THE PENN RADIATION ONCOLOGY SPOTLIGHT
May 2024
We have increased the frequency of the Spotlight Newsletter because of all the exciting events in the department and we want to remain timely with the information. Thanks to everyone who participated in the Proton Alumni Event—it really was fantastic!! Our Interim Dean, Jon Epstein was so impressed with the event and what the department does to engage with our patients. Thanks so much to Fern Nibauer-Cohen, Mary Callahan, and Shelley Saunders for pulling this all together! Also, great to see the participation in our Physics Art Exhibit…we have a wonderfully creative team! This is the time of year we begin to transition with graduation of our residents and graduate students, and new faces coming in the department. There are always mixed emotions at this time, but I want to congratulate all of our upcoming graduates! I hope many participate in the graduation festivities in the coming weeks. We have a number of groups coming through the department with our global education training—please remember these visitors are here to learn from all of our outstanding team. If you see a new face, introduce yourself and pitch in with helping our visitors navigate our facilities and answering questions. We have named the proton project at PPMC as Project Atlas after a vote from the teams leading the project. I look forward to more updates in the near future. Thanks to everyone for your contributions to the Spotlight this month!!
Alumni Reception
May 8, 2024
The 11th Annual Proton Patient Alumni Reception was held in Smilow Commons on May 8, 2024. Over 130 patients and their guests, in addition to faculty and staff, attended the event. This year's reception featured a performance by The Lazours, two brothers and performing artists who are developing a musical called "Night Side Stories" which follows a cancer patient's treatment journey in partnership with the Philadelphia Theater Company. Attendees also had the opportunity to watch two VR videos about the patient experience produced by undergraduate students at the University of Pennsylvania thorough the Cinema and Media Studies Program and the Penn Global Documentary Institute. Over the course of the semester, the students spent multiple days in our department interviewing and filming patients and members of the clinical team.
Penn Helps Bring Protons to Canada
The Roberts Proton Therapy is supporting the opening of Canada’s first proton center! "We're thrilled to share our experience from the Roberts Proton Therapy Center at Penn Medicine and look forward to the opportunity to build new collaborations with leading scientists at the University of Alberta through the Ben Stelter Proton Facility and Neuroscience Centre of Excellence. When world-class experts unite across disciplines and institutions, it paves the way for innovation and new insights that can shape future approaches to research and patient care." – James Metz, MD, Chair of Radiation Oncology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Art and Physics: A different Perspective
3rd Radiation Oncology Art Show - March 29, 2024
Art created by department faculty and staff were highlighted in an exhibit at the Burrison Gallery, 3611 Walnut Street, 2nd Floor, from March 18 through May 9, 2024. The attendees of the 3rd Radiation Oncology Art Show on March 29, 2024 enjoyed an evening of academic insight and creative contemplation. The vibrant artworks of the Radiation Oncology community illuminate the shared journey of exploration at the intersection of science and artistry. This exhibit was curated by Andreea Dimofte and featured Ontida Apinorasethkul, Stephen Avery, Cordy Baffic, Andreea Dimofte, Valentina Dolney, Melissa Frick, Rashi Garg, Elizabeth Garver, Jace Grandinetti, Ali Kassaee, Chris Kennedy, Chen Hongyu, Ping Jin, Bill Levin, Richard Maughan, Rob Mooij, Christina Paul, John Plastaras, Ahmad Sakaamini, Dennis Sourvanos, and Tim Zhu.
Featured in the Media
RadOnc in the PM Report
Our department's work to bring proton therapy to Canada was highlighted in the PM Report on March 18:
Carrie DeFeo, BSN, RN, OCN was highlighted in the PM Report on March 20 for her positivity and encouragement for her team.
Brenda Engram, BSN was highlight in the PM Report on April 5 to celebrate her PMX Advocacy Award for her work with head and neck cancer patients.
Carolyn Vachani, OncoLink Innovation Director, was highlighted in the PM Report on April 19 for her sustainability story both at work and at home.
OncoLink's 30th anniversary was highlighted in the PM Report on May 2. The Internet can be helpful or harmful when it comes to health information, but OncoLink continues to evolve as a massive library of accessible guidance around surgeries, diet changes, and symptom management for patients, families, and providers.
Jerel DeLeon, BSN was highlighted in the May 6 edition of the PM report to recognize his 2023 PMX Week Advocacy Award as part of National Nurses Week.
Celebrating 30 Years of OncoLink
The Penn Medicine Blog featured OncoLink's work to educate patients, caregivers, and providers with reliable cancer information, along with how they continue to evolve and grow based on patients' needs over the past 30 years. The article interviewed two of our alumni patients, Heather & Rich Badt, to highlight how important this resource is.
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.
Have You Recognized Someone Today?
DON'T FORGET: You can recognize a colleague at any time by submitting the recognition form found at https://redcap.med.upenn.edu/surveys/?s=HPKUea (direct link is below). Bookmark this web page for easy access in the future!
