EDUCATION

• MD, Medical College of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, 1987.
• Extended Studies Program, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, 1981-1983.
• Biology Major/Pre-Med, LeMoyne College, Syracuse, New York, 1975-1977.
• BA, American Studies, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, 1974.

POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION

• Board Certified, Radiation Oncology, ABR, 1993.
• Residency, Radiation Oncology, Medical College of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, 1988-1992.
• Internship, General Surgery, Medical College of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, 1988.

HOSPITAL APPOINTMENTS

• Medical Director, Radiation Oncology, Thomas Johns Cancer Hospital, CJW Medical Center, Richmond, Virginia, 2002-2015.
  • Staff physician, 2015-present.
• Associate Medical Director, Bassett Healthcare, Louis Busch Hager Cancer Center, Cooperstown and Herkimer, New York, 1999-2002.
  • Medical Director, Radiation Oncology, Southside Regional Medical Center, Petersburg, Virginia, 1992-1999.
    • Staff Physician, Radiation Oncology, St. Mary’s Hospital, Richmond, Virginia, 1992.

SERVICE TO ASTRO

• Member, Health Policy Committee, 2004-present.
  • Member, ASTRO Board of Directors: Health Policy Council Vice Chair/Chair, 2013-2017.
  • Co-Chairman, Health Policy Committee, 2009-2013.
  • Member, Code Development and Valuation Subcommittee, 2008-present.
  • Member, Coding Guide Workgroup, 2007-2010.
  • Chairman, Payment Systems Committee, 2006-2011.
  • Member, Regulatory Committee, 2004-2010.
  • Mentoring Program: “The Evolution of the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule,” 2008.
  • Chairman, LCD Workgroup, 2004-2006.
• Member, Government Relations Committee, 2003-present.
  • Advocacy Day participant, multiple years, including the inaugural event in 2004.
  • Member, ASTRO PAC, 2003-present. Chair, 2017-present.
  • State Captain, Virginia, State Captains Initiative, 2008-present.
  • Grassroots “Activist of the Year”, presented at ASTRO Annual Meeting, 2008 and 2009.
  • Member, FDA Subcommittee, 2005-2006.
• Member, Communications Committee, 2003-2008.
  • Chairman, 2005-2007.
• Senior Editor, ASTROnews, 2011-2013.
  • Member, inaugural ASTROnews Editorial Board, 2009.
• AMA CPT Editorial Panel Presenter, 2012.
• AMA Relative Value Update Committee (RUC) Presenter, 2009.
• Elected to ASTRO Nominating Committee, 2009, two-year term.
• Member, ASTRO/ACR Practice Guidelines for IMRT Workgroup, 2008, 2011.
• Member, Radiation Oncology Institute, 2007.
  • Founders Circle. Development Committee, 2008-present.
• Member, Quality Steering Committee, 2007-2009.
• Member, Corporate Relations Committee, 2007-2013.

SERVICE TO OTHER ONCOLOGY OR RADIOLOGY ORGANIZATIONS

• Member, Clinical Practice Committee, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
  • Member, Coding, Billing and Reimbursement Workgroup, 2012-2016.
• Member, Health Policy and Economics Committee of the Commission on Radiation Oncology, American College of Radiology (ACR), 2009.
  • Member, ACR, Virginia Chapter, 2003-present.
• Chairman, Multidisciplinary Cancer Committee, Thomas Johns Cancer Hospital, 2003-2013.
  • Program Recipient of the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer, “Outstanding Achievement Award,” 2007.
• Member, American Brachytherapy Society, 2003-2016.
  • Volunteer Faculty, Upstate Medical Center RTT Program, Syracuse, NY, 2000.
• Member, Virginia Carrier Advisory Committee (CAC), 1995.
  • Radiation Oncology Representative, 1995-1998, 2003-present.
• Chairman, Cancer Committee, Southside Regional Medical Center, 1995.
• Founder, Southside Regional Medical Center Tumor Board, 1994.
  • Chair, Southside Regional Medical Center Tumor Board, 1994-1998.
• Member, Fletcher Society, 1994.
• Member, Mid-Atlantic Society of Radiation Oncology (MASRO), 1993.
  • President, 1998-1999, 2002-2004; Vice President, 1996-1998; Secretary, 1994-1996.

