Faculty

Dr. Manuj Agarwal is an interventional radiation oncologist specializing in prostate brachytherapy and survivorship-focused quality-of-life outcomes. He co-founded the Prostate Cancer Institute of America (PCIA), where he works with urology and radiation oncology teams to expand access to high-quality LDR seed implant programs and improve consistency of technique and patient experience. He also founded Blue Wellth, a physician-led longevity and integrative care practice that supports patients and high performers with evidence-informed strategies to optimize health, performance, and recovery.

Bio text coming soon.

Dr. Bethany Anderson is a Professor and radiation oncologist, specializing in treatment of breast and gynecologic cancers.

Dr. Janna Andrews, MD is a radiation oncologist in Sleepy Hollow, NY and has over 25 years of experience in the medical field. She graduated from Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine in 2000. She is affiliated with Phelps Hospital.

Dr. Rojine Ariani is a native of Los Angeles, CA. She received Bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Biological Science from USC. She then earned her M.S. In Global Medicine from the Keck School of Medicine of USC, where she also afterward earned her M.D. Prior to joining the UCLA Radiation Oncology Residency Program, Dr. Ariani completed her Internal Medicine internship at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena, CA. Her areas of interest include brachytherapy and gynecologic malignancies, head and neck cancer, outcomes research, and cancer survivorship.

Dr. Aujla is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. Dr. Aujla graduated from the University of Mississippi Medical Center and completed residency in radiation oncology at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York. Dr. Aujla practices general radiation oncology and specializes in the treatment of gynecological and genitourinary cancers, and in the use of brachytherapy for various disease sites.

On a personal note - "My name Khush means Happy in my native language. My goal is to embody my name by maintaining a positive and optimistic attitude while staying prepared and respectful of the challenges faced by cancer patients."

Dr. Ayala-Peacock received her BS in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale University. She received her MD degree and completed both internship and subsequent Radiation Oncology residency and chief year at Wake Forest University Medical Center. She is now an Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology at Duke University. Dr. Ayala-Peacock's research interests include advancement of brachytherapy-focused technologies including imaging fusion, guidance and tracking, as well as pelvic phantom development for evaluation of these technologies. She is also active in national clinical trial development for gynecologic malignancies where she holds several leadership positions and has additional roles in several institutional studies regarding sexual health concerns among cancer survivors.

Arjit Baghwala is a Senior Radiation Physicist and Lead for Brachytherapy at Houston Methodist Hospital. He is nationally recognized for his expertise in brachytherapy and serves as faculty for the American Brachytherapy Society, including the 2025-2026 Annual Meeting. Arjit is board certified by the American Board of Radiology and is a Fellow of the AAPM. He is actively engaged in professional service, including serving as past president of the SWAAPM chapter of the AAPM. He has also contributed to national education and clinical practice initiatives, including organizing and leading ABR MOCK examinations. He is known for his collaborative leadership, commitment to clinical excellence, and dedication to advancing high-quality, patient-centered radiation oncology care.

Jonathan Bear, MD, DABR, is a distinguished Radiation Oncologist based in Escondido, CA. With more than a decade of experience in the field of Radiation Oncology, Dr. Bear is deeply committed to delivering patient-centered care, meticulously addressing the unique values and needs of each individual patient.

Dr. Bear's journey in medicine is profoundly influenced by his extensive military background. As a retired Navy veteran with over 26 years of dedicated service, he brings a strong sense of duty and commitment to his medical practice. His transition from military service to healthcare is driven by a steadfast desire to continue serving the community, particularly in the challenging and rewarding field of cancer treatment.

At Palomar Health, Dr. Bear collaborates with a team of highly skilled professionals to ensure that every patient receives exceptional care. He views the opportunity to treat cancer patients of all ages as both a privilege and a significant responsibility. Dr. Bear's dedication to making a positive impact on his patients' lives is evident in his approach, striving to provide world-class cancer care and support throughout their treatment journey.

Dr. Bear specializes in the following procedures:
•High Dose Rate Brachytherapy
•Stereotactic Radiosurgery
•SpaceOAR
•Genitourinary Cancer
•Breast Cancer
•Gynecologic Cancer
•Lung Cancer
•Head and Neck Cancer
•Gastrointestinal Cancer
•Brain Tumors
•Pediatric Cancer
•Lymphoma
•Skin Cancer

During the first part of his naval career, Dr. Bear was a decorated combat F/A-18 pilot for 10 years before transitioning to the U.S. Navy Medical Corps. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics from the United States Naval Academy and Medical Degree from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. He is board certified by the American Board of Radiology and is a member of the American Society for Radiation Oncology, American Brachytherapy Society, Children's Oncology Group, Radiosurgery Society and NRG Oncology Research Group

Sushil Beriwal MD, MBA, FASTRO, FABS; FICRO Sushil Beriwal MD, MBA, FASTRO, FABS, FICRO, is the academic chief at Allegheny health network and a professor of radiation oncology at Drexel University. He completed his residency in radiation oncology at PGIMER in 1997, India and Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA. He specialized in gynecologic, breast, and prostate cancers, with an emphasis on IMRT/IGRT and MRI-based HDR Brachytherapy for gynecological cancers. He is actively involved with clinical research and has more than 325 peer-reviewed publications plus book chapters. Dr. Beriwal served as ABR board examiner and on the editorial board of Brachytherapy as a senior editor for Red journal and received ABS president award, ARRO teacher of the year award, and fellowship from ABS and ASTRO.

Julie Bolin, MS, CNMT, FSNMMI-TS, is a nuclear medicine technologist, educator, and national leader with extensive experience spanning clinical practice, academic leadership, and professional service. She currently serves as Program Director and Residential Teaching Faculty for the Bachelor of Applied Science in Nuclear Medicine Technology and Computed Tomography at GateWay Community College in Phoenix, Arizona, and as a Nuclear Medicine Technology Instructor at Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts. She also works as a per diem nuclear medicine technologist at Banner University Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona.

I am a gynecologic radiation oncologist and associate chair of education at the University of Wisconsin. I serve on ABS as the president-elect.

Bio text coming soon.

Dr. Jason Chan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). He specializes in the treatment of head and neck, skull base, cutaneous, and thoracic malignancies, with particular expertise in first-time and re-irradiation strategies, including high-dose-rate brachytherapy.

Dr. Albert Chang is Professor and Vice Chair of Surgical Services and Director of Brachytherapy in the Department of Radiation Oncology at UCLA, with joint appointments in Urology and the Department of Physics and Biology in Medicine. An internationally recognized leader in genitourinary and gynecologic cancers, Dr. Chang specializes in image-guided brachytherapy and radiation-immunotherapy/systemic therapy combinations. He directs one of the world’s leading brachytherapy fellowship programs and serves on multiple national committees including the American Brachytherapy Society Board of Directors, NRG GU Core Committee, and the American Board of Radiology GU Examining Committee.