If you would like a copy of the flyer with QR code for your work area, please email RadOnc_ACES@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.
Meet the Newest Members of Our Team!
Shana Barr
Shana joins the department as a Staff Assistant. Shana has worked as Penn for 18 years in transplant, cardiology, neurology, and neurosurgery and pathology. She is looking forward to finishing her degree in healthcare administration. In her spare time Shana enjoys attending church, traveling, and spending time with her husband and sons. Contact her at Shana.Barr@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.
Allyson Distel
Allyson joins the department as an OncoLink Educational Content Specialist. Previously, she worked as a health eductor at Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine. She has her Master's of Public Health from Temple University and Bacherlor's in psychology from West Chester Univesity. In her spare time, Allyson enjoys taking barre and cycling classes, going on hikes with her dog, and reading. Contact her at allyson.distel@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.
Katherine Okonak
Katherine joins the department as an OncoLink Oncology Educational Content Specialist II. Previously, she worked as a clinical research coordinator II at Nemours Children's Hospital. She has her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Susquehanna University & Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice. In her spare time, Katherine enjoys yoga, baking sourdough bread, and reading. Contact her at katherine.okonak@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.
Marianne Pankok
Marianne Pankok joins the department as a Grants Manager. Previously, she worked for Contract Administrator for the Salem County Health Department. She earned her bachelor's degree from Rutgers University. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, hiking, and the Eagles. Contact Marianne at marianne.pankok@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Omyra Vega
Omyra joins the department as a Patient Services Coordinator at Doylestown. Previously, she worked as a Medical Assistant at PennCare for Kids for 10 years. She earned her Associates Degree in Allied Health from Lansdale School of Business. In her spare time, Omyra enjoys baking, Philly sports, and spending time with her nephews. Contact her at omyra.vega@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Appointments
John Plastaras, MD, PhD
John Plastaras, MD, PhD, has been appointed to the position of Chief of Radiation Oncology and Proton Therapy at PPMC. Dr. Plastaras received his Ph.D. and medical degree from Vanderbilt University, and later completed his residency and a distinguished Holman Pathway Fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania. Known affectionately as “JP”, he has been a valued member of the Department for over 17 years.
Throughout his tenure here, Dr. Plastaras has displayed exceptional leadership skills, holding numerous administrative positions within the department and health system. These include, but are not limited to, Chief of the GI/Heme team, Co-Chair of the Abramson Cancer Center Clinical Trials Scientific Review & Monitoring Committee, and Vice Chair for Strategic Clinical Research.
In this newly defined role, Dr. Plastaras will have strategic oversight of the Radiation Oncology department at PPMC. His leadership will be vital as we expand our services at PPMC, with an ultimate aim to establish PPMC as a world-class academic radiation oncology center. This expansion includes plans to install two new single-room proton machines and novel linear accelerator technology within the next three years. Moreover, active clinical trials, translational research opportunities, and continued resident rotations will be key features of our extended services at PPMC. In this highly influential role, Dr. Plastaras will be guiding us in areas such as operations, finances, and the cultivation of strategic partnerships with PPMC, CHOP, and the Cancer Center.
Congratulations and best wishes to Dr. Plastaras for every success in this new role, which in turn will be critical for Penn Medicine’s tripartite missions. His expertise and unwavering dedication are poised to usher in a new era of excellence for our department.
Conferences and Speakers
ACRO 2024 Summit
Lake Buena Vista, FL - March 13-16, 2024
Cordelia Baffic and Marlene Kromchad, C-TAGME, presented at the ACRO 2024 Summit. Their presentation was titled "AROPA: Transformational Leaders Who Have Implemented Change".
NAPT
Boston, MA - April 6-9, 2024
The National Proton Conference featured presentations by many members of our department including: Mary Callahan; Kit Irish, MBA; Sarah Lowitz, MBA, RT(T); Nicole Marchesani; Jim Metz, MD; Fern Nibauer-Cohen; Shelley Saunders; and Kevin Teo, PhD. Penn Radiation Medicine Institute also exhibited at the conference.
ONS Congress 2024
Washington, D.C. - April 24 - 28, 2024
Erin McMenamin, CRNP, PhD presented during the Radiation Session at ONS Congress. The title of her presentation was "Improving Access to Palliative Radiation for All Patients"
Ishani Shah, MSN, CRNP, ACCN FNP presented at the Advanced Practice Education Committee Chalk Talk in March 2024. The title of her presentation was "Spinal Cord Compression: An Oncologic Emergency".
Genny Hollis, MSN, CRNP, AOCN, ANP-BC presented at the APP Grand Rounds on April 17, 2024. The title of her presentation was "APP Professional Contributions: Professional Presentation Basics".
Cordelia Baffic; Marlene Kromchad, C-TAGME; Andrea Radine, EdM; and Lea Della Vecciha conducted a Society of Directors of Academic Medical Physics Programs Coffee Break Session on April 24, 2024. Their session was called "AROPA: Pioneering Transformation as a Leading Medical Physics National Organization".
