Goals
The Radiological Sciences Training Grant supports Ph.D. and postdoctoral research related to cancer. The goal of this training program is to prepare physicists and engineers for research careers in radiological physics and dosimetry as well as in functional, anatomical, and interventional medical imaging as it applies to the detection and treatment of cancer.
Faculty trainers in this program are committed to excellence in research broadly applied to cancer treatment, diagnosis, and prevention. We take a multi-disciplinary approach that is strongly image-science based and is increasingly molecular-focused. Trainees are immersed in this comprehensive research environment. Research training is available in every major area of physics involved with cancer treatment and diagnosis, cancer biology, and in emerging areas of molecular imaging.
Administration
Principal Investigator: Timothy Hall, Ph.D.
Administrator: Carol Aspinwall
Appointments
The Radiological Sciences Training grant supports 8 predoctoral trainees and 3 postdoctoral trainees. About 4-5 training grant openings are filled each year to replace individuals rotating off because of graduation or completion of training. Nominations for training grant positions are made by either the student’s advisor or the faculty advisor/sponsor in the case of postdoctoral nominations. Nominations include a description of the area of research, the cancer relevance, and an agreement that the student will fulfill the requirements of the training grant, detailed below. In most cases students must have reached dissertator status to be considered for a training grant position. To assure that a broad research area is included amongst trainees, faculty members will generally not have more than one advisee on the grant.
Appointment Requirements include the following:
- Thesis research must be focused on the broad area of diagnosis, treatment, or treatment monitoring of cancer
- Trainees must have had, or be enrolled in, a course in cancer biology
- Trainees must have had, or be enrolled in, a course in research ethics training
- Trainees must participate in the annual Radiological Physics Training Grant symposium; in addition, trainees must prepare a progress report each spring.
- Authors of papers and theses must acknowledge partial support of the training grant in their publications
- Appointments cannot exceed 5 years for predoctoral trainees and 3 years for postdoctoral trainees. Because of previous courses taken and research work completed, most predoctoral dissertators complete their work in 2 years.
- Postdoctoral training includes preparing a K-series or an R series NIH grant application
Application forms are available for predoctoral appointees and postdoctoral research fellows.
Acknowledgement Requirements
Each publication, press release, or other document about research supported by an NIH award must include an acknowledgment of NIH award support and a disclaimer such as:
“Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number T32CA009206. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.”
Prior to issuing a press release concerning the outcome of this research, please notify the NIH awarding IC in advance to allow for coordination.
Current Trainees and their Projects
Postdocs
| Date Appointed | Name | Advisor | Research |
| 6/1/2017 | Dr. Camille Garcia-Ramos | Dr. Elizabeth Meyerand | Using innovative analysis methods and applying machine learning techniques to clinical and neuroimaging measures to identify predictors of primary and functional outcomes in brain tumor patients |
| 5/1/2017 | Dr. Annelise Malkus | Dr. Sean Fain | Can diffusion weighted MRI delineate microstructural dimensions in inflammatory lung disease? |
| 9/1/2018 | Dr. Paul Begovatz | Dr. Sean Fain | Use hyperpolarized Carbon-13 magnetic resonance spectroscopy (13C-MRS), spectroscopic imaging (13C-MRSI), and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) to non-invasively investigate the interplay of collagen with cellular metabolism in breast cancer. |
Pre-docs
| Date Appointed | Name | Advisor | Research |
| 5/1/2017 | Carson Hoffman | Dr. Oliver Wieben | Quantitative 4D Flow: Applications in abdominal cancers |
| 5/1/2017 | Sabrina Hoffman | Dr. Bruce Thomadsen | Bromine Auger electrons as a potential therapeutic agent for prostate cancer therapy |
