Featured in the Media

OncLive

Jeffrey D. Bradley, MD's study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology noting the phase III PACIFIC-2 trial showed no significant progression-free survival benefit with adding the immunotherapy drug durvalumab to concurrent platinum-based chemoradiotherapy in patients with stage III non–small cell lung cancer that couldn’t be surgically removed was highlighted in OncLive.

Penn Medicine on Social Media

Did you know that Penn Radiation Oncology and OncoLink are on social media? Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok! Check out some of the recent posts below:

LinkedIn

Instagram - Penn Radiation Oncology

Instagram - Penn Radiation Oncology Residency Programs

Instagram - Penn Radiation Oncology Medical Physics Residency Program

Instagram - Penn Radiation Oncology Medical Physics Graduate Program

Instagram - OncoLink

Committee on Community Engagement

We invite you to visit the site regularly, as we continue to update resources, add information on ongoing initiatives, and expand educational materials.

PennCobalt provides mental health resources for Penn staff and faculty.

Winter Donation Drive

Let's make the cold winter better for the kids and families at HopePHL domestic violence and youth shelter, located next to Penn Presby. Let's show that we all (@Penn_RadOnc) have abundant love to give! With just a week to go in our Winter Donation drive, please consider ordering essential living needs to be delivered directly to HopePHL. We are currently only at about $500 worth of supplies delivered, far below last winter's record of over $2000 worth of supplies.    You can order directly from this Amazon gift list: https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/9XC0J9W9NPMH or scan the QR code at the flyer to have items shipped directly to HopePHL. You can also donate new socks/gloves and jackets/coats at one of the donation boxes throughout the Penn Medicine buildings, as shown in the @Penn_RadOnc IG post (click through pic carousel).

Volunteering at HopePHL “Fire and Ice” Event

Dept. of Radiation Oncology members volunteered at HopePHL’s “Fire & Ice” Event to give the shelter residents grocery and holiday supplies and cheer.  Pictured are Dept. Vice-chair John Plastaras and family, physics graduate student Andrew Friberg, and Community Engagement Director Gary Kao, alongside HopePHL staff.

The CCE invites anyone throughout the Network and Department to join us. ALL are welcome, inclusive of all job roles or titles! You’ll meet fantastic people throughout the reaches of our Department while learning and doing cool, positive stuff. Network representatives are particularly needed! Please contact Dr. Gary Kao, Director of Community Engagement (kao@xrt.upenn.edu) or Amanda Snyder (Amanda.Snyder@pennmedicine.upenn.edu) for more information.

Logan Barnes

Logan joins the department as an Advance Practice Provider, Functional Radiation Medicine Program. Previously, Logan worked as a sports medicine PA at Princeton Orthopedic Associates. He earned his Bachelor of Sciences in May 2018 from The College of New Jersey, his Master of Medical Sciences, Physician Assistant Program in May 2022 from Northwestern University. You can contact Logan at logan.barnes1@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.

Amber Blatt

Amber joins the department as a Dosimetrist Treatment Planner. Previously, she worked as a medical dosimetrist. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Sciences from Thomas Jefferson University. You can contact Amber at amber.blatt@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.

Caroline Wood

Caroline joins the department as a Dosimetrist Treatment Planner. Previously, Caroline worked as a dosimetry student at Mass General Cancer Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, Francis H. Burr Proton Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, and Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center at South Shore Hospital. She earned her MS in Medical Dosimetry from Suffolk University and her BS in Mathematics & BA in Political Science from the University of Mary Washington. In her spare time, Caroline enjoys walking - she is new to Philly from Boston, so enjoying walking around and exploring the city; Sports Games, she played football in high school and like catching an NFL game here and there, and Music, she played the alto sax for a long time and find it really powerful how music can evoke emotion. You can contact Caroline at caroline.wood@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.

Open Positions

Below are open job positions within the department. The job requisition ID number is in bold for reference.

Staff Open Positions

Please go to Careers.PennMedicine.org to see the full job posting for staff open positions.