Awards & Grants
Crystal Conn, PhD was chosen as the recipient of the 2024 Michael P. Nusbaum Graduate Student Mentoring Award. Crystal's dedication to being a role model for training advocacy, inclusivity, and mentoring students to reach their scholarly potential exemplifies the type of scientist and mentor that Mikey Nusbaum represents.
George Morcos, from Rochester, New York, is majoring in biology with a concentration in molecular and cell biology, with minors in classical studies and nutrition in the College. As a University Scholar through the Center for Undergraduate Research & Fellowships, Morcos conducts research in the Koumenis Lab in Penn Medicine’s Department of Radiation Oncology. He is also a writing fellow at the Marks Family Center for Excellence in Writing and an advising fellow in the student club Matriculate, which provides mentorship to high school students. He is an undergraduate coordinator at the Heart Health Bridge to Care, an extension of the United Community Clinic of West Philadelphia focused primarily on management of hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease. Morcos is an American Association of Cancer Research Undergraduate Scholar and has presented his work at national conferences. As a Thouron Scholar, Morcos plans to pursue a master’s degree in pathology, conducting basic and translational research on therapeutic toxicities in cancer, at the University of Cambridge in England.
Rafe McBeth, PhD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Radiation Oncology, received the inaugural PSOM Master’s & Certificate Program (MaC) Excellence in Teaching Award. For this award, Rafe was nominated by students, faculty, and staff, in recognition of his influential teaching role in master’s programs. Criteria for the award include innovative assessment, effective communication, and impactful content delivery. Dr. McBeth teaches MPHY 6120: Data Science and Artificial Intelligence for the Medical Physicist, and guest lectures in several other courses. Additionally, Dr. McBeth serves as the primary thesis mentor for three MSMP students, a clinical practicum site mentor at PCAM, and as a career mentor in the MPGP.
Neil Taunk, MD, MS received the ACC Carole P. & F. Otto Haas Junior Faculty Award in Clinical Oncology. This award is given annually to a member of the Abramson Cancer Center to support the pursuit of excellence in cancer research.
Lean Practitioners
The first cohort of twelve Lean Practitioners are now completing their Lean improvement projects! Each Lean Practitioner has used Lean methodologies to demonstrate the use of lean improvement tools to drive efficiency in processes, including reducing waste and time. Following is a list of the Lean Practitioners and their Lean improvement projects:
The Lean Practitioner program includes a three day in person training program with a certification exam followed by completion of a Lean improvement project which is certified in accordance with the certification criteria found in ISO-13053 & ISO-18404. Lean is a business methodology that promotes the flow of value to the customer through two guiding tenets: continuous improvement and respect for people.
Lean thinking encourages everyone, especially those closest to the work and the customer, to have a voice and is heard. Some Lean tools include A3 (a one-page communication tool that includes background, problem statement, analysis, proposed actions, and the expected results), Fishbone (a visual way to look at cause and effect using brainstorming) and value stream mapping (similar to a process map with customer-value add, business-value add, and non-value add processes identified).
The Lean Practitioner program has been a great step in the RadOnc Improvement journey where we look to continuously improve using Lean Six Sigma methodology with tools that solve team-based problems while driving efficiency in processes. This is part of our departmental strategic goal to support professional and personal development within the RadOnc department.
Team Retreats
Clinical Research Unit Retreat
April 12, 2024
The Radiation Oncology Clinical Research Unit gathered together in person this month to host their first annual team retreat! Led by our Director of Clinical Research, Wei Xu, and our COO, Fabian Marechal, the group participated in a SWOT analysis as well as team building activities to help better advance the CRU in the department. A special thanks to our guest speaker, Dr. John Plastaras, for providing our opening welcome and Sara Schultze for planning!
Advanced Practice Providers Retreat
April 19, 2024
This month our Radiation Oncology Advanced Practice Provider group has come together in person to host their first annual APP retreat! The team worked together in various problem-solving challenges, as well as completed a SWOT analysis to increase development in the APP program. Thank you to our Senior Clinical Manager, Erin Davis, COO, Fabian Marechal, and Project Manager, Sara Schultze for making it all happen!
CRU Speaker Series
This year, the RadOnc Clinical Research Unit (CRU) has launched an Invited Principal Investigator (PI)/Speaker Series in which the investigators of research studies in RadOnc have presented a research-related topic to the CRU. So far, we have had the following presentations:
- Steven Feigenberg, MD on “Lessons learned over the last 20 years from a clinical researcher” (January 17, 2024)
- Timothy Zhu, PhD on “Cherenkov Imaging” (February 7, 2024)
- John Christodouleas, MD, MPH on “Most radiation oncology clinical trials in the future will be Bayesian design and on platform registries” (February 28, 2024)
- Michelle Alonso-Basanta, MD, PhD on “RadOnc CNS: Past, Present and Future” (April 3, 2024)
- Michelle Iocolano, MD on “RadComp Publication & Ancillary Studies Governance” (April 17, 2024)
- Rodney Wiersma, PhD on “Towards clinical translation of a frameless and maskless robotic SRS device” (April 25, 2024)
Thank you to all the speakers for your time and expertise! The CRU team greatly enjoys these presentations and is looking forward to the speakers we have scheduled for the upcoming months.
