1895 – German physicist Wilhelm Roentgen discovers X Rays
1896 – First x-Ray device operated at the Middlesex Hospital
1913 – Sidney Russ appointed world’s first hospital physicist Middlesex Hospital
1920 – Russ becomes Joel Professor of Physics Applied to Medicine (the first Chair of Medical Physics in the world).
1943 – New Department of Medical Physics opens at University College Hospital (UCH), led by Sidney Osborn.
1946 – Russ retires and is succeeded by Professor Eric Roberts
1962 – Sidney Osborn succeeded as Head of UCH Department by John Clifton
1971 – Professor James Tait takes over from Professor Eric Roberts
1981 – UCH Medical School becomes part of UCL
1987 – Middlesex Hospital Medical School merges with UCL Medical School. Radiation Physics and Image Processing groups at the Middlesex Hospital become part of the UCL Medical Physics Department, led by John Clifton.
1990 – John Clifton becomes fourth Joel Professor
1992 – John Clifton retires
1992 – A joint medical physics department is formed comprising the UCL Department of Medical Physics and Bioengineering led by Professor David Delpy, and the UCLH NHS Trust Department of Medical Physics and Bioengineering led by Professor Roland Blackwell
1993 – Professor Roger Ordidge appointed the fifth Joel Professor
1999 – Professor David Delpy stands down as Head of Department to become the UCL Vice Provost for Research, and later Chief Executive of EPSRC (2007)
1991 – Professor Andrew Todd-PokropekÌýbecomes Head of Department
2004 – Academic department moves to Malet Place Engineering Building
2004 – Professor Roland Blackwell retires, and is succeeded as head of the NHS Trust Department by Geoff Cusick
2008 – Professor Todd-Pokropek steps down and is succeeded as head of the UCL department by Professor Jem Hebden
2010 – Geoff Cusick retires, and is succeeded by Professor Peter Marsden as head of the NHS Trust department in 2010
2011 – Professor Robert Speller appointed the sixth Joel Professor of Physics Applied to Medicine.Ìý
2014 – Biomedical Engineering undergraduate programme launches, offering BEng and MEng degrees to complement existing BSc and MSci degrees in Medical Physics.
2014 – Department renamed the Department of Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering
2019 – Professor Jem Hebden steps down and Professor Andy Nisbet becomes Head of Department
2020 – Department celebrates 100 year anniversary of the Joel Chair with a special centenary Joel Lecture