SERVICE TO OTHER MEDICAL ORGANIZATIONS

• Member, American Medical Association, 2011-present.
• President, Chippenham and Johnston-Willis Medical Society, 2008.
• Member, Medical Society of Virginia, 2002-present.
• Member, American Cancer Society, Eastern Division, Herkimer, New York.
  • Special Award for Community Service, 2002; Medical Volunteer of the Year, 2001.
• Member, Richmond Academy of Medicine, 1992-present.
• Member (lifetime), Medical College of Virginia Alumni Association, 1992.
  • Caravati Service Award, 2002.

OTHER SELECTED VOLUNTEER WORK, EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, INTERESTS, AND HOBBIES

• Volunteer at FeedMore, local foodbank one morning/week.
• Volunteer at Virginia Voice, reading to the visually impaired, 2 hours/week.
• Founder of University of Notre Dame local Senior Alumni group, participating in numerous local volunteer activities.
• Volunteer Physician, World Wide Village/University of Notre Dame in Léogâne, Haiti, May 2010.
  • Worked with team of MDs and RNs near the epicenter of the January 2010 earthquake.
• Volunteer Physician, Crossover Care Ministry, 2008.
• Member, Dr. Tom Dooley Society, Medical Alumni of Notre Dame, 2005.
  • Lifetime Member.
• Volunteer, Haiti Healthcare Ministry, St. Michael Catholic Church, 2003.
  • Three trips to Dos Palais, Haiti.
• Lector and Eucharistic Minister, St. Michael Catholic Church, 2003.
• Elected to Pastoral Council, St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Cooperstown, New York, 2001.
• Notre Dame Alumni Service Project in Gary, West Virginia, 1998.
• Member, Intercollegiate Athletic Council, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1993-1995.
• Medical School Admissions Committee, Medical College of Virginia, 1990-1992.
• Medical School Advisory Council, Medical College of Virginia, 1988-1991.
• Member, Notre Dame Club of Richmond, 1984; Secretary, 1993-1997; publisher of “Alumni Newsletter”, 1993-1998; President, 1997-1999; “Award of the Year”, presented to outstanding local alumnus, 1999.

 

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, INTERESTS AND HOBBIES

I am active in community theatre with a couple of professional gigs tossed in: The Music Man(Salesman #4, Farmer), February 2007; A Parish Home Companion (co-author and host), May 2008; Oklahoma! (Andrew Carnes), August 2009; Miracle on 34^th Street (Kris Kringle), December 2009; Curtains (Sidney Bernstein), May 2011; The Odd Couple (Oscar Madison), August 2011; #4 Three Gables Run (Nicholai Romanowsky), part of the 26^th Annual One-Act Play Festival, February 2012; Catfish Moon (Curley; professional), May 2012; The 13th of Paris (Jacques; professional), January 2013; It’s A Wonderful Life (“live’ radio broadcast, multiple roles), December 2014; Moon Over Buffalo (George Hay, professional), March 2016; Black Coffee(Hercule Poirot), November 2017; and radio theatre with the “On The Air Radio Players”: The Golden Age of Comedy (multiple roles), June 2008; Miracle on 34^th Street (Kris Kringle), December 2008; The Thin Man (Nick Charles), February 2009; The Maltese Falcon (Sam Spade), June 2009; The 39 Steps (Cecil B. DeMille, the Professor), March 2011.