Thank you, Linda Jefferson for all of your decorations, for holiday celebrations and season changes! In this newsletter we are highlighting Linda's decorations for St. Patrick's Day, Easter, and Spring. Be sure to stop by and admire Linda's hard work the next time you are on the second floor of PCAM!
Thank you to Kara Lawrence for decorating the 4th floor of PCAM to celebrate all holidays and seasons! Below are some pictures of her decoration for ...
CNS Team Holiday Party
RadOnc CRU Valentine’s Day Cookie Swap
February 14, 2024
The RadOnc Clinical Research Unit celebrated Valentine’s Day this year with a cookie swap!
RadOnc CRU Solar Eclipse Party
April 8, 2024
The RadOnc Clinical Research Unit, equipped with eclipse glasses, went to the Penn Museum courtyard to (try to) see the solar eclipse and enjoy Moon Cookie Cakes from Insomnia Cookies!
ACES
March Madness Bracket Winners
Congratulations to our first place winners in the ACES March Madness Bracket, Sung Un Kim (Men’s) and Evan Loundas (Women’s)!
Sung-Un predicted UConn would prevail over Purdue in the men’s tournament, and Evan picked South Carolina to stay undefeated against Iowa in the women's tournament.
Dragon Boat Race
Our RadOnc team "Psychotron 2" is busy practicing for this year's Dragon Boat Race on June 1st on the Schuylkill River, and shared this photo from a recent practice on a beautiful spring evening. Best of luck to all participating in this year's race!
The Beam of Life Team
https://www.ms-stride.org/breakthroughbikechallenge
The Breakthrough Challenge bike ride will be on Sunday, September 15. The Radiation Oncology Beam of Life team is lead by co-captains Bill Barbour, Chris Laskey, and Christina McCrohan. The Breakthrough Challenge donates 100% of participant-raised funds to support breakthrough cancer research at the Abramson Cancer Center. This event has raised more than $2,525,000 over the past ten-years.
Save the Date: Next year's Breakthrough Challenge will be on Sunday, September 15, 2024
Five Questions With...
Ryan Scheuermann, MS
Medical Physicist
1. What is a typical work day like for you? My work days can vary quite a bit depending on my assignment, but they all start the same – with plenty of coffee. Within a typical week, I might spend one day each performing brachytherapy procedures, planning spine SBRT cases, providing linac support and performing chart checks, building new clinical tools like scripts and dashboards, and covering a network location. We use a team model in the Physics group at PCAM, so whenever the clinic needs it, we will jump in to provide additional support.
2. What led you to work at Penn Radiation Oncology? The chance to work on challenging problems which could have a positive impact on patients. When I joined Penn Radiation Oncology, we were just opening PCAM and didn’t yet have protons. It was exciting to figure out how to use our new technology to elevate the care of our patients. Over the 15+ years since, we have continued to innovate and improve and it has been fun to be a part of it.
3. What are you looking forward to most this summer? Baseball and the beach - the two hallmarks of summer for me.
4. What's your favorite place, either locally or anywhere in the world? Tyler State Park in Newtown, PA. I’ve spent a lot of time running trails through the park and find a lot of peace under those trees.
5. Do you have any listening recommendations? Podcasts, music, audiobooks? I listen to a lot of audiobooks, so I’ve got two recommendations – Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman and A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles.
Medical Residency
Mentorship Dinners
Pathways to Excellence Med Immersion Day
Nihkil Yegya-Raman, Cole Friedes, and Michelle Iocolano represented Penn Radiation Oncology at the Pathways to Excellence Med Immersion Day at the Jordan Medical Education Center.
RadOnc Medical Residency Match 2024
The following five outstanding medical students will be joining our department as residents in July 2026 (after spending next year doing a medicine internship at HUP):
- Haelee Chin (BA in Biochemistry from Rice; MD from UT San Antonio)
- John Chojnowski (BS in Biology from Muhlenberg College; MD/PhD from Drexel Med)
- Rohi Gheewala (BS in Chemistry from Portland State; MD from OHSU)
- Joshua Hurwitz (BA in Religious Studies from UVA; MD from NYU Long Island)
- Sylvia Rhodes (BA in Biochemistry from Penn; MD from Penn)
Medical Physics Residency
RadOnc Medical Physics Residency Match 2024
The following five outstanding individuals will join be joining our department as medical physics residents on July 1, 2024:
- Megan Chesal, PhD (Louisiana State University)
- Yin Gao, PhD (UT Southwestern)
- Bolin Li, MS (University of Pennsylvania)
- Maksym Sharma, PhD (Western University)
In addition, Brook Byrd, PhD, who is currently in the research year, will be starting clinical rotations in July 2024
Proton Therapy Workshop - April 5 & 6, 2024
The Medical Physics Residency Program hosted its first resident-run workshop on Proton Therapy.