Dr. Chang has led numerous investigator-initiated and industry-sponsored clinical trials. He serves as IMRT Co-Chair on NRG Oncology/RTOG 0924 and has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and multiple textbook chapters. A dedicated educator and mentor, he has received accolades including the ARRO Educator of the Year Award and multiple “Top Doctor” recognitions. Dr. Chang earned his MD/PhD in Molecular Medicine from Boston University and completed his radiation oncology residency at Washington University in St. Louis.

Vorakarn Chanyavanich, PhD is the Chief Medical Physicist at Calaway-Young Cancer Center at Valley View Hospital, in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Working closely with Dr. Pete Rossi, we have an active MRI-based prostate HDR brachytherapy program.

Alisha is a nurse leader with 17 years of oncology nursing experience, including 10 years in leadership roles. She serves as Service Coordinator for Radiation Oncology Nursing at Northside Hospital Cancer Institute, overseeing nursing teams across 17 clinics in the Atlanta area. Her work focuses on operational excellence, clinical quality, and team development within a large, complex radiation oncology program.

Dr. Chino is an Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology and Director of Brachytherapy at the Duke Cancer Center and is a Fellow of ASTRO and the American Brachytherapy Society. He has authored over 130 publications in the peer reviewed literature, and his research interests are concentrated in radiation therapy and brachytherapy for gynecologic and ocular cancers, radiation in low/middle income countries, as well as health services and disparities. He was lead author of the ASTRO guidelines task force for cervical cancer, and served as the GYN section editor at the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology and Physics.

Dr. Tsuicheng David Chiu is a medical physicist specializing in brachytherapy, with a particular emphasis on the customization and fabrication of plesiotherapy applicators for surface and complex treatments. His work bridges hands-on applicator design with clinical implementation to provide highly tailored and effective brachytherapy solutions. While his primary focus is on personalized brachytherapy, Dr. Chiu also brings experience in adaptive radiotherapy using the Elekta Unity MR-Linac, supporting a comprehensive approach to individualized radiation therapy.

Gil'ad Cohen has over 30 years of experience as a radiotherapy physicist. Most of his time is dedicated to the advancement of brachytherapy both through the practice of brachytherapy, mentoring and program developments, and through involvement in ABS and AAPM. He currently serves as faculty at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and is the director brachytherapy physics at the department of radiation oncology.

Timothy J. Daskivich, MD, MSHPM is an Associate Professor and the Director of Academic Urologic Oncology in the Department of Urology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He graduated magna cum laude in Biochemical Sciences from Harvard College in 2001 and earned his MD from Harvard Medical School in 2006. He then completed residency in Urology at UCLA in 2012 and did a combined health services research and urologic oncology fellowship with the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program and Institute of Urologic Oncology at UCLA. Dr. Daskivich’s clinical practice includes comprehensive management of all genitourinary malignancies, including open and robotic approaches, with a focus on single and multiport robotic surgery and focal therapy for prostate cancer. His main research interests are longevity assessment and improving risk communication to optimize shared decision making in prostate cancer. He won the AUA/Urology Care Foundation Astellas Rising Stars in Urology Research award in 2018. His work has been published in Annals of Internal Medicine, JAMA Surgery, JAMA Oncology, JAMA Internal Medicine, Cancer, European Urology, and the Journal of Urology, among others. He has been funded by the NCI/NIH, Department of Defense, American Cancer Society, and American Urological Association.

Dr. John David is a board-certified radiation oncologist. He has advanced sub-specialized training in brachytherapy and extensive expert training in radiopharmaceuticals. His other interests include stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and stereotactic body radiation therapy/stereotactic ablative radiation therapy (SBRT/SABR). Prior to joining Comprehensive Hematology Oncology, Dr. David served as the Director of Brachytherapy Services and Lead Physician of Radiopharmaceuticals at the University of South Florida and Tampa General Hospital. Dr. David also gained valuable experience in one of the most contemporary radiation treatment modalities, proton therapy, while working with physicians at the New York Proton Center. Dr. David has received many awards including ASCO Merit award, Gold Humanism nominee, American College of Physicians Young Achievers Award and he was top 1% in his medical class. Dr. David enjoys caring for his patients, sports, and spending his free time with family. He is fluent in English and Arabic.

Christopher L. Deufel, Ph.D. is a Professor of Medical Physics and a faculty medical physicist in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He serves as Chair of Research for the Division of Medical Physics and practice leader for brachytherapy, where he oversees clinical operations and innovation in this subspecialty. Dr. Deufel earned his Ph.D. in experimental physics from Cornell University and completed his residency in therapeutic medical physics at Mayo Clinic. His research focuses on brachytherapy, spatially fractionated radiotherapy, novel treatment device development, and radiation treatment planning optimization. He holds multiple patents and has authored more than 60 peer-reviewed publications in leading journals, including Nature Methods, Radiotherapy and Oncology, and International Journal of Radiation Oncology–Biology–Physics.

An internationally recognized speaker, Dr. Deufel has delivered invited lectures at ESTRO, AAPM, the World Congress of Brachytherapy, and the American Brachytherapy Society. His work has been honored with the Mayo Clinic Radiation Oncology Distinguished Researcher Award, Educator of the Year awards from both Mayo Clinic and AARO, and the Judith Stitt Award at the World Congress of Brachytherapy. He is a Fellow of the American Brachytherapy Society and has served for nine consecutive years on its Board of Directors, including as Secretary, helping guide the society’s scientific direction and strategy. He currently chairs the AAPM Working Group on Brachytherapy Clinical Applications, contributing to the development of national standards of care.

Agnes Ewongwo, M.D., M.P.H., is an Assistant Professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center and is part of the Department of Radiation Oncology. She came to UT Southwestern after completing her residency at Stanford University.

Dr. Ewongwo earned her bachelor’s degree in health science at the University of Arizona before receiving her Master of Public Health and M.D. from the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Dr. Ewongwo joined Stanford University’s Radiation Oncology Residency Program after spending a transitional year at the Tucson Hospitals Medical Education Program.

Dr. Ewongwo has a diverse background in public health, nonprofit leadership, and global medical education. She developed and led a web-based radiation oncology training program for residents in Kenya and Tanzania, and mentored clinical and physics trainees at Kenyatta National Hospital and Ocean Road Cancer Institute. She also has a strong passion for improving access and delivery of oncologic care in low- and middle-income countries.

Bio text coming soon.

Clara Ferreira, PhD, DABR, is an Associate Professor and Medical Physicist in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Minnesota Medical School, where she has served since 2016. Board-certified by the American Board of Radiology in Therapeutic Radiologic Physics since 2018, Dr. Ferreira specializes in intracranial brachytherapy, with a focus on GammaTile implants and COMS Eye Plaque brachytherapy. Her research advances treatment planning through Monte Carlo simulations and consensus guidelines for target volume delineation. She has published extensively in journals such as Brachytherapy and Neuro-Oncology Advances and is a frequent presenter at international and national conferences, including ESTRO and AAPM. Dr. Ferreira earned her PhD in Biomedical Physics from East Carolina University and completed a CAMPEP-accredited medical physics residency at the University of Oklahoma. Committed to education, she mentors graduate students and residents, shaping the next generation of medical physicists.