• 277218 Dosimetrist Treatment Planner - Philadelphia, PA (Per Diem)
• 296298 Dosimetrist Treatment Planner - Philadelphia, PA (Full Time)
• 297871 PRN Rad Therapist - Philadelphia, PA (HUP) (Per Diem)
• 270451 Radiation Therapist - Philadelphia, PA
• 262401 Physicist - Lancaster, PA
• 257110 Accountant - Philadelphia, PA
• 237634 PRN Rad Therapist – Philadelphia, PA (PAH) (Per Diem)
• 225098 Radiation Therapist NJS Eligible - Plainsboro, NJ (Per Diem)
• 286788 Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant - Lancaster, PA
• 291648 Director of Radiation Therapy - Philadelphia, PA
• 297868 Radiation Therapist - Philadelphia, PA
• 295759 New Patient Coordinator - Philadelphia, PA
• 295360 Clinical Nurse 2 - Radiation Oncology - Radnor, PA

Faculty Open Positions

Please click on the link below to view the full job description for faculty open positions on Workday.

• Penn Medicine Clinician [Chester County]: JR00094977
• Penn Medicine Clinician [Cherry Hill]: JR00103891
• Penn Medicine Clinician [Lancaster]: 266585

Stephen Avery, PhD, (Director, Global Radiation Physics) participated in a series of strategic meetings and site visits in Kampala, Uganda, focused on advancing cancer care, education, and health systems development. The visit coincided with the United States and Uganda signing a five-year, $2.3 billion Bilateral Health Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding, a major commitment to strengthening Uganda’s health sector through expanded partnerships in oncology, medical education, and workforce development. Dr. Avery was joined by colleagues from the Ministry of Health, the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Bank of Uganda, and several regional academic institutions for the Scoping Workshop on Diaspora and Innovation in Health Financing. The workshop brought together leaders from government, academia, and healthcare to shape sustainable cancer care strategies and training initiatives. During the visit, the team also toured the new Uganda Cancer Institute Hospital construction site, which will include a theranostics program and proton therapy facility designed to expand radiotherapy capacity and patient services upon completion. Meetings with local radiation oncologists, physicists, and administrators further strengthened Penn’s collaboration with UCI and ongoing engagement through the AMPERE (Access for Medical Physicists to Education and Research Excellence) Program, an NIH-funded global training initiative led by Dr. Avery (PI). Together, these efforts underscore Penn Medicine’s commitment to global health equity and its growing leadership in advancing cancer care through education, innovation, and international partnership.

2025 Global Oncology Symposium at the University of Wisconsin-Madison

December 10, 2025

Stephen Avery, PhD presented at the 2025 Global Oncology Symposium at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in a scientific session titled “Empowering Future Leaders in Cancer Care: VR & AI for Transforming Cancer Care in LMICs”. The theme of the meeting was “Uniting for Impact: Advancing Cancer Care through Collaboration”.

Flash Radiotherapy & Particle Therapy (FRPT) - 6th Annual Conference

December 10-12, 2025

Ioannis Verginadis, PhD presented in Prague on the use of proton flash therapy to reduce heart toxicity.

Stephen M. Avery, PhD, Director of Global Radiation Physics at Penn Medicine, authored Chapter 7: “Career Paths in Medical Physics with a Global Health Perspective” in the newly released book Global Medical Physics: A Guide for International Collaboration, edited by Jacob Van Dyk, PhD (CRC Press, 2024). The book brings together experts from around the world to highlight strategies for advancing medical physics education, research, and clinical collaboration across borders. Dr. Avery’s chapter explores the expanding opportunities for medical physicists to engage in global health, drawing on his leadership in international initiatives that promote equitable access to cancer care and workforce development. Through this work, Dr. Avery underscores how global collaboration not only strengthens cancer care capacity in low- and middle-income countries but also enriches the professional and humanitarian dimensions of a medical physics career. Global Medical Physics provides a timely roadmap for building sustainable and equitable frameworks in cancer care, aligning closely with Penn Medicine’s mission to expand education and access through innovation and partnership.

Team Retreats & Symposiums

Clinical Research

RadOnc CRU Staff Meeting on Wednesday, 11/19/2025. This year, the RadOnc Clinical Research Unit (CRU) celebrated a successful year with a team luncheon. During the event, our CRU Director, Wei Xu, highlighted the team’s top achievements in 2025. In addition, Dr. Plastaras provided an overview of the introduction to Radiation Oncology. This milestone marks one of the most successful years yet for the RadOnc CRU and we’re excited to carry this momentum forward into 2026!

The Beam of Life Team

https://www.breakthrough-challenge.org/

Several of the Breakthrough Challenge Board Members gathered together on November 5 for a check presentation to Dr. Robert Vonderheide celebrating the $350,000 raised during this year's Challenge.