Brook Bryd, PhD won 1st place at the DE Valley Chapter AAPM Young Investigator Symposium 2024.
Medical Physics Graduate Program
Happenings
Town Hall: Residency Interview Tips & Best Practices
On January 22, Penn Medical Physics Residency co-directors, Shibu Anamalayil, MS and Jennifer Zou, PhD, and Medical Physics Chief Resident, Barbara Garcia, MS presented residency tips and tricks to our MPGP students at a Town Hall meeting. Students were presented with helpful information about interviewing well, staying motivated, and ways to organize the interview process in advance of residency interview season. First year students got a glimpse into their future next year. Everyone enjoyed lunch after the presentation.
Town Hall: Clinical Practicum Overview
On February 19, our second-year MPGP students presented on their clinical practicum site to first-year students in advance of the first-year student site selections. Each student presentation highlighted the technology and the experience they had at their practicum location to help first-year students in their decision. Students also learned about the possible global practicum option, to be held in Accra and Kumasi, Ghana – read more below!
Prospective Students’ Visit Day
On March 16, The Medical Physics Graduate Programs hosted our Prospective Students’ Visit Day. Students who were admitted for Fall 2024 enrollment visited and joined virtually to learn more about the MPGP and Department of Radiation Oncology. Participants heard presentations from program and department leadership, program faculty, and current students. In-person attendees took a tour of the clinic and a bus tour of Philadelphia.
Match Day Celebration
On March 28, we celebrated our graduating students’ successes in the Medical Physics Match! Our students will attend diagnostic and therapy residencies in six states. Students, faculty and residents enjoyed cake and toasted with sparkling cider to their future. See below for information about where our students will head after graduation!
Global Invited Speaker Series: Dr. Verna Vanderpuye
On April 11, Dr. Verna Vanderpuye visited Penn Rad Onc to give an invited speaker talk on “The Future of Radiation Oncology in Africa.” Dr. Vanderpuye is a Radiation and Clinical Oncologist at the National Center for Radiotherapy Oncology and Nuclear Medicine at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and the University of Ghana. There was a great turn out with over 150 attendees (virtually and in-person) for the event.
MPGP Student Lunch and Discussion with Dr. Verna Vanderpuye
Students were joined by Dr. Verna Vanderpuye, Global Invited Speaker for an informal Q&A and discussion over lunch. Students asked about the differences in cancer care between the United States and Ghana and Dr. Vanderpuye shared how she ended up in radiation oncology and what she sees as some of the most pressing challenges in Ghana and West Africa today.
Admissions Appreciation Lunch
On April 15, MPGP hosted an Admissions Appreciation Lunch for everyone involved in our admissions process and matriculation events, including our admissions committee, visit day presenters, and MPGP students who serve as admissions ambassadors to admitted students. Everyone enjoyed a burger bar from Copabanana and the beautiful weather!
Spring Semester Networking & Social Event
On April 18, MPGP hosted our Spring Semester Networking and Social event to celebrate the end of the semester. This year, the event was held in the Biomedical Research Building’s 14th Floor Faculty Lounge. Students were joined by Rad Onc faculty and staff and program alumni for drinks, food and camaraderie. Alumni discussed planning for the program’s 25th anniversary event.
PSOM Master’s and Certificate Programs’ Student Colloquium
On April 22, the PSOM Master’s and Certificate Programs (MaC) hosted its second Master’s Student Colloquium. The colloquium featured a fireside chat with Dr. Carl June, pioneer in the development of CAR T cell therapy and a poster presentation for students. MPGP’s own course instructor, Rafe McBeth, PhD received the inaugural MaC Excellence in Teaching Award.
Student Advisory Committee End-of-Semester Event
The Student Advisory Committee organized a night out to celebrate the end of the semester and second-year students’ graduation. Students went to Dave & Buster’s for games and friendly competition.
Global Medical Physics Training and Development Program
We are thrilled to announce that the Medical Physics Graduate Programs received the Penn Global Research and Engagement Grant to support our Global Medical Physics Training and Development Program for three years. The Department of Radiation Oncology and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences will provide matching funds to support the program. This program, the first of its kind, will support up to five trainees to attend a five-week clinical training program in Accra and Kumasi, Ghana. Students will rotate through four hospitals during the experience. Our first students will leave for Ghana on June 1!
DVC-AAPM Spring Symposium
Students attended the DVC-AAPM Spring Symposium held on April 26th at Jefferson. The Spring Symposium which featured talks on FLASH, AI, Burnout, and Adaptive Radiotherapy. Bolin Li won the MedPhys Slam competition with his presentation “AI Agents in Medicine: Extract, Reason and Summarize” and will be representing the chapter in the national competition.
