Maarten Lambrecht is a Lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine , KU Leuven , affiliated with the Department of Oncology and multiple research institutes including the Leuven Centre for Health Humanities , KU Leuven Brain Institute , and KU Leuven Cancer Institute . His work focuses on radiotherapy, brain tumors, proton therapy, and neurocognitive outcomes in cancer patients. Faculty Council of Medicine member Departmental Council of Oncology member Teaches courses in oncology and radiotherapy Research interests include radiation-induced cognitive decline , organ-sparing techniques , and personalized treatment planning using advanced imaging and AI. Current projects investigate protontherapy during pregnancy , cardiac toxicity reduction , and neuroimaging biomarkers for glioma patients. Recent publications analyze MRI alterations post-radiation, genetic predictors of toxicity, and dose-response mapping in prostate and lung cancers. Collaborative work spans institutions in Europe and beyond.
Holly Stewart is an Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine, affiliated with the Clinical Studies department at New Bolton Center. Specializing in Large Animal Surgery and Equine Orthopedic Surgery , her work bridges veterinary clinical practice with translational research. PhD in Orthopedics (Colorado State University, 2021) VMD (University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, 2012) Her research interests span multiple domains: Subchondral bone pathophysiology in osteoarthritis Development of ovine models for orthopedic research Advanced imaging techniques (CBCT, tomosynthesis, MRI) Equine colic microbiota analysis Biomechanical effects of surgical immobilization Recent publications focus on bone marrow lesion models , microbiota dynamics in colic , and imaging technology evaluations . While no formal scientific awards are documented in available materials, her work appears in leading journals like Frontiers in Veterinary Science and Medicine in Engineering Physics .
Samuel Ryu, MD, is a Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Stony Brook Medicine, serving as Chair of the department and Deputy Director for Clinical Affairs at Stony Brook Cancer Center since 2014. His clinical expertise spans brain tumors, spinal tumors, trigeminal neuralgia, vascular malformations, and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). World-renowned radiosurgery expert for brain, spine, and other body sites Focus on mitigating radiation toxicity to normal tissues Leadership roles in ASTRO, ACR, RTOG, and International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society (2013-2015)
Brian Hrycushko, Ph.D. , is an Associate Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at UT Southwestern Medical Center , where he leads the brachytherapy program —the most comprehensive in North Texas. He is a faculty member in the Division of Medical Physics & Engineering and holds a Ph.D. from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio after completing residency training at UT Southwestern . Research Interests Dr. Hrycushko specializes in brachytherapy with a focus on low-dose-rate (LDR) and high-dose-rate (HDR) techniques, particularly for prostate , cervical , and gynecological cancers . His work integrates medical physics with radiation biology to optimize dose distribution and reduce normal tissue complications. He employs machine learning and 3D printing for predictive modeling and training phantom fabrication. His research also extends to stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) , spinal nerve tolerance , and online adaptive radiation therapy . Publications Dr. Hrycushko’s publications reflect advancements in brachytherapy planning , AI-driven dose optimization , and radiation toxicity prediction . Recent works address online adaptive cervical cancer treatment , 3D-printed applicators , and rectal toxicity modeling . Earlier studies explore spinal nerve dose thresholds and radioprotective hypothermia . Professional Affiliations American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) American Brachytherapy Society (ABS) (active member of ABR Educational Committee, Education GU Subcommittee, and Educational Physics Subcommittee)
Xinran Zhong, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. She joined the faculty in 2022 after completing the Medical Physics Residency program at UT Southwestern. Dr. Zhong earned her B.S. in biomedical engineering from Tsinghua University (Beijing, China) in 2014 and her Ph.D. in medical physics from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2019. Her graduate and residency training focused on advanced imaging and computational methods for radiation oncology. Her research program integrates artificial intelligence, deep learning, and imaging physics to advance adaptive radiation therapy. Core themes include: Online adaptive replanning using cone-beam CT. AI-driven automatic segmentation and deformable registration. Personalized treatment planning for head-and-neck, cervical, and prostate cancers. Quality assurance strategies for adaptive workflows. Across 27 peer-reviewed publications (2018-2025), her work demonstrates a consistent trajectory toward clinical translation of AI tools that reduce contouring uncertainty, shorten planning times, and improve dosimetric outcomes. Studies span in silico simulations, prospective clinical registries, and feasibility trials. Dr. Zhong is an active member of professional societies including the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) and the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO). She currently mentors trainees within the Radiation Oncology and Medical Physics Residency programs at UT Southwestern and participates in multidisciplinary tumor boards for head-and-neck, gynecologic, and genitourinary malignancies.
Thomas E. Schmid is an Associate Professor in Radiobiology and Experimental Oncology at Technische Universität München (TUM), Germany. Since 2015, he serves as Deputy Director and Head of the Radiobiology Group at the Institute of Radiation Medicine (IRM), Helmholtz Munich. His research focuses on advancing novel radiation therapy modalities like Microbeam Radiation Therapy (MRT) and Minibeam Radiation Therapy (MBRT), emphasizing their biomedical mechanisms and preclinical applications. He also contributes to education through TUM's interdisciplinary Master of Science program in Radiation Biology. Education: PhD in Biology (Dr. rer. nat., Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, 1999) Key Expertise: Radiobiology, Low Dose Radiation Effects, Radioadaptive Response, Heavy Ion/Proton Therapy His recent work explores spatial fractionation techniques in radiation therapy, combining temporal and spatial beam modulation to minimize normal tissue damage. Publications highlight collaborations with institutions like Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Klinikum rechts der Isar. Scientific Awards: Wellcome Trust Research Fellow As an educator, Schmid leads advanced radiation biology courses and mentors students in interdisciplinary radiation sciences, bridging molecular biology, cancer biology, immunology, and dosimetry.