Dr. Christine M. Fisher is a radiation oncologist in Aurora, Colorado and is affiliated with UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital. She received her medical degree from Chicago Medical School/Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine Science and has been in practice for more than 20 years.

I am an academic radiation oncologist specializing in brachytherapy, intraoperative radiation therapy, and radiopharmaceuticals, and a Professor of Radiation Oncology at the University of Washington and the Division of Radiation Oncology at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center. I also serve as the Brachytherapy Representative on the Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, where I chair the Training and Experience Subcommittee.

Professor of Radiation Oncology. I have a long association with the Gyn Cancer Intergroup, past co-Chair of NCI Gyn Steering Committee, past president of ABS, and current co-Chair of Gyn committee in NRG Oncology.

Aurelie Garant, M.D., is an Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology and Director of the Brachytherapy Program at UT Southwestern Medical Center. She is board certified in radiation oncology by the American Board of Radiology.

Jose Garcia Ramirez, MS, is an assistant professor of radiation oncology. He joined the faculty in 2006. He earned an MS in Medical Radiation Physics from Finch University of Health Sciences/Rosalind Franklin University in Chicago in 1997 and completed a residency in medical physics, CAMPEP accredited, at Washington University School of Medicine in 2001. His responsibilities include Brachytherapy Physics Service, Implementation of Novel Radiopharmaceutical therapies, and XOFT Treatments. He is certified in Therapeutic Radiological Physics by the American Board of Radiology.

Dr. Glaser is an associate professor of radiation oncology at City of Hope and chief of brachytherapy and gynecologic radiotherapy.

Yesenia Gonzalez, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Texas A&M University, followed by her Ph.D. at UT Southwestern Medical Center. After completing her medical physics residency in the Department of Radiation Oncology at UT Southwestern, she stayed on as faculty in the Division of Medical Physics and Engineering.

Dr. Gonzalez's clinical focus is on Unity, EROC TPOD, and brachytherapy; her research interests include adaptive radiotherapy and deep learning for medical applications.

Daniel Gorovets, MD is a radiation oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York specializing in the treatment of genitourinary malignancies. He has expertise in advanced radiation techniques, including SBRT, proton therapy, adaptive radiotherapy, and brachytherapy. Dr. Gorovets leads multiple clinical trials focused on optimizing treatment through risk stratification, thoughtful treatment de-intensification and intensification strategies, and the integration of radiation with novel systemic therapies. Dr. Gorovets also serves as Program Director of the Radiation Oncology Residency Program and Associate Program Director of the Brachytherapy Fellowship at MSKCC.

Bio text coming soon.

Dr. Yasmin Hasan is a nationally recognized leader in gynecologic brachytherapy at the University of Chicago, where she serves as Director of the Gynecological Brachytherapy Program, Residency Program Director, and Wellness Director for the Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology. Dr. Hasan has developed one of the most comprehensive gynecologic brachytherapy programs in the Midwest. Her program draws complex cases regionally for advanced procedures including triple tandem and interstitial brachytherapy, utilizing MRI-based image guidance.Her clinical expertise is matched by significant research contributions, with over 50 peer-reviewed publications, 6 book chapters, and numerous national presentations. Dr. Hasan is Principal Investigator on multiple investigator-initiated trials and serves as Co-Lead for the ROBIN U54 Cross-Training Core, an NCI-supported network investigating radiation-immune system interactions. She is a member of the NRG Oncology Breast Committee and an invited reviewer for Brachytherapy and the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology and Physics.Dr. Hasan’s recent recognitions include induction to the 2026 Biological Sciences Division’s Academy of Clinical Excellence (ACE) and the 2024 Residency Program Director of the Year Award at the University of Chicago.

Jaroslaw Hepel, MD, FACRO, is director of the stereotactic radiotherapy and radiosurgery program and director of academic affairs for the department of radiation oncology at the Brown University Health Cancer Institute and Rhode Island Hospital. He also serves as associate professor at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and as adjunct associate professor at Tufts University. He is board certified in radiation oncology by the American Board of Radiology.

Dr. Hepel received his undergraduate degree at Cornell University in 1997 with distinction. He earned his medical degree at the University of Rochester in 2001, and then completed an internal medicine residency at the University of California Irvine Medical Center. He then went on to complete his residency in radiation oncology at Tufts Medical Center in Boston.

The author of numerous scientific papers, Dr. Hepel’s clinical and research interests include breast and lung cancer treatment and stereotactic radiosurgery/radiotherapy for diseases involving the brain, spine, lung, and other sites.

He serves as the medical director of the American College of Radiation Oncology, where he is also on the board of chancellors. He is also a member of the American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, the American Brachytherapy Society, the American Medical Association, and the Massachusetts Medical Society. He has been awarded the Brown University Dean’s Excellence in Teaching Award and named a Rhode Island Monthly “Top Doctor” four times, among other awards.

John Hollman, BSN, RN, OCN®, is an experienced radiation oncology nurse and clinical educator with more than 25 years of progressive experience in oncology nursing, leadership, and education. He currently serves as a Radiation Nurse Educator at Texas Oncology, where he designs and implements clinical education programs, competency assessments, onboarding, and continuing education for nurses, advanced practice providers, and interdisciplinary teams.

John has held senior leadership roles across multi-site radiation oncology programs, including serving as Senior Nurse Manager of Radiation Therapy at AdventHealth Cancer Institute in Orlando, Florida, where he oversaw nursing operations, staffing, and competencies across seven radiation oncology centers. His background spans direct patient care, program development, regulatory compliance, and workforce education within complex oncology settings.

A nationally recognized subject-matter expert, John is actively involved with the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) and the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC). He is currently collaborating with ONCC on the development of the first Radiation Oncology Nursing Certification Exam and has contributed to multiple national task forces, test-writing committees, and role delineation studies. John is a frequent national speaker and has delivered keynote and invited presentations on radiation therapy, radiopharmaceuticals, and emerging oncology treatments.

Kelly Hosier, MS, DABR, earned her masters from the University of Pennsylvania in 2011. She is currently a Physics Manager at Sutter Medical Foundation in Sacramento, CA, with clinical and technical expertise in HDR and 3D printing.

Bio coming soon.

Dr. Hsi received his medical degree from the University of Michigan and completed residencies in Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan and Radiation Oncology at The University of Pennsylvania. He currently is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Washington/Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. He has over 25 years experience performing prostate LDR brachytherapy and has a special interest in SBRT, transperineal MR guided prostate biopsy and focal brachytherapy.

Brenda E. Ibarra Ortega, is an oncology nurse specializing in radiation therapy in Mexicali, Mexico. She works in a recently established oncology center, where she is actively involved in the care of patients undergoing external beam radiation therapy and brachytherapy. Her professional interests include improving access to quality cancer care in middle-income settings, strengthening the role of specialized oncology nursing, and contributing to research in radiation oncology.