I am a passionate reader (fiction, history, biography), committed to reading the so-called 100 Greatest Books in History; an opera aficionado with an equal love for live rock ‘n’ roll; an amateur photographer and a budding voiceover actor. My wife and I enjoy travelling and exploring our world, with a particular fondness for Ireland. I collect baseballs signed by members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, as well as a slowly growing fine art collection that began in 1976. I enjoy cooking for dinner parties (seriously), exploring the world of fine wine and attending the theatre.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

I was born in 1952, the eldest child and only son of Jim and Ann Eichler, both now deceased. Three younger sisters, as well as an assortment of goldfish, dogs and cats filled out the family tableau. I was raised in a relatively strict middle-class household that was reflective of the ‘50’s where my father worked for the telephone company and my mother stayed home and raised the children. We lived in the arctic climes of Syracuse, New York, a place where winter never seemed to let go. I attended St. James elementary school under the thumb of the Franciscan nuns, and Christian Brothers Academy, guided by the equally disciplined Holy Cross Brothers. I played Little League baseball, CYO basketball, served as an altar boy and was an Eagle Scout.

My college years were spent at the University of Notre Dame where I earned a BA in American Studies in 1974. I delayed cutting the collegiate umbilical cord for a year and remained in South Bend, working as an orderly at South Bend Osteopathic Hospital. This was the first step towards a career in medicine. I enrolled at LeMoyne College in Syracuse in summer, 1975, while working at a local hospital, and slowly assembled the requisite science credits needed to apply to medical school. In 1977, I was awarded a Public Health Scholarship but died on the waiting list of a medical school on Long Island. In retrospect, this failure was the doorway to new opportunities and adventures.

Succumbing to a serious case of wanderlust, I sold my limited belongings and flew to Amsterdam to begin an 8-week hitchhiking adventure that covered over 4,000 miles and 12 countries. Upon my return to the U.S. in September 1978, I was invited by a childhood friend to join a fledgling theatre company in Dayton, Ohio. I learned “on the fly” and became the First Street Theatre Company’s stage manager, audio designer and part-time actor, experiences that have served me well over the ensuing years. I fell madly in love with Alison Milne in 1979, a freshly minted graduate of the University of Dayton. We moved to Washington, D.C., in January 1980, where I took a job as the Box Office Manager of the prestigious Folger Theatre Group. Alison and I were married in 1981 at which time I decided to take another shot at the dream of becoming a doctor. After knocking on the door for two years, I was admitted to the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond in 1983.

Following a surgical internship and radiation oncology residency in Richmond (and the birth of our only child, Benjamin, in 1991), I joined an established local group, Virginia Radiation Oncology Associates. I remained with VROA until 1999, when I was recruited away to the post card village of Cooperstown, New York, to join Bassett Healthcare’s Louis Busch Hager Cancer Center. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the hill, however, and after three especially long winters, I returned to Richmond and VROA as Medical Director for Radiation Oncology at the Thomas Johns Cancer Hospital, recently re-branded as the Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute. I served as President of VROA from 2006-2016 and relinquished the helm of the department in 2015. I scaled back my day-to-day clinical responsibilities considerably at the beginning of 2018 while maintaining active participation in numerous ASTRO endeavors.

The “Richmond Redux” chapter has been punctuated by re-visiting my love of the theatre and subsequently embarking on an acting career that I expect to keep me busy in retirement. It has also been an opportunity to expand my volunteer activities with ASTRO, culminating in the honor of running for President-elect.

How would ASTRO’s Strategic Plan inspire you (your leadership) as an ASTRO Board Member?

Since its’ formal inception as the American Club of Therapeutic Radiologists in November, 1958, ASTRO has been primarily a scientific society, exploring the frontiers of cancer research, harnessing the power of Roentgen’s and Becquerel’s mysterious rays to treat the heterogeneous family of diseases that we call “cancer” and, in the words of the Founders, “to forward the practice of radiotherapy.” We should not deviate from, nor should we fear these responsibilities. Yet, the reality is that ASTRO has necessarily evolved into an organization reflective of the inexorable changes in the science, as well as the business, of cancer medicine: from cutting-edge research to innovation; practice accreditation to patient safety; advocacy to policy development. This is a 21st century ASTRO with a freshly re-tooled strategic plan—an endeavor in which I was an active participant—that confronts the present and prepares for the future. I strongly encourage you to read this brief but critically important document. 

