Rebecca M. Howell

Rebecca M. Howell is a tenured Professor in the Department of Radiation Physics, Division of Radiation Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston. She also holds a leadership role in the MD Anderson UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences as Deputy Director of the Medical Physics Graduate Program. Her primary appointments include Director of Radiation Dosimetry Services (RDS) and Director of Late Effects Studies.

Her research focuses on radiation dosimetry and late effects of radiation therapy in cancer survivors. She leads a team of 16 staff and three graduate students, developing novel methods for organ and body region dose reconstruction in multi-institutional national and international cohorts such as the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS), St. Jude Lifetime, and Dutch Childhood Oncology Group. Her work supports global clinical practice by establishing normal tissue dose objectives for treatment planning.

Dr. Howell is certified by the American Board of Radiology in Therapeutic Radiologic Physics and is a Fellow of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine. Her Radiation Dosimetry Services performs independent peer reviews of beam output calibrations for over 1,200 radiotherapy centers worldwide, monitoring approximately 12,000 beams annually. The service also audits blood irradiators and small animal research irradiators, ensuring patient and research safety.

Scientific Awards:

• Fellow of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine

She plays a vital role in mentoring graduate students and advancing medical physics education. As Deputy Director of the Medical Physics Graduate Program, she contributes to training the next generation of clinical and research physicists. Her team's work is supported by grants and contracts, though specific funding details are not listed.

Dr. Howell leads two major research units: Radiation Dosimetry Services (RDS) and the Late Effects Group. RDS operates a global mail-based audit system for radiotherapy machines, while the Late Effects Group quantifies dose-response relationships to improve survivorship care guidelines.