Student Achievements
Congratulations to Chris Tyerech, second-year MSMP student, who received the second-place prize for his presentation at the 2024 DVC AAPM Young Investigator’s Symposium.
In March, Ila Farhang, second-year MSMP student traveled to Vienna, Austria to participate in the IAEA For More Women in Nuclear conference. This conference was hosted on International Women’s Day and had over 400 participants from around the world. Ila was a recipient of the IAEA Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship.
Congratulations to Lyna Dinh and Muskan Lather, first-year MSMP students, who were selected to participate in the Add Lyna and Muskan being selected for the Comprehensive Cancer Center in the Cloud (C4) Cancer Research Education Excellence in Radiotherapy (CaREER) program, to take place this summer. Muskan and Lyna will work with mentors at Johns Hopkins University on projects related to global health and radiation therapy.
Congratulations to Bolin Li, second-year MSMP student, who received first place in the MedPhys Slam at the DVC AAPM Spring Symposium in April.
2024 Med Phys Match Results & Post-Graduation Career Plans for our May Graduates
Presentations
Bolin Li, second-year MSMP student, presented his abstract titled, “Automated Classification of Breast Cancer TN Stage from Pathology Reports using Large Language Models” at the 2024 DVC AAPM Young Investigator's Symposium in March.
Chris Tyerech, second-year MSMP student, presented his abstract, “Reproducibility of Perfusion Blood Volume and Ventilation Imaging for Lung Function Assessment” at the 2024 DVC AAPM Young Investigator’s Symposium in March.
Hai Siong Tan, PhD, certificate student, presented his poster, “Discovering a Neural Network’s Ignorance for Deep Learning Models of Radiotherapy Dose Prediction and Segmentation,” at the 2024 PSOM Master’s and Certificate Programs Student Colloquium.
Muskan Lather, first-year MSMP student, and Bolin Li, second-year MSMP student, presented at the MedPhys Slam competition at the 2024 DVC AAPM Spring Symposium in March. DVC MedPhys Slam
Grace Chang, second-year MSMP student, will present her poster, "The Impact of target size and fractionation scheme on voxel dose rate in PBS-based ConformalFLASH proton therapy" at the 2024 PTCOG in Singapore in June.
SUPERS@Penn
Plunging Into the PACIFIC: Outcomes of Patients With Unresectable KRAS-Mutated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Following Definitive Chemoradiation and Durvalumab Consolidation. Barsouk A, Friedes C, Iocolano M, Doucette A, Cohen RB, Robinson KW, D'Avella CA, Marmarelis ME, Kosteva JA, Singh AP, Ciunci CA, Levin WP, Cengel KA, Bradley JD, Feigenberg SJ, Sun L, Aggarwal C, Langer CJ, Yegya-Raman N. Clin Lung Cancer. 2023 Dec 22:S1525-7304(23)00266-8. doi: 10.1016/j.cllc.2023.12.009. Online ahead of print. PMID: 38195320
FLASH Radiotherapy: What Can FLASH's Ultra High Dose Rate Offer to the Treatment of Patients With Sarcoma? Cengel KA, Kim MM, Diffenderfer ES, Busch TM. Semin Radiat Oncol. 2024 Apr;34(2):218-228. doi: 10.1016/j.semradonc.2024.02.001. PMID: 38508786 Review
Proton FLASH radiotherapy ameliorates radiation-induced salivary gland dysfunction and oral mucositis and increases survival in a mouse model of head and neck cancer. Chowdhury P, Velalopoulou A, Verginadis II, Morcos G, Loo PE, Kim MM, Motlagh SAO, Shoniyozov K, Diffenderfer ES, Ocampo EA, Putt M, Assenmacher CA, Radaelli E, Lu J, Qin L, Liu H, Leli NM, Girdhani S, Denef N, Vander Stappen F, Cengel KA, Busch TM, Metz JM, Dong L, Lin A, Koumenis C. Mol Cancer Ther. 2024 Apr 9. doi: 10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-23-0663.PMID: 38593239
Reprogramming endothelial cells to empower cancer immunotherapy. Cleveland AH, Fan Y. Trends Mol Med. 2024 Feb;30(2):126-135. Doi 10.1016/j.molmed.2023.11.002. Epub 2023 Nov 30. PMID: 38040601 Review.