This strategic plan is, in my opinion, an easy document to embrace, yet its’ short and long-term goals are far from simplistic. We are at the outset of an exciting new era in cancer screening, diagnosis and management where novel therapeutic paradigms are being unveiled with startling rapidity, challenging radiation oncologists, as well as our colleagues and stakeholders, to keep pace with a fluid landscape. ASTRO’s five councils—Education, Science, Quality and Clinical Affairs, Government Relations and Health Policy—must continue to build on past experiences and purposefully craft policies that will propel the specialty into the future as trusted leaders of the cancer management team. These are the objectives that will drive me as an ASTRO leader.

We cannot, however, neglect the here and now. As good custodians of our specialty, we must: aggressively seek adequate research funding; promote state-of-the-art training of appropriate numbers of radiation oncology residents with sufficient federal funding; maintain a robust presence in the legislative and regulatory arenas, including a strong political action committee and ongoing engagement with CMS; and to continue to develop safe, evidence-based treatment guidelines. In addition, as payment reform advances, ASTRO must not only continue its’ efforts to craft a high-quality alternative payment model that is patient-centered and fair to providers, but we must also astutely defend our current code set when challenged, while assisting stakeholders in the development of new codes for emerging technologies. 

Our task is not simple, our burden is not light. Our patients and their families rely on us to offer them guidance and succor in the most stressful environment. We cannot—we must not—shirk this duty, but rather embrace the challenge to provide compassionate care in accordance with established treatment guidelines within a multidisciplinary framework, all of which has the patient as the focus of our efforts. 

And so, it is with great humility, tempered with a healthy dose of trepidation and, perhaps, a tiny measure of sagacity, that I step forward and offer myself for ASTRO leadership. The path ahead is uncertain, but I promise you that I will work tirelessly on your behalf, guided by our strategic plan, to preserve the integrity of our specialty and “to forward the practice of radiotherapy”.

EDUCATION

• MD, Yale School of Medicine (cum laude), New Haven, Connecticut, 2001.
• BA, Biochemistry (summa cum laude), Rice University, Houston, 1996.

POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION

• Resident, Therapeutic Radiology, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut, 2002-2006.
• Internship, Internal Medicine, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut, 2001-2002.

ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS

• Associate Professor, Radiation Oncology and Health Services Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, 2014-present.
• Assistant Professor, Radiation Oncology and Health Services Research, The University Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, 2010-2014.
• Adjunct Assistant Professor, Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, 2007-2010.

HOSPITAL APPOINTMENTS

• Radiation Oncologist, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, 2010-present.
• Staff Radiation Oncologist, Wilford Hall Medical Center, US Air Force, San Antonio, 2006-2010. 

SERVICE TO ASTRO

• Chair, Clinical Affairs and Quality Committee, 2016-present.
• Co-Chair, Guideline writing committee for whole breast irradiation, 2015-2017.
• Vice-chair, Clinical Affairs and Quality Committee, 2014-2015.
• Immediate Past Chair, ASTRO Clinical Guidelines Subcommittee, 2014-2015.
• Member, Breast Cancer Resource Panel, 2013-present.
• Member, APBI Guideline writing group, 2013-2015.
• Member, Annual Meeting Scientific Committee of the Education Council, 2012-2015.
• Member, Measures Subcommittee, 2012-2014.
• Member, Endometrial cancer guideline writing group, 2012-2014.
• Chair, Clinical Guidelines Subcommittee, 2012-2014.
• Track Chair for Annual Meeting, Health Services Research, 2011-2013.
• Abstract Reviewer for Annual Meeting, Health Services Research, 2011-2013.
• Member, Clinical Affairs and Quality Council, 2009-2014.
• Vice-chair, Guidelines Subcommittee, 2009-2012.
• Co-Chair, Fractionation for whole breast irradiation guideline writing group, 2009-2010.
• Co-Chair, APBI guideline writing group, 2008-2009.
• Member, Health Services Research Committee, 2005-2009.

