The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Department of Radiation Physics

I am currently working on a project in Dr. Salehpour’s lab, on the development and analysis of a novel radiation treatment approach. This project aims to create a delivery system that uses a conventional x-ray tube and an x-ray lens to converge the photon output from tube to a focal spot. My focus in the project will be to characterize the treatment planning system for this unit. Understand its limitations and strength. Create treatment plans with the TPS and compare the dose distribution and delivery efficiency to other existing treatment modalities such as the C-arm linac.

I am also involved in a study that seeks to understand the immunological response progression in breast cancer patients. In this study, we plan to give a single fraction of a high dose of ionizing radiation to the tumor and obtain biopsies at two time point post irradiation for studies. This will help elucidate the unset of immune response post irradiation and thus can provide information for future potential treatment that would combine radiotherapy and immunotherapy.

An area of research that I would like to go into in the future would be how to leverage current imaging modalities such as MRI in current clinical practice to assess/predict response to radiotherapy. More centers are now treating with MRI-Linac. MRI has the advantage of providing both anatomical and physiological information. With more advances in AI implementation, there is the possibility to use MRI images to access treatment short-term (with the potential to alter treatment midcourse) and long term (treatment outcome).

PubMed

Education & Training

PhD – University of Wisconsin – 2019

Research Info