A Prospective Phase I/II Clinical Trial of High-Dose Proton Therapy for Chordomas and Chondrosarcomas. Dastgheyb SS, Dreyfuss AD, LaRiviere MJ, Mohiuddin JJ, Baumann BC, Shabason J, Lustig RA, Dorsey JF, Lin A, Grady SM, O'Malley BW, Lee JYK, Newman JG, Schuster JM, Alonso-Basanta M. Adv Radiat Oncol. 2024 Feb 8;9(5):101456. doi: 10.1016/j.adro.2024.101456. eCollection 2024 May. PMID: 38550376 PMCID: PMC10972808
miR-217 regulates normal and tumor cell fate following induction of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress. Dey N, Koumenis C, Ruggero D, Fuchs SY, Diehl JA. Mol Cancer Res. 2024 Jan 18. doi: 10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-23-0676. Online ahead of print. PMID: 38236939
Spatial single cell analysis of proteins in 2D human gastruloids using iterative immunofluorescence. Freeburne, E., Teague, S.†, Khan, H.†, Li, B.†, Ding, S., Chen, B., Helms, A., Heemskerk, I. (2023). Current Protocols, 3, e915.
Patterns of Failure, Low-Volume Relapse, and Subsequent Ablative Management in Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treated With Definitive Chemoradiation and Consolidation Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors. Friedes, C., Iocolano, M., Lee, S. H., Li, B., Duan, L., Levin, W. P., Cengel, K. A., Sun, L. L., Aggarwal, C., Marmarelis, M. E., Doucette, A., Cohen, R. B., Xiao, Y., Langer, C. J., Bradley, J., Feigenberg, S. J., & Yegya-Raman, N. (2023). International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics, S0360-3016(23)08010-0.
Integrating imaging and genomic data for the discovery of distinct glioblastoma subtypes: a joint learning approach. Guo J, Fathi Kazerooni A, Toorens E, Akbari H, Yu F, Sako C, Mamourian E, Shinohara RT, Koumenis C, Bagley SJ, Morrissette JJD, Binder ZA, Brem S, Mohan S, Lustig RA, O'Rourke DM, Ganguly T, Bakas S, Nasrallah MP, Davatzikos C. Sci Rep. 2024 Feb 28;14(1):4922. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-55072-y. PMID: 38418494 PMCID: PMC10902376
Acute hospitalizations after proton therapy versus intensity-modulated radiotherapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer in the durvalumab era. Iocolano M, Yegya-Raman N, Friedes C, Wang X, Kegelman T, Lee SH, Duan L, Li B, Levin WP, Cengel KA, Konski A, Langer CJ, Cohen RB, Sun L, Aggarwal C, Doucette A, Xiao Y, Kevin Teo BK, O'Reilly S, Zou W, Bradley JD, Simone CB 2nd, Feigenberg SJ. Cancer. 2024 Jan 31. doi: 10.1002/cncr.35230. PMID: 38294959
FLASH proton radiotherapy mitigates inflammatory and fibrotic pathways and preserves cardiac function in a preclinical mouse model of radiation-induced heart disease. Kim K, Kim MM, Skoufos G, Diffenderfer ES, Motlagh SAO, Kokkorakis M, Koliaki I, Morcos G, Shoniyozov K, Griffin J, Hatzigeorgiou AG, Metz JM, Lin A, Feigenberg SJ, Cengel KA, Ky B, Koumenis C, Verginadis II. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2024 Feb 14:S0360-3016(24)00301-8. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2024.01.224. Online ahead of print. PMID: 38364948
ATF3 and CH25H regulate effector trogocytosis and anti-tumor activities of endogenous and immunotherapeutic cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Lu Z, McBrearty N, Chen J, Tomar VS, Zhang H, De Rosa G, Tan A, Weljie AM, Beiting DP, Miao Z, George SS, Berger A, Saggu G, Diehl JA, Koumenis C, Fuchs SY. Cell Metab. 2024 Apr 10:S1550-4131(24)00122-0. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2024.04.002. PMID: 38604169 No abstract available.
