UT Southwestern Radiation Oncology

10/09/2026

Just in time for tomorrow’s big TX-OU game! 🏈

Some of our radiation therapy team members and Chair Dr. Robert Timmerman showed off their college pride. A few different schools were represented, and everyone brought their school spirit! 🥳

10/08/2026

Steve Jiang, Ph.D., Vice Chair of Digital Health & AI and Division Chief of Medical Physics & Engineering, delivered an invited keynote yesterday at the International Symposium on Standards, Applications and Quality Assurance in Medical Radiation Dosimetry (IDOS 2026), organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), at its headquarters in Vienna, Austria.

His presentation, “Review of AI in Radiotherapy with Focus on Dose,” explored the evolving role of artificial intelligence in radiotherapy and its potential to advance the accuracy and quality of radiation dose delivery.

10/07/2026

A childhood promise became a lifelong mission. 🩷

In the latest episode of Unscripted, Dr. Asal Rahimi, Chief of Breast Radiation Oncology Services, shares the deeply personal story behind her dedication to breast cancer care.

After losing her mother to breast cancer, Dr. Rahimi was inspired to dedicate her career to improving treatment for women everywhere. She reflects on her journey through research and patient care, the importance of family and friendship, and finding joy in everyday moments.

🎥 Watch Dr. Rahimi share her story: https://bit.ly/4ypsNS1

A childhood promise became a lifelong mission.In this episode of ...

10/06/2026

Congratulations to our new Ph.D. candidates, Beiqian Qi (pictured left, mentor: Steve Jiang, Ph.D.), and Jiacheng Xie (mentor: You Zhang, Ph.D.)! 💫

The Graduate School, with support from Student Life, hosted its inaugural Ph.D. Lab Coat Ceremony yesterday, celebrating UT Southwestern Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences students who have successfully passed their qualifying exams and advanced from Ph.D. students to Ph.D. candidates. Each student received a white lab coat embroidered with their name and program, a special symbol of this exciting next chapter.

Also pictured, Beichen Qi receiving her lab coat from BME Program Director, Dr. Ian Corbin.

10/06/2026

Join breast surgical oncologist Susan Hoover, M.D., on Friday, Oct. 23, from noon–1 p.m. for a patient-focused webinar covering breast cancer treatment options, including surgery, reconstruction, lymph node surgery, recurrence, clinical trials, and questions to ask your care team.

This webinar offers practical information and an opportunity to have your questions answered by a breast surgeon. To attend: https://bit.ly/3VkARpf

10/05/2026

Can we make radiation therapy work harder against lung cancer?

Yuanyuan Faith Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., part of our lung disease-oriented team and Principal Investigator of the Zhang Lab, and her colleagues are investigating a new strategy that could enhance the effects of radiation by targeting how cancer cells repair radiation-induced damage.

Learn more about her research featured in UT Southwestern’s 2026 Scientific Report: https://bit.ly/4AMaf0u

10/03/2026

Join us in person for the 2026 Pancreatic Cancer Patient Summit! 💜

Hear from experts, connect with fellow patients and caregivers, and be part of a community dedicated to advancing pancreatic cancer care. You'll learn about the latest research, clinical trials, and innovative approaches shaping the future of pancreatic cancer treatment and care.

We hope to see you there! Register: https://bit.ly/4zbMVYy

10/02/2026

Congratulations to Chinasa Alexandra Okoro, B.S., RT(T), on being named a recipient of the Diana and Richard C. Strauss Service Excellence Award for the second quarter of 2026! 🎉

Alex is recognized for her dedication to our patients, her commitment to safe and precise radiation therapy, and the calm, positive presence she brings to our team every day.

We’re proud to have Alex as part of our team and grateful for all she does for our patients and colleagues. 💙

Read more about Alex and the other Q2 Strauss Award honorees: https://bit.ly/4ASofWH

09/30/2026

Wrapping up 🤩

Speakers:
- Dr. Todd Aguilera - "Primary and Retrospective Analysis of GRECO-2: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Phase II Trial of SAbR +- Rucosopasem in Localized Pancreatic Cancer"
- Dr. Ryan Kuehnle - "Planning, Delivery, and Safety of Dose-escalated Radiation in GRECO2: Secondary Analysis of a Large International Randomized Trial for Localized Pancreatic Cancer"
- Dr. Kevin Albuquerque - "Offline Adaptive Radiation Therapy: Case-Based Strategies for Value-Driven Care Across Diverse and Limited-Resource Settings"
- Dr. Akrita Bhatnagar - "Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy for High-Risk Prostate Cancer – Long Term Results of a Prospective Multi-Level MRI-Based Dose Escalation Trial"
- Dr. Prasanna Alluri (moderator) - "Novel Delivery, Metabolism, and Immune Modulation"
- Dr. Shahed Badiyan (moderator) - "Lung Quick Pitch: Oligometastatic and Oligoprogressive NSCLC"
- Dr. Neil Desai - "Primary Endpoint Analysis of a Multi-Center Phase II Randomized Control of Neurovascular-Sparing SAbR in Localized Prostate Cancer (Late Breaking Abstract)"

Posters:
- Dr. Holly Grace - "The Impact of Rib Avoidance in Thoracic Stereotactic Ablative Radiation Therapy on Fracture Incidence"
- Dr. Casey Moore - "Retrospective Comparison of PULSAR vs. SAbR in Combination With Immunotherapy for Renal Cell Carcinoma"
- Dr. Yash Soni - "Oncologic Outcomes and Toxicity of PULSAR-Based Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SAbR) With Immunotherapy in Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma"
- Dr. Kishan Pithadia - "Genitourinary Dosimetry and Early Urinary Quality of Life in a Randomized Prostate SAbR Trial With Planned Dose Heterogeneity"
- Hailun Pan (medical student) - "Anatomy-Informed Optimization Parameter Selection for Efficient MRI-Guided Online Adaptive Radiotherapy"
- Dr. Nimita Shinde - "Lattice Peak Optimization: Geometry-Adaptive Lattice Radiotherapy Using Mixed-Integer Optimization" and "Quantum-Inspired Optimization for Beam Angle Selection in Proton Therapy"

09/30/2026

Last night, we gathered for our third PULSAR Consortium Meeting during — an evening filled with insightful presentations, meaningful discussions, and valuable connections.

A special thank you to our guest speakers, Travis Courtney, M.D., M.A.S., University of Michigan Health, and Fan Xia, M.D., Ph.D., Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, for sharing their expertise and perspectives. UT Southwestern Radiation Oncology speakers included: Robert Timmerman, M.D., Arnold Pompos, Ph.D., Lucian Zhao, M.D., and Tu Dan, M.D., and moderator, David Sher, M.D., M.P.H.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to an engaging evening of collaboration and conversation!