Bio coming soon.

Dr. Justin Jagodinsky attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he earned both an MD and a PhD. He completed his graduate work in the laboratory of Dr. Zachary Morris, studying the effects of radiation on the tumor immune microenvironment. In his preclinical work, he elucidated how various forms of radiation, including external beam radiation and radiopharmaceuticals, impact immune activation both locally within the tumor and systemically. Additionally, his research has explored the combination of brachytherapy and immunotherapy to enhance anti-tumor immune responses, particularly in metastatic cancer. He has received recognition for his research, including an NIH F30 award supporting his studies on how radiation and immunotherapy can be combined to improve outcomes for patients with “cold” tumors that are less responsive to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Dr. Jagodinsky has published several peer-reviewed articles in high-impact journals, including Science Translational Medicine and Nature Communications, holds two patents related to his graduate work, and has presented at national oncology conferences. He serves as a review editor for Frontiers in Oncology and as an ad hoc reviewer for several other radiation journals.

Kayla has been a brachytherapy nurse since 2012 (and a trauma intensive care nurse in the years prior) and has provided operational oversight for the UCLA HDR Brachytherapy team and greater Radiation Oncology locations since 2012. During her time at UCLA, Kayla has worked extensively in patient care, policy and procedure development, operations and program management, patient navigation, expansion and growth strategizing, educational development, quality improvement and collaborations across the hospital system. Kayla has continuously served as the nursing liaison to the Board for the American Brachytherapy Society since 2021, working aggressively to develop and promote the world’s first global brachytherapy nursing and RTT community. Kayla serves as an international speaker, nursing consultant and educator. Kayla also has collaborated with multiple other medical associations, individual hospitals, non-profit organizations and industry to continue to expand brachytherapy nursing education across the world, with active brachytherapy nursing educational initiatives being developed and delivered across 4 continents in 2026 alone.

Sophia C. Kamran, MD is a Radiation Oncologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital and an Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology at Harvard Medical School. She is also an Associate Member of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. Dr. Kamran’s clinical interest is in genitourinary cancer care with a focus on harnessing computational/bioinformatics approaches to discover genomic and molecular predictors of response to radiation and characterize mechanisms of resistance. Her goal is to design clinical trials investigating genomically-guided radiation therapy to deliver optimal doses in combination with appropriate systemic therapy for improved outcomes. Dr. Kamran is actively involved with multiple professional organizations including the American Urological Association, NRG Oncology, the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), the Radiation Research Society, the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO), and the Massachusetts Prostate Cancer Coalition. She was the 2023 Co-Chair of the Renal & Rare Tumors Track for the ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium and the Organizing Chair for the 2023 Coffey-Holden Prostate Cancer Academy Meeting, sponsored by the Prostate Cancer Foundation. She serves on the Editorial Board for Clinical Genitourinary Cancer and is a GU Associate Section Editor for Practical Radiation Oncology. Dr. Kamran is a part of the NRG Oncology Genitourinary Cancer Committee and was selected as a 2023 NRG Health Equity Fellow. She also serves on ASCO’s Annual Meeting Planning Committee for the GU track. Her work has been published in many high-quality journals, including The New England Journal of Medicine, Clinical Cancer Research, JAMA Oncology, European Urology, and others.

Dr. Kamran holds a bachelor’s degree in Biological Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which she attended as a Gates Millennium Scholar. She received her medical degree cum laude from Harvard Medical School. During her medical training, she completed a Howard Hughes Medical Student Research Fellowship. She completed a transitional year internship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and residency training at the Harvard Radiation Oncology Program.

I'm a Professor and Director of the Brachytherapy Division in the department of Radiation Oncology at Cedars Sinai Medical Center. I am currently the President of the American Brachytherapy Society.

Elizabeth Kidd works as a Professor of Radiation Oncology at Stanford University with a focus on treating gynecologic cancers and a particular interest and expertise in performing brachytherapy. Her research focuses on optimizing and individualizing treatment approaches for gynecologic cancers to improve long-term patient outcomes with better disease control, decreased side effects and improved quality of life. Her research aims to enhance brachytherapy procedure efficiency, optimize treatment planning and expand access for advanced brachytherapy techniques.

Yusung Kim, PhD, DABR, FAAPM, is Professor of Radiation Physics and Physics Chief of the GU–GYN Physics Section in the Division of Radiation Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. He is a board-certified medical physicist with over 18 years of experience in image-guided and MRI-based brachytherapy.

Dr. Kim’s clinical and research focus centers on advanced brachytherapy techniques, including MRI-guided adaptive therapy, intensity-modulated brachytherapy (IMBT), and AI-driven innovations in radiation oncology. His work has contributed to the development and clinical implementation of modern HDR brachytherapy workflows and technologies.

He is actively leading research in artificial intelligence applications in brachytherapy, including auto-segmentation, outcome prediction, and digital twin–based precision radiation therapy. Dr. Kim serves on multiple national and international committees and is a Fellow of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM)

I am a board-certified, fellowship-trained radiation oncologist, who specializes in treating gynecologic and genitourinary malignancies. For the latter, I perform both low dose rate and high dose rate prostate brachytherapy in the localized, locally advanced, and radiorecurrent settings.

Ann Klopp is a Professor of Radiation Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. She leads the gynecologic section in the Department of Radiation Oncology and serves as the Director of Brachytherapy. Her clinical research is focused on the use of advanced radiation techniques to reduce toxicity from radiation treatment and improve outcomes for women with gynecologic cancers. To accomplish this, she has expanded the use of intraprocedural CT and MRI for brachytherapy to facilitate the use of advanced brachytherapy applicators. MD Anderson is the only site in the US offering both inpatient and outpatient brachytherapy. Additionally, she led a phase III randomized trial demonstrating that IMRT reduces the toxicity of pelvic radiation. Dr. Klopp’s lab is focused on understanding effects of the microenvironment on the biology of gynecologic cancers, including host stromal cells which infiltrate cancers and microbial organisms which infect mucosal cancers. She co-leads the MD Anderson moonshot program for HPV cancers aimed at improving outcomes through targeted molecular and immunologic treatments. She has national leadership roles including co-chairing the corpus committee at NRG and chairing the oral boards for gynecologic cancers through the American Board of Radiology.

Bio text coming soon.

Dr. Krauss received his B.S. from the University of Michigan and his M.D. from Wayne State University in 2000 and serves as Professor of Radiation Oncology and Brachytherapy Section Head at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine. He completed his residency training in radiation oncology at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, MI in 2005 and has been a member of the clinical faculty there since that time. Dr. Krauss has first- or co-authored nearly 200 published manuscripts and abstracts in peer-reviewed journals. Current academic interests emphasize primarily clinical research in the area of genitourinary malignancies on both the local and national level. He was the primary author of RTOG 0815, investigating the role of androgen suppression in the context of dose-escalated radiotherapy and remains active in national clinical research, serving as brachytherapy co-chair of NRG GU 009 as well as development of new clinical protocols on the institutional level for prostate, bladder, and renal malignancies.