Clinical and molecular features of acquired resistance to immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer. Memon D, Schoenfeld AJ, Ye D, Fromm G, Rizvi H, Zhang X, Keddar MR, Mathew D, Yoo KJ, Qiu J, Lihm J, Miriyala J, Sauter JL, Luo J, Chow A, Bhanot UK, McCarthy C, Vanderbilt CM, Liu C, Abu-Akeel M, Plodkowski AJ, McGranahan N, Łuksza M, Greenbaum BD, Merghoub T, Achour I, Barrett JC, Stewart R, Beltrao P, Schreiber TH, Minn AJ, Miller ML, Hellmann MD. Cancer Cell. 2024 Jan 9:S1535-6108(23)00441-5. doi: 10.1016/j.ccell.2023.12.013. PMID: 38215748
p53 promotes revival stem cells in the regenerating intestine after severe radiation injury. Morral C, Ayyaz A, Kuo HC, Fink M, Verginadis II, Daniel AR, Burner DN, Driver LM, Satow S, Hasapis S, Ghinnagow R, Luo L, Ma Y, Attardi LD, Koumenis C, Minn AJ, Wrana JL, Lee CL, Kirsch DG. Nat Commun. 2024 Apr 8;15(1):3018. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-47124-8. PMID: 38589357
AAPM Task Group Report 311: Guidance for performance evaluation of fluorescence-guided surgery systems. Pogue BW, Zhu TC, Ntziachristos V, Wilson BC, Paulsen KD, Gioux S, Nordstrom R, Pfefer TJ, Tromberg BJ, Wabnitz H, Yodh A, Chen Y, Litorja M. Med Phys. 2024 Feb;51(2):740-771. doi: 10.1002/mp.16849. Epub 2023 Dec 6. PMID: 38054538
Three-Dimensional Printing of the Human Lung Pleural Cavity Model for PDT Malignant Mesothelioma. Sourvanos D, Sun H, Zhu TC, Dimofte A, Byrd B, Busch TM, Cengel KA, Neiva R, Fiorellini JP. Photodiagnosis Photodyn Ther. 2024 Feb 10:104014. doi: 10.1016/j.pdpdt.2024.104014. Online ahead of print. PMID: 38346466
A Novel Investigational Preclinical Model to Assess Fluence Rate for Dental Oral Craniofacial Tissues. Sourvanos D, Zhu TC, Dimofte A, Busch TM, Lander B, Burrell JC, Neiva R, Fiorellini JP. Photodiagnosis Photodyn Ther. 2024 Feb 17:104015. doi: 10.1016/j.pdpdt.2024.104015. Online ahead of print. PMID: 38373469
Clinical PDT dose dosimetry for pleural Photofrin-mediated photodynamic therapy. Sun H, Ong Y, Yang W, Sourvanos D, Dimofte A, Busch TM, Singhal S, Cengel KA, Zhu TC. J Biomed Opt. 2024 Jan;29(1):018001. doi: 10.1117/1.JBO.29.1.018001. Epub 2024 Jan 13. PMID: 38223299
Theranostic Phthalocyanine and Naphthalocyanine Nanoparticles for Photoacoustic Imaging and Photothermal Therapy of Tumors. Tian Y, Carrillo-Malani N, Feng K, Miller J, Busch TM, Sundaram KM, Cheng Z, Amirshaghaghi A, Tsourkas A. Nanotheranostics. 2024 Jan 1;8(1):100-111. doi: 10.7150/ntno.88892. eCollection 2024. PMID: 38164502 Free PMC article.
An immunosuppressive vascular niche drives macrophage polarization and immunotherapy resistance in glioblastoma. Yang F, Akhtar MN, Zhang D, El-Mayta R, Shin J, Dorsey JF, Zhang L, Xu X, Guo W, Bagley SJ, Fuchs SY, Koumenis C, Lathia JD, Mitchell MJ, Gong Y, Fan Y. Sci Adv. 2024 Mar;10(9):eadj4678. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adj4678. Epub 2024 Feb 28. PMID: 38416830 PMCID: PMC10901371
Navigating tumor angiogenesis: therapeutic perspectives and myeloid cell regulation mechanism. Yang F, Lee G, Fan Y. Angiogenesis. 2024 Apr 6. doi: 10.1007/s10456-024-09913-z. Online ahead of print. PMID: 38580870 Review.
Phase 2 Trial of Consolidation Pembrolizumab After Proton Reirradiation for Thoracic Recurrences of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Yegya-Raman N, Berman AT, Ciunci CA, Friedes C, Berlin E, Iocolano M, Wang X, Lai C, Levin WP, Cengel KA, O'Reilly SE, Cohen RB, Aggarwal C, Marmarelis ME, Singh AP, Sun L, Bradley JD, Plastaras JP, Simone CB 2nd, Langer CJ, Feigenberg SJ. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2024 May 1;119(1):56-65. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2023.08.047. Epub 2023 Aug 29. PMID: 37652303 Clinical Trial.
Pneumonitis Rates Before and After Adoption of Immunotherapy Consolidation in Patients With Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treated With Concurrent Chemoradiation. Yegya-Raman, N., Friedes, C., Lee, S. H., Iocolano, M., Duan, L., Wang, X., Li, B., Aggarwal, C., Cohen, R. B., Su, W., Doucette, A., Levin, W. P., Cengel, K. A., DiBardino, D., Teo, B. K., O'Reilly, S. E., Sun, L., Bradley, J. D., Xiao, Y., Langer, C. J., Feigenberg, S. J. (2023). International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics, S0360-3016(23)07815-X.
Spatial analysis of tissue immunity and vascularity by light sheet fluorescence microscopy. Zhang D, Cleveland AH, Krimitza E, Han K, Yi C, Stout AL, Zou W, Dorsey JF, Gong Y, Fan Y. Nat Protoc. 2024 Apr;19(4):1053-1082. doi: 10.1038/s41596-023-00941-5. Epub 2024 Jan 11. PMID: 38212641 Review.
Protocol to generate traceable CAR T cells for syngeneic mouse cancer models. Zhang D, Krimitza E, Han K, Su R, Xu DJ, Xu JR, Gong Y, Fan Y.STAR Protoc. 2024 Mar 15;5(1):102898. doi: 10.1016/j.xpro.2024.102898. Epub 2024 Feb 16.PMID: 38367235