Prof. Dr. Carla Rohrer Bley serves as a Professor in the Division of Radiation Oncology at the Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, where she leads the Radiation Oncology Group. This group operates one of Europe's most advanced veterinary cancer treatment facilities, delivering radiation therapy, chemotherapy, surgery, interventional radiology, immunotherapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, and intensity modulated radiotherapy using methodologies comparable to human oncology. Her research program integrates clinical practice with translational science across three interconnected domains: Radiation Biology: Investigating cellular DNA damage/repair kinetics and tissue-level radiation side effects, particularly in stereotactic hypofractionated radiotherapy regimens. Protocol Optimization: Developing and clinically validating radiotherapy protocols through NTCP (Normal Tissue Complication Probability) modeling to maximize tumor control while maintaining acceptable normal tissue toxicity levels. Translational Equipment Testing: Leveraging spontaneously occurring animal tumors as models for human cancer to evaluate innovative technologies like hyperthermia applicators in combination with radiotherapy, in collaboration with Kantonsspital Aarau and IT'IS Foundation. The Radiation Oncology Group functions as a critical bridge between veterinary and human medicine, utilizing naturally occurring tumors in immunocompetent animal models of human physiological scale to advance cancer therapies with direct translational potential to human patients.
Sarah L. Kerns, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Medical College of Wisconsin. She holds a BS from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, PhD from Northwestern University, and MPH from Johns Hopkins. Her affiliations include former faculty positions at the University of Rochester and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, with active roles in the International Radiogenomics Consortium (Co-Lead) and NCI steering committees. Her research integrates radiogenomics, toxicity prediction modeling, and cancer survivorship, with emphases on: Genetic biomarkers for radiation-induced injury Cisplatin toxicity mechanisms in testicular cancer Inflammatory pathways in cancer-related symptoms Multi-ancestry genomic equity in risk assessment Her publications focus on translating genomic discoveries into clinical tools for personalizing radiotherapy, with recent work on extracellular vesicle proteomics, epigenetic regulators of fibrosis, and polygenic risk scores. Research trends show strong emphasis on prostate cancer toxicity mechanisms, large-scale GWAS meta-analyses, and imaging-genomic correlations. Awards include: NIH Clinical Loan Repayment Award (2017-2021) ASTRO Annual Meeting Award (2010) Predoctoral Fellowship, Chicago Baseball Cancer Charities (2004-2007) She mentors junior faculty and leads NIH-funded projects on biobanking and omega-3 supplementation mechanisms. She directs collaborative initiatives at the Center for Cancer Discovery and oversees genomic components of national consortia like REQUITE.
Caroline Helen Johnson, PhD, is a Tenured Associate Professor of Epidemiology in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at Yale School of Public Health. She holds multiple joint appointments across Yale University, including at the Yale Cancer Center, Department of Microbiology, and Program in Translational Biomedicine. Her research integrates metabolomics with epidemiology to investigate sex-specific differences in colorectal cancer and environmental exposures. Dr. Johnson's primary research focuses on sex-specific differences in colorectal cancer metabolism. In 2020, her lab published the first sex-stratified metabolomics analysis of tumor tissues from colorectal cancer patients, revealing that aberrant asparagine metabolism is a hallmark of tumors from female patients only and associates with poorer clinical outcomes. Her lab also studies early-onset colorectal cancer (under age 50), discovering distinct metabolic profiles in younger patients including downregulated dopamine metabolism and increased phospholipid metabolism. Additionally, her team investigates environmental exposures and their biological impacts using metabolomics, with particular expertise in analyzing dried blood spots to measure early-life exposures that may contribute to later-life cancer development. Dr. Johnson's recent publications (2024-2025) demonstrate a strong focus on sex-specific cancer biology, with multiple papers examining asparagine metabolism in colorectal cancer, sex differences in tumor growth, and the development of comprehensive databases documenting sex-based differences in oncologic diseases. Her work spans multiple disciplines including cancer metabolism, microbiome research, environmental toxicology, and clinical oncology. YSPH Impact Prize (2025) YSPH Team Science Research Award (2024) International Metabolomics Society Career Medal (2023) Metabolomics Association of North America Women in Science (Womix) mentorship award (2023) K12 Calabresi Immuno-Oncology Training Program Award (2021) Dr. Johnson serves as Associate Editor for both Metabolomics and Toxicological Sciences journals and has advised numerous students, including PhD candidate Xinyi Shen. Her lab has developed specialized protocols for metabolite normalization in various clinical matrices and maintains active collaborations across Yale's medical and public health schools. Current research directions include validating findings on early-onset colorectal cancer metabolism, understanding the mechanisms behind sex-specific asparagine metabolism in cancer, and expanding the application of metabolomics to assess environmental exposures and their biological impacts.