Jeremy N. Kunz, MS, PhD, DABR is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Utah and a Medical Physicist at Huntsman Cancer Hospital. Dr. Kunz received a BS in Physics and Applied Mathematics from Weber State University and completed his doctoral work at Baylor University where his thesis focused on quantum biophotonics. Dr. Kunz received a MS in Medical Physics from the University of Toledo and then completed his residency training at the University of Utah-Huntsman Cancer Institute in therapeutic medical physics. Dr. Kunz's clinical and research interests include brachytherapy, patient safety and quality assurance, and resident education.

Bio coming soon.

Dr. Alan Lee is a board-certified radiation oncologist specializing in high-precision treatments, including image-guided brachytherapy (IGBT) and SBRT. With clinical expertise spanning thoracic, genitourinary, gynecologic, and dermatologic cancers, he is dedicated to merging cutting-edge technology with compassionate, individualized patient care

Eric Leung is a radiation oncologist and GYN Radiation Site Lead at Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre and Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, Department of Radiation Oncology. He is the Co-Chair of the Canadian Clinical Trials Group (CCTG) cervix working group, a member of the NRG Oncology Cervix Core Committee. He is currently the University of Toronto Department of Radiation Oncology Fellowship Director for the Brachytherapy AFC Program.

Yixiang Liao, PhD, joined the Department of Radiation Oncology in June 2007 and currently serves as the director of the Medical Physics Residency Program. She is a board-certified therapeutic medical physicist by the American Board of Radiology.

She belongs to several organizations, including the American Association of Physicists in Medicine, American Society for Radiation Oncology and American Brachytherapy Society.

Dr. Libby is a senior member at Moffitt Cancer Center with over 25 years clinical brachytherapy experience.

Anna Likhacheva is a Radiation Oncologist at Sutter Health. She received her medical degree at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. She is board certified in Radiation Oncology. Her interest is Cancer Services, Gastroenterology, Gynecology and Women's Health, Imaging, Neuroscience, Urology

Dr. Lim specializes in advanced interventional radiation oncology, treating a variety of conditions including prostate, gynecologic, and metastatic cancers. In addition to his clinical work, he is an active entrepreneur who develops AI-driven software and tools designed to improve medical predictions and put patients in control of their own care journey.

Dr. Ma is a board-certified radiation oncologist who specializes in genitourinary and gynecological malignancies. He is an Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, University of Washington. He has extensive experience with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), proton therapy and high-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy.

Dr. Ma has a long-standing interest in advanced imaging, including multiparametric MRI, prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography (PSMA PET/CT) and MRI- guided radiotherapy. He has been a principal investigator and co-investigator on multiple phase I/II and phase III clinical trials. He also serves as an investigator of the international Meta- Analysis of Randomized Trials in Cancer of the Prostate (MARCAP) consortium and has led multiple meta-analyses answering important clinical questions. He has first or co-first author publications in JAMA Oncology, Journal of Clinical Oncology, European Urology, and the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, and Physics, among others. He is also the recipients of many awards, including Conquer Cancer Merit Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), Early Career Oncologist Award from American Radium Society (ARS).

Dr. Ma earned an MD and PhD in neuroscience from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. After an internship in the Internal Medicine Preliminary program at the University of Washington, he continued residency training in Radiation Oncology at UCLA. He joined faculty at University of Washington in 2023.

Between 2005 - 2020: Professor, Radiation Oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai

Specialized in GYN, GI & Urology Cancers with special interest in Brachytherapy

Visiting Professor - Medical University of Vienna, Austria
International Expert for establishing guidelines at National (ICMR Guidelines for Cervical Cancer) & International bodies [European Society GYN Oncology / European Society for Radiation Oncology (ESTRO) Guidelines for Vulvar and Cervical Cancer Management]

Publications : > 250 peer reviewed articles

Consultant to IAEA missions, WHO, ICRU 89 Report on GYN Brachytherapy

Senior Editor of various prestigious International and National Journals.

Vice President (Senior): AROI & IBS

May 2025: Honorary ESTRO Member for outstanding contributions in Research & Education

Dr. Marcrom is a radiation oncologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. During residency, he was enrolled in the Clinical Trials Pathway at UAB. Dr. Marcrom was elected to represent radiation oncology residents on the ARRO executive committee, and he served as a guest editor for the ACR Journal Advisor.

He is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology. He is a member of the QuadShot News team and hosts the associated podcast. He currently serves as the Program Director of the UAB Radiation Oncology Residency Program. He is also the Medical Director of Brachytherapy, in which he leads and oversees the department's brachytherapy program.

Nancy Marou, RN, MS, ONC, has been a registered nurse for 42 years, with the past 20 years dedicated to Radiation Oncology. For the last 15 years, she has focused extensively on brachytherapy, developing deep clinical expertise in both procedural care and patient education. Nancy was instrumental in building the prostate brachytherapy program at her institution in 2014 and has played a key role in the continued enhancement and expansion of the gynecologic brachytherapy program. Her work emphasizes structured pre- and post-treatment education to improve patient preparedness, clinical outcomes, and overall treatment experience. She is currently involved in the development and initiation of a brachytherapy program for rectal cancer, continuing her commitment to advancing innovative, patient-centered radiation oncology services.

Mahta M. McKee, MS, DABR, FABS is an Associate Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. She holds a Master of Science and is board-certified by the American Board of Radiology, with fellowship recognition in brachytherapy physics. At Wake Forest, Dr. McKee is involved in clinical practice, teaching, and research focused on radiotherapy and brachytherapy techniques used in cancer treatment. Her work includes contributions to the development and application of advanced radiation planning and delivery methods, and she participates actively in professional organizations in medical physics and therapeutic radiology. McKee also serves as a faculty member in national educational programs on prostate seed implant procedures and other radiation oncology topics.

Sheridan Griffin Meltsner, PhD, is a board-certified medical physicist at Duke University Medical Center, whose primary clinical focus is in brachytherapy. Her work includes the development and clinical implementation of novel treatment programs, with particular interest in ocular melanoma and high-dose-rate applicators. She has contributed to multiple institutional and collaborative efforts to expand access to these advanced brachytherapy techniques. Dr. Meltsner is delighted to serve as a moderator for this session at the 2026 American Brachytherapy Society Annual Meeting.

Professor, Researcher, and Chief of Radiation Oncology at the University of Montreal Hospital - dedicated to the evaluation of advanced imaging technologies applied to radiotherapy in prostate cancer.