SERVICE TO OTHER ONCOLOGY OR RADIOLOGY ORGANIZATIONS

• American Society for Clinical Oncology.
  • Member, Quality Care Symposium Planning Committee, 2016-2017.
  • Member, Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee, 2014-2017.
    • American College of Radiology.
  • Inservice exam question contributor, 2008.
    • American Board of Radiology
  • Written clinical exam question contributor, 2009-2011. 

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 

Dr. Smith is an Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology and Health Services Research, with tenure, at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center where he specializes in the treatment of breast cancer. As a member and Chair of the ASTRO Guidelines Subcommittee, Dr. Smith helped lead many initiatives to promote quality care, including ASTRO guidelines focused on breast and endometrial cancer. He has authored or co-authored over 140 articles, published in journals such as JAMA, Journal of the National Cancer Institute and the Journal of Clinical Oncology.  Dr. Smith is the recipient of a Conquer Cancer Foundation Career Development Award, an ASTRO Comparative Effectiveness Research Grant, a Multi-Investigator Research Award from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, and is an Andrew Sabin Family Fellow at MD Anderson. As the Director of Clinical Informatics for the Department of Radiation Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center, he has led efforts to build a radiation oncology-specific EHR to enhance workflows and facilitate integration of clinical information systems. He is proudly married to a fellow radiation oncologist and the father of four energetic children.

How would ASTRO’s Strategic Plan inspire you (your leadership) as an ASTRO Board Member?

I seek a position on the ASTRO Board because I care deeply about achieving the vision outlined in the Strategic Plan, specifically that radiation oncology will be the recognized leader in quality, innovation, and value in multidisciplinary cancer care. My passion for this vision stems from experiencing how achieving it profoundly impacts on the lives of our patients and the vitality of our cancer organizations. Clinically, I marvel at the impact of high quality radiotherapy on the lives of our patients, from eradicating gross disease and thereby curing patients who are otherwise incurable to facilitating organ preservation to palliating symptoms in those nearing the end of life. Organizationally, I see many radiation oncologists serving as uniquely qualified leaders of the cancer care team, serving as the glue that holds multidisciplinary care together. Experiencing the positive impact of radiation oncologists on clinical care and organizational effectiveness thus motivates me to work through ASTRO to support radiation oncologists as we collectively seek to achieve high quality clinical care and organizational leadership on both local and national levels. 

As the Vice-chair of the Clinical Affairs and Quality Council, my primary purpose will be to support and facilitate strategic initiatives focused on improving the quality of patient care. To this end, I will continue to support ASTRO’s ongoing initiatives, specifically the practice accreditation program (APEx), the incident learning system (RO-ILS), and ASTRO and ASCO’s joint Quality Oncology Practice Initiative Reporting Registry. These efforts define and promote high quality, highly reliable delivery of radiotherapy within an active safety culture that facilitates continuous quality improvement. Supporting them establishes radiation oncology as a key leader and stakeholder in promoting the quality and safety of multidisciplinary cancer care. 

Beyond these ongoing initiatives, I plan to use my extensive background as a clinical trialist and expert in health services research to collaborate with the Health Policy and Government Relations Councils to support development of novel payment models that reward quality and value in the practice of radiation oncology. This is a critical time for radiation oncology as the structure of novel payment models is likely to strongly influence overall quality of cancer care and the viability of our specialty. Advocating for payment models that retain the autonomy of the radiation oncologist, simplify the ever increasing maze of insurance preauthorization, and promote quality and value of radiation therapy is the key to advancing the field of radiation oncology while concurrently advocating for our patients. 

