticals. Radiation Biology research focuses on the development of technology to detect radiation damage and to understand better the risks associated with exposure to ionizing radiation for accident and emergency response.

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Pre-clinical Imaging Facility (HSC-1V19)
Dr. Troy Farncombe, Chair Operations Committee
Chantal Saab/ Rod Rhem, Managers of Imaging Facility

Through a collaborative venture involving Hamilton Health Sciences, McMaster University, The McMaster Institute of Applied Radiation Sciences (McIARS) and The McMaster Nuclear Reactor (MNR), Canada's first fully integrated pre-clinical imaging facility has been set up in Hamilton within the McMaster University Medical Centre.

The facility boasts both a small animal PET scanner and a combined SPECT/CT scanner coupled with the ability access a range of models. This provides the opportunity to perform both anatomical and functional imaging studies using a wide range of isotopes, tracers and subjects. The instruments build upon the extensive infrastructures at the partner institutions which include a cyclotron and nuclear reactor for isotope production and modern radiopharmaceutical chemistry laboratories which are used for radiolabeling new targeting vectors.

The facility is run by a dedicated staff of experts and is able to accept external studies from both industrial and academic partners. There is also a supporting cast of experts in clinical nuclear medicine, radiopharmaceutical chemistry (PET and SPECT), isotope production and imaging physics.