Dr. Mohindra is a Clinical Professor and Vice-Chair of Operations and Quality, at the Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center/ UH Seidman Cancer Center affiliated with the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He also serves as Director, UH Proton Therapy Center. His primary area of clinical and research interest is thoracic/lung, gynecological and hematological malignancies. Dr. Mohindra’s research efforts include evaluation of treatment outcomes through institutional and population-based databases, development of early phase clinical trials evaluating both radiation sensitizers and radiation toxicity mitigators and evaluation of modern radiation techniques including proton beam therapy. He has served as national PI of two National Cancer Institute (NCI)-sponsored multi-institutional phase-I clinical trials (NCT02589522, career development project team award and NCT02993146). Nationally, he holds leadership positions in national society committees within American Society for Radiation Oncology, American Brachytherapy Society, and International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. On the education front, he is the former director the Annual University of Maryland Mock Orals Course in Radiation Oncology, currently serving as Gyn-disease site lead examiner. He chairs the thoracic section of the ACR Radiation Oncology In-Training (TXITTM) Exam. Overall, his research efforts have resulted in 116 peer-reviewed published manuscripts resulting in more than 2300 citations (google scholar) with current h-Index of 26, i10-index of 58.

Bio coming soon.

Dr. Mourtada is the Enterprise Clinical Director of Medical Physics in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Thomas Jefferson University–Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center in Philadelphia. He was the president of the ABS in 2020. He is a fellow of the ABS, ASTRO, and AAPM.

Bio coming soon.

Dr. Niedermayr is a Clinical Professor at the Stanford Radiation Oncology Department and leads the brachytherapy physics program.

Karina Nieto, M.D., M.B.A., is a board-certified radiation oncologist with specialized expertise in gynecologic and interstitial brachytherapy. She serves as the Director of Brachytherapy in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida.

Dr. Nieto earned her medical degree from Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine and completed her residency in radiation oncology at Wake Forest. She also holds an Executive M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, where she focused on strategic leadership and healthcare innovation.

Dr. Nieto's clinical practice focuses on delivering high-quality, patient-centered care with an emphasis on complex brachytherapy techniques, including interstitial and image-guided approaches for gynecologic and pelvic malignancies. Her multidisciplinary work emphasizes improving efficiency, safety, and outcomes in brachytherapy through innovative protocols and team-based workflows.

Her professional interests include:
•Interstitial brachytherapy and gynecologic oncology
•Multidisciplinary quality improvement
•Health system leadership and operational strategy
•Mentorship of underrepresented trainees in medicine
•Patient advocacy and culturally responsive care
•Clinical program development

Dr. Nieto is committed to advancing the field of radiation oncology through leadership, clinical excellence, and inclusive innovation.

RN Program Coordinator and Brachytherapy Coordinator from Allegheny Health Network, Cancer Institute, Division of Radiation Oncology (Pittsburgh, PA)

Dr. Park is a Clinical Professor in the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine and Physics and Biology in Medicine graduate program and a chief physicist of Brachytherapy Division at the UCLA Radiation Oncology Department.

Shyamal Patel, MD, is a radiation oncologist at the Dignity Health – Cancer Institute at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center. He is board-certified in radiation oncology and has clinical expertise in brachytherapy.

Dr. Patel’s expertise includes the management and treatment of genitourinary cancer and skin cancer. His extensive training in ultrasound-guided high-dose-rate brachytherapy provides him with a unique way to treat newly diagnosed and recurrent prostate cancers as well as complex locally advanced gynecologic cancers. He also offers a less invasive but highly effective modality of treatment for squamous cell and basal cell carcinomas of the skin. Overall, Dr. Patel strongly believes in providing his patients with all potential treatment options and tailoring his treatment recommendations to the patient within a context of evidence-based medicine. His extensive training provides him with unique and highly effective treatment modalities.

Dr. Patel received his medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine. He completed his internship in medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City and subsequently his residency in radiation oncology at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, NY. He then completed his fellowship in brachytherapy at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Bio coming soon.

Dr Portelance is Vice Chair and Clinic Division Chief of the Radiation Oncology Department at Moffitt Cancer Center and Professor of Oncological Sciences USF Morsani School of Medicine. She is a senior clinician and investigator. Her research interests are centered around predicting and understanding the treatment toxicity and developing strategies to mitigate side effects, improving quality of life and tumor control by using cutting edge technology (like MR-guided adaptive therapy, Image Guided High Dose Rate Brachytherapy) to deliver radiation.

Dr. Portelance is a member of the ASTRO guidelines committee, the NRG Theranostics committee and consultant for the American Radium Society Appropriateness Criteria Committee. She has more than twenty-five years of experience in academic practice where she contributed to the training of many radiation oncologists who are now in practice in the United States and all over the world.

Her motto is, the one who gives is the one who receives the most. Dr. Portelance states,” in the field of oncology, this is so true. I give my hundred percent to deliver the best care and achieve the best outcomes for the patients. The fact that people trust me in their fight against cancer makes my life so meaningful. That’s full circle.”

I am a radiation oncologist at the Ohio State University Medical Center. I specialize in Gynecologic cancers and Gynecologic brachytherapy. I have research interests in quality of life, vaginal health, and sexual function in female cancer survivors.

Dr. Dominique Rash is a board-certified radiation oncologist in the department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences at UC San Diego, where she serves as Residency Program Director. Her clinical and academic focus is on the treatment of breast and gynecologic malignancies, with particular expertise in HDR brachytherapy for gynecologic cancers.

A radiation oncologist, Jill Remick, MD, specializes in the treatment of head and neck, and gynecologic cancer. She treats patients at Emory University Hospital and Emory University Hospital Midtown.

Dr. Remick is an assistant professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine. She serves as associate director for the Department of Radiation Oncology's Physician Residency Program.

Dr. Remick received her medical degree from George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, DC. She completed an internship in internal medicine at the George Washington University Hospital in Washington, DC. She subsequently completed residency training in Radiation Oncology at University of Maryland Medical Center and Maryland Proton Treatment Center in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dr. Remick's research interests include identifying optimal treatment strategies to improve outcomes while minimizing acute and chronic side effects from radiation therapy.

Dr. Remick has published research articles in a number of leading journals including the International Journal of Radiation Oncology · Biology · Physics, Radiotherapy and Oncology, Clinical Lung Cancer, and Jounral of Thoracic Disease.

Mark Rivard is full Professor of Radiation Oncology at Brown University and a clinical medical physicist, serving as Director of the Brachytherapy Physics service at Rhode Island Hospital. He is past president and chair of the New England chapter of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine as well as having served as an officer and on boards for radiation-related professional societies. Mark serves as editor or is on the editorial board of several radiation physics journals, is a board-certified medical physicist with expertise in brachytherapy, and has authored 152 scientific publications with his students and colleagues. These papers and his extramurally-funded research include investigations on radiation dosimetry for radionuclide calibrations and internal dosimetry, radiation shielding and safety, and nuclear policy and source utilization. Mark is on the adjunct faculty of several universities in New England and mentors students on a wide range of translational topics towards clinical integration of new radiation technologies

Dr. Rivera’s research focuses on treatment optimization for gynecologic cancers, the patient experience, and workforce diversity. She has previously collaborated with the American Cancer Society and the NFL Crucial Catch Project to improve cervical cancer screening rates in the Bronx. She aims to study the interplay of resource availability and how to combat the perpetuation of disparities along the cancer continuum in underserved communities, now in south Florida. Dr. Rivera was a founding member of The Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology Equity and Inclusion Subcommittee (ARRO EISC) and spearheaded it’s nationwide virtual mentorship initiative for underrepresented groups in medicine. She currently sits on ASTRO’s HEDI Workforce Diversity Committee. Dr. Rivera was featured on Good Morning America with the first lady, Dr. Jill Biden, and Robin Roberts to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on breast cancer screening and promote awareness. She enjoys treating patients and personalizing her encounters based on individual needs and collaboration.