Save the Date: Next year's Breakthrough Challenge will be on Sunday, September 27, 2026

Join the team here: https://www.breakthrough-challenge.org/

Five Questions With...

Emily Smith, CRNP, MSN

Nurse Practitioner at PCAM

1. What is a typical work day like for you?

On a typical work day, I see patients who have completed radiation treatment for breast and gynecologic cancers on PCAM 3W. Recently I've provided coverage at Pennsylvania Hospital, and I'm looking forward to spending some time at Radnor in the New Year. It's been fun to visit different sites and meet colleagues I've been working with for years in person! During surveillance visits, I try to answer three questions: 1. Is there cancer here? 2. What side effects did we cause? 3. What can I do to help you live better? I assess for common issues like sleep disorders, cardiovascular risk, chronic pain, urinary incontinence, vasomotor symptoms, and hearing loss and refer for management as needed.

2. What led you to work at Penn Radiation Oncology?

I worked in the division of Gynecologic Oncology at PCAM for several years, so Neil Taunk was already a colleague. When he sent an email asking if I knew anyone who would be interested in a position with the team, I replied: "ME!" I absolutely love working at Penn Radiation Oncology. The Women's Health team provides excellent patient care, and I love working in a practice with such a strong safety culture and APP leadership.

3. What is something you've learned or incorporated into your patient care?

Hormone replacement therapy! I recently earned a certification from the Menopause Society as a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner. My interest in menopause treatment and hormone replacement therapy started when I worked in Gynecologic Oncology. I noticed that young patients who had been treated for cervical cancer were having early menopause symptoms, but no one seemed to know what to do with them. After moving to this department, I decided to take ownership of treatment-induced menopause, or premature ovarian insufficiency ("POI"). I learned how to prescribe hormone replacement therapy myself. I also worked with our team on a quality improvement initiative to improve rates of POI treatment for cervical cancer patients with radiation-induced POI. Now I prescribe hormone replacement therapy for all cervical cancer patients experiencing POI after treatment. I've also started to treat patients with colorectal cancer. Last year, I received a research grant from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine to write about our successful quality improvement initiative. I will be presenting a poster on this QI project at the 2026 Society for Gynecologic Oncology Winter Meeting, and I hope to have publication news to share soon.

4. What's your favorite movie/favorite holiday movie?

A Muppet Christmas Carol, hands down!

5. What is your favorite family tradition around the holidays?

I just love putting up a real Christmas tree. When I was growing up in Delco, my family would trek out to Chester County the day after Thanksgiving to cut our own tree on a farm. Now I keep it a little closer to home - I buy my tree from Gorgas Park in Roxborough every year. Having a real tree makes the house smell so nice, and I love having the lights on in the morning and the evening.

Medical Physics Graduate Program

Happenings

Student Advisory Committee Friendsgiving

On November 23, the Student Advisory Committee hosted their annual Friendsgiving event. Approximately 18 students attended and enjoyed a feast prepared by fellow students.

RadOnc Holiday Party

There was a great showing from our MPGP students at the Rad Onc annual holiday party on Friday, December 5, hosted at Reading Terminal Market. Students enjoy this event because it provides the opportunity to connect with fellow students, residents, faculty and staff in a relaxed atmosphere with delicious food and drinks.

MPGP End-of-Semester Social

The Medical Physics Graduate Programs’ hosted our end-of-semester event at the Post on Monday, December 8. This is a great event to celebrate all of the students’ hard work and achievement over the semester and to connect with residents, faculty and alumni. Everyone enjoyed drinks, appetizers and a variety of games.

Student Achievements

We are pleased to announce first-year MSMP student, Anran Zhao, has accepted several leadership positions within the PSOM Master’s and Certificate (MaC) Programs, the PSOM Biomedical Graduate Student Association (BGSA) and the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly (GAPSA) organizations.

• MaC Student Representative: In this role, Anran solicits feedback from all MaC students across 15 programs and relays this feedback to the PSOM administration to advocate for MaC program needs.
• Vice-Chair of MaC Student Affairs for BGSA: As Vice-Chair of MaC Student Affairs, Anran helps to organize events for biomedical graduate students, focusing on increasing MaC student engagement.
• GAPSA Deputy Director of Programming Finances: In this role, Anran manages budgeting and logistics for graduate student events.