| 6/1/2017 | Andrew Santoso | Dr. Tim Hall | Characterizing the Cervix Microstructure with Model-Based Quantitative Ultrasonic |
| 9/1/2017 | Emily Ehlerding | Dr. Weibo Cai | Molecular imaging for personalized immunotherapy |
| 5/1/2018 | Leonard Che Fru | Dr. Larry DeWerd | Development of an optical device that measures hemodynamics in a tumor |
| 5/1/2018 | Alex Antolak | Dr. Edward Jackson | Development of a framework for the quantitative assessment of treatment response and outcome prediction in head and neck PET/MRI |
PAST PREDOCTORAL TRAINEES AND THEIR DISSERTATIONS
(2012 – present)
| Graduation Year | Name | Advisor | Dissertation Title |
| 2018 | Tobey Betthauser | Dr. Bradley Christian | Investigation of Novel Positron Emission Tomography Radioligands for In Vivo Characterization of Alzheimer’s Disease Pathophysiology |
| 2018 | Lindsey Drehfal | Dr. Timothy Hall | Characterizing the Human Uterine Cervix using Quantitative Ultrasound and Second Harmonic Generation Microscopy Imaging |
| 2018 | Quinton Guerrero | Dr. Timothy Hall | On the Use of the Rhesus Macaque Model for Ultrasonic Backscatter Parameters in the Human Cervix |
| 2018 | Kai Ludwig | Dr. Sean Fain | Development of quantitative magnetic resonance imaging techniques for cellular tracking and measuring organ function |
| 2018 | Andrew Shepard | Dr. Bryan Bednarz | An ultrasound-based motion management system utilizing 2D/3D real-time tracking for use in radiotherapy |
| 2017 | Kirby Campbell | Dr. Paul Campagnola | True 3D Second Harmonic Generation Imaging and Optical Scattering Determination for Detecting Fibrillary Collagen Alterations in Ovarian Cancer |
| 2017 | David Campos | Dr. Michael Kissick | Radiation Induces Live-Cell Metabolic Fluxes: an In-Vitro Demonstration |
| 2017 | Stephen Graves | Dr. Robert Nickles | Production and Applications of Long-Lived Positron-Emitting Radionuclides |
| 2017 | Samantha Simiele | Dr. Larry DeWerd | Advancements in Electronic Brachytherapy Dosimetry Methods |
| 2016 | Camille Garcia-Ramos | Dr. Vivek Prabhakaran | Graph Theory on Neuroanatomical and Neurofunctional Development in New-Onset Pediatric Epilepsy |
| 2016 | Stephanie Harmon | Dr. Robert Jeraj | Molecular Imaging Biomarkers of Prostate and Lung Cancers |
| 2016 | Kayvan Samimi | Dr. Tomy Varghese | Quantitative Ultrasound Imaging During Ablation Procedures |
| 2015 | David Niles | Dr. Sean Fain | MRI Biomarkers for Renal Function and Disease |
| 2015 | Peter Scully | Dr. Robert Jeraj | Imaging Biomarkers of Treatment Response: Applications to Clinical Trials |
| 2015 | Karissa Tilbury | Dr. Paul Campagnola | Second Harmonic Generation Imaging of Ovarian Cancer |
| 2015 | You Ming Yang | Dr. Bryan Bednarz | Concurrent Monte Carlo Transport and Fluence Optimization Theory, Development and Applications |
| 2014 | Jeremy Bredfeldt | Dr. Thomas Mackie | Collagen Alignment Imaging and Analysis for Breast Cancer Classification |
| 2014 | Ansel Hillmer | Dr. Bradley Christian | Imaging α4β2 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors with [18F]Nifene PET |
| 2014 | Nicholas Rubert | Dr. Tomy Varghese | Quantitative Ultrasound Imaging of Thermal Ablation Therapy in the Liver |
| 2013 | Matthew Bayer | Dr. Timothy Hall | Ultrasonic Motion Tracking for Large Multi-Step Deformations |
| 2013 | Andrew Ellis | Dr. Wolfgang Tome | Effects of Respiratory Motion and Risk-Region Misclassification on Subvolume Boosting in Radiotherapy |
| 2013 | Athena Heredia | Dr. Douglass Henderson | Developing a Directional High-Dose Rate Brachytherapy Source |
| 2013 | Timothy Szczykutowicz | Dr. Charles Mistretta | Fluence field modulated computed tomography: Implemented using digital beam attenuation |
| 2013 | Dustin Wooten | Dr. Bradley Christian | The Development of PET Techniques to Study the 5-HT1A System |
| 2012 | Nicholas Bevins | Dr. Guang-Hong Chen | X-ray Phase Contrast Imaging: Evaluating Clinical Utility |
| 2012 | Eric Bultman | Dr. Scott Reeder | Quantitative MR imaging: Applications to chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma |
| 2012 | John Floberg | Dr. Charles Mistretta | Novel Denoising methods for Dynamic Positron Emission Tomography |
| 2012 | Regina Fulkerson | Dr. Larry DeWerd | Dosimetric characterization of surface applicators for use with high dose rate 192Ir and electronic brachytherapy sources |