Kamber Rodriguez holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology (2009) and a Master's in Secondary Education in Life and Earth Sciences (2013). She later earned her degree in Radiation Therapy and currently serves as the Radiation Services Manager at Silicon Valley Oncology - US Oncology. Passionate about professional development and collaboration, Kamber is committed to being a resource with the Radiation Therapy community. She also serves as Co-Chair of the Nursing/Dosimetry/Radiation Therapist Council for the American Brachytherapy Society.

Dr. Peter J. Rossi, FABS, FASTRO is a radiation oncologist with a specialized focus on advanced technologies and innovative management strategies in cancer care. With particular expertise in prostate brachytherapy techniques, he is dedicated to enhancing patient quality of life (QOL) through precision treatments and personalized care plans. Dr. Rossi is committed to a multidisciplinary approach, collaborating closely with other specialists to deliver comprehensive care tailored to each patient's unique needs. In addition to his clinical work, he is deeply invested in education and mentorship, teaching the next generation of Urologists and Radiation Oncologists and sharing his insights on outcomes-driven care. His practice, located at Valley View Hospital in beautiful Glenwood Springs Colorado, focuses on advancing radiation oncology to improve patient outcomes and expand therapeutic options in the field.

Dr. Michael Roumeliotis is the Director of Brachytherapy Physics and Faculty in the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He also serves as the Chair of the ABS Research Council and has a significant personal research portfolio in the application of artificial intelligence to brachytherapy and patient outcomes.

Kamran Salari is an Assistant Professor Radiation Oncologist at Winship Cancer Institute Emory University. He completed radiation oncology residency training at Beaumont Health in Royal Oak, MI in 2024 and joined the Department of Radiation Oncology at Emory University at that time. His clinical and research interests involve the treatment and study of prostate, renal, and bladder malignancies with a specific focus on high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy. His work involves the use of advanced imaging and novel treatment strategies to optimize prostate HDR brachytherapy efficacy and safety.

Dr. Parag Sanghvi is the Assistant Dean for Admissions and Director of the Learning Environment at UC San Diego School of Medicine. In his role as Assistant Dean, he oversees the medical school’s admissions process, ensuring the recruitment of a diverse and highly qualified student body. As Director of the Learning Environment, he is responsible for fostering a positive, inclusive and supportive educational culture for our students and collaborates closely with the School of Medicine educational leadership, faculty and the health system. In his clinical capacity, Dr. Sanghvi is a radiation oncologist who specializes in the management of head and neck cancers, hematologic malignancies, and cutaneous malignancies. Dr. Sanghvi has a long-standing commitment to global health. Dr. Sanghvi earned his B.A. in Politics & Society from the University of California, Irvine, his M.S.P.H. in Epidemiology from Emory University, and his M.D. from the Medical College of Georgia. He did his internship in Internal Medicine at the University of Washington and then completed his residency in Radiation Oncology at Oregon Health & Sciences University in 2008.

Dr. Scala is the Regional Director for Brachytherapy Services and Genitourinary Oncology Co-Lead for Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC). KPNC is a large, integrated multispecialty group practice comprising over 10,000 physicians serving more than 3.5 million members. Dr. Scala has extensive experience in treating a wide variety of malignancies using advanced brachytherapy techniques and remains actively involved in clinical teaching.

Dr. Dan Scanderbeg is a Professor and Associate Director in the Division of Medical Physics at the University of California, San Diego, He oversees Brachytherapy and Regulatory Affairs at all UCSD treatment centers.

He is a dedicated clinical physicist with considerable expertise and experience in the use of low-dose-rate (LDR) and high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy covering a wide variety of tumor types and sites, including breast cancer, head & neck cancer, skin cancer, soft tissue sarcomas, gynecological cancers, ocular melanomas and prostate cancer.

Dr. Sebastian is an Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University and specializes in the management of genitourinary malignancies.

Chirag Shah, MD is the Division Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology for Allegheny Health Network. He specializes in breast cancer including breast brachytherapy.

Dr. Jay Shiao is an Assistant Professor and Brachytherapy Co-Director at the University of Kansas Cancer Center. Dr. Shiao specializes in treatment of genitourinary and gynecologic malignancies with a heavy clinical volume of brachytherapy. He has a passion for research and education in the brachytherapy space and hope to continue to expand indications for our patients.

April Shorthouse, MS, DABR, is a dedicated Clinical Medical Physicist specializing in Radiation Oncology, with over eight years of experience advancing patient safety and care in brachytherapy programs. Board-certified by the American Board of Radiology, she earned her Master’s in Medical Physics from Cleveland State University and completed her residency at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Her clinical expertise includes advanced HDR gynecologic brachytherapy planning. April is deeply committed to clinical innovation and actively pursues research both within and beyond the field of brachytherapy.

Samantha Simiele, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Medicine. She joined UAB in October 2023 and specializes in medical physics within radiation oncology. Dr. Simiele earned her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Health/Medical Physics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2017. Her work focuses on advancing radiation therapy practices through clinical application, research, and education.

Bio coming soon.

Dr. Solanki is Professor, Chief Genitourinary Radiation Oncologist, and Chair of the GU Oncology Research Program at Loyola University Chicago. In addition to expertise in the clinical management of genitourinary malignancies, Dr. Solanki has several leadership roles. He is the lead editor of the textbook “Radiation Therapy for Genitourinary Malignancies” (Springer Nature 2021). He is a member of the national VA Radiation Oncology Quality Surveillance task force, a group that aims to develop a comprehensive quality surveillance and improvement infrastructure for radiotherapy across the VA healthcare system. As part of this service, Dr. Solanki led the development of the first prostate cancer radiation oncology quality measures. He also serves as the co-chair of the ASTRO multidisciplinary quality assurance committee, which aims to facilitate improvement in the quality of radiotherapy care at a national level.

Dr. Solanki a passionate clinical trialist. He is the PI of the multi-center FSHARP phase I/II trial of salvage high dose rate brachytherapy in patients with radiorecurrent prostate cancer. He serves as the PI of the Veterans Affairs seamless phase II/III randomized trial of STAndard systemic theRapy with or without PET-directed local therapy for OligoRecurrenT prostate cancer (VA STARPORT). This trial is comparing systemic therapy with or without metastasis-directed therapy for patients with recurrent prostate cancer after prostatectomy or radiation leveraging modern advanced PSMA PET imaging to identify oligometastatic disease. This study will definitively test the oligometastasis hypothesis in recurrent prostate cancer and is currently accruing at 16 VA medical centers across the United States.

Bio coming soon.

Alex is a Clinical Oncologist specialising in gynaecologic and lower GI cancers. She has a specialist interest in dynamic optimisation of dose distribution particularly using brachytherapy and adaptive external beam radiotherapy. She qualified in 1997 and trained at Charing Cross and the Royal Marsden Hospitals with a Fellowship at Harvard University in Boston. She works at the Royal Surrey in Guildford, leading the brachytherapy service. She is the chair of GI-GEC ESTRO, focussing on research, education and quality improvement in radiotherapy.

Dr. Nitika Thawani is a radiation oncologist at the Dignity Health Cancer Institute at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, where she specializes in advanced radiation therapies for cancer treatment. She is a Full Clinical Professor in Radiology at the Creighton University School of Medicine– Phoenix.

Dr. Thawani earned her medical degree from Sawai Man Singh Medical College and Hospital in Jaipur, India. She completed a residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and later a residency in Radiation Oncology at Montefiore Medical Center, affiliated with the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Her work focuses on modern radiation techniques and clinical research to improve cancer treatment outcomes, especially for thoracic brachytherapy and Theranostics.

Bio coming soon.

Dr. Christopher J. Tien is an Associate Professor and Lead Brachytherapy Physicist in the department of Therapeutic Radiology. In addition to his appointments at Yale, Dr. Tien is an Adjunct Associate Professor at Brown University.

Dr. Tien practiced at a community hospital in suburban Chicago for 3 years after completing his residency at Brown University/ Rhode Island Hospital. He completed his PhD by the time he was 25 years old from the University of Florida on a full fellowship following his accelerated 5-year combined Master's & Bachelor's Degrees in Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences obtained summa cum laude at the University of Michigan.

Clinically, he is a board-certified therapeutic medical physicist appointed as a Medical Physicist at Yale-New Haven Hospital. His current translational research is largely inspired by his clinical duties in brachytherapy (gynecological, prostate, ocular, and skin) applications and radiobiological modeling.

In 2024, Dr. Tien was elected as a Fellow of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), making him one of the youngest elected Fellows in the AAPM's 66 year history. With AAPM, he is currently the chair of the national AAPM Task Group on high-dose-rate brachytherapy (TG59). He has served terms on the national AAPM Board of Directors and as the president of the Connecticut chapter of AAPM. He is a member of the national AAPM Medical Physics Education Subcommittee and ABS National Education Subcommittee.

Dr. Tien is a full member of the American Brachytherapy Society (ABS), the American Society for Radiation Oncology, and the Yale Cancer Center.

Katherine Tzou, M.D. is an Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine. She earned her medical degree at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, completed her internship in Preliminary Medicine at the University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, and completed her residency in Radiation Oncology at the Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education, College of Medicine, Jacksonville, Florida. She stayed on staff at Mayo Clinic Florida from 2012 – 2022. She has been board certified in Radiation Oncology through the American Board or Radiology since 2013 and joined the University of Colorado School of Medicine in 2022. She has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles, reviews, abstracts, and book chapters. She has served on several national committees including the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) and the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO). She serves as an exam writer and oral board examiner for the American Board of Radiology (ABR). She is an Associate Senior Editor for Advances in Radiation Oncology and serves as a peer reviewer for several other journals including the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics, Rare Tumors, International Journal of Gynecological Cancer, International Journal of Particle Therapy, and Brachytherapy. Dr. Tzou has expertise in the treatment of genitourinary (GU) and gynecologic (GYN) malignancies, as well as in the application of brachytherapy and stereotactic body radiotherapy/radiosurgery for a variety of cancer types.

Dr. Puja Venkat completed her undergraduate studies at Stanford University and medical school training at the University Of Toledo College Of Medicine. She went on to do her internship in medicine at St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor in Ann Arbor, Michigan and her residency in radiation oncology at the University of South Florida/Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida. She developed a strong interest in brachytherapy during her training, which led her out west to pursue a fellowship at UCLA.

Yonatan Weiss, M.D., works as radiation oncologist at Miami Cancer Institute treating a variety of disease sites including genitourinary, gynecologic, skin and other cancers with significant expertise in interstitial brachytherapy. Prior to joining Miami Cancer Institute in 2022, he was a fellow in the radiation oncology department at the University of California Los Angeles. Dr. Weiss completed his residency in 2021 and served as chief resident at the Princess Margaret and Odette Cancer Centres in Toronto, ON, Canada.

My name is A.Gabriella Wernicke, a Clinical Professor of Radiation Medicine at Northwell Health, New York and was the world's first radiation oncologist to perform intraoperative brachytherapy in the brain with Cs-131 in 2010. Since then, I was honored to be involved in the initial studies, utilizing Cs-131 in the space of neuro-oncology. We will be putting forth the ABS Consensus guidelines in utilization of brachytherapy in brain metastases.

Lead Brachytherapy Physicist
Department of Radiation Oncology
University Hospitals - Seidman Cancer Center

I am an academic radiation oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) specializing in thoracic and gastrointestinal malignancies, with a particular interest in brachytherapy techniques for those tumors. I graduated from Harvard Medical School and completed residency training at MSKCC. I previously served as the director of MSKCC's radiation oncology residency program, and am currently Vice Chair of MSKCC's Graduate Medical Education Committee.

Sherry Yan, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at the Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine and and its affiliate Boston Medical Center. She received her MD from Columbia University and SB in biology from MIT. Dr. Yan completed an internship in Internal Medicine at BMC, followed by residency at the New York University. She is board certified in Radiation Oncology by the American Board of Radiology. She speaks English and Mandarin. Dr. Yan has a clinical focus in gynecological malignancies, head and neck cancers, central nervous system tumors, and genitourinary malignancies. Her research includes peer reviewed journal articles and book chapters on head and neck, lung and breast cancers. Dr. Yan has training and experience in Stereotactic-Body Radiotherapy (SBRT), gynecologic brachytherapy, IGRT and Gamma Knife radiosurgery.

Dr. Emi Yoshida is a radiation oncologist who specializes in the treatment of gynecologic malignancies and is the Director of Brachytherapy at UCSF.

Ema Yoshioka, RN, MSN, is a brachytherapy nurse at UCLA specializing HDR brachytherapy. Her work focuses on improving care delivery through nursing-led research, quality improvement, and multidisciplinary collaboration. She is actively involved in developing patient education initiatives and advancing the role of nurses in brachytherapy practice.

Jacqueline Esthappan Zoberi is a Professor of Radiation Oncology in the Division of Medical Physics at the Washington University School of Medicine in Saint Louis, MO. She serves as the Chief of Brachytherapy Physics at the Siteman Cancer Center. She is currently involved in projects that explore treatment planning, delivery, and quality assurance methods for brachytherapy and radiopharmaceutical therapy.