Finally, as a clinician first and foremost, and as a physician who cares deeply about supporting high quality care through evidence-based guidelines, I will work tirelessly to elevate the profile of the field through advocacy, frequent interactions with the trade and lay press, and promotion of impactful science and clinical evidence. With astute leadership, I truly believe that our best days as a specialty are ahead of us.

EDUCATION

• MD, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, 1990.
• BA, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, (Magna Cum Laude), 1986.

POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION

• Resident, Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Radiation Oncology Branch, Bethesda, Maryland, 1992-1995.
  • Fellow, Diagnostic Radiology, Johns Hopkins University Hospital, Baltimore, 1991-1992.
• Internship, Internal Medicine, Sinai Hospital, Baltimore, 1990-1991.

ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS

• Chair, Radiation Oncology, Henry Ford Cancer Institute (HFCI), Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, 2004-present.
• Clinical Professor, Radiation Oncology, Wayne State University, Detroit, 2005-present.
  • Herndon Endowed Chair in Oncology Research, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, 2006-present.
  • Vice-chair, Radiation Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, 2001-2004.
  • Director of Clinical Research, Radiation Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, 1995-2001.

HOSPITAL APPOINTMENTS

• Chair, Radiation Oncology, HFCI, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, 2004-present.
• Staff Physician and Vice-chair, Radiation Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, 1995-2004.

SERVICE TO ASTRO

• Vice-president, Society of Chairs of Academic Radiation Oncology Programs (SCAROP), 2017-present.
• Chair, Annual Meeting Scientific Committee, 2014-2017.
  • Chair, Lung Cancer Resource Panel, 2014-2017.
• Secretary, SCAROP, 2016-2017.
• Member, Evidence Based Guideline Committee for lung SBRT, 2016-2017.
• Member, SCAROP, 2005-2015.
  • Member, ASTRO/ASCO Thoracic Oncology Steering Committee, 2016-2017.
  • Member, ASTRO/ASCO Thoracic Oncology Planning Committee, 2013-2014.
  • Member, Health Services Research Committee, 2011-2014.
  • Member, Radiation Oncology Institute (ROI) Research Committee, 2011-2014.
  • Vice-chair, Annual Meeting Scientific Committee, 2011-2014.
  • Chair, Education Committee, 2009-2012.
  • Chair, Palliative Lung Cancer Guideline Committee, 2010-2011.
  • Chair, International Consensus Committee on Lung Cancer, 2010-2011.
  • Member, Planning Committee for Thoracic Oncology Symposium, 2009-2010.
  • Member, Annual Meeting Scientific Committee, 2007-2010.
  • Chair, Lung Abstracts Section, 2005-2007.
  • Reviewer, Lung Abstracts, 2002-2004.

SERVICE TO OTHER ONCOLOGY OR RADIOLOGY ORGANIZATIONS

• NRG Oncology/Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (NRG/RTOG).
  • Co-chair, NRG Patient Centered Outcomes Committee, 2014-present.
  • Chair, RTOG Quality of Life Committee, 2000-2013.
  • Member, Publications Committee, 1999-present.
  • Member, Lung Steering Committee, 1996-present.
• American Radium Society (ARS).
  • President-Elect, Executive Committee, 2017-present.
  • Secretary, Executive Committee, 2016-2017.
  • Chair, Scientific Program, 2014-2015.
• American Cancer Society (ACS).
  • Member, National Lung Cancer Roundtable, 2017-present.
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
  • Chair, Radiation Lung Cancer Blue Panel Committee, 2016-present.
• National Quality Forum (NQF).
  • Member, Cancer Committee, 2016-present.
• National Cancer Institute (NCI).
  • Member, Radiation-Induced Fibrosis Workshop, 2016.
  • Member, Symptom Management Symposium, 2016.
  • Member, Head and Neck Steering Committee, 2011-2014.
  • Member, Health Related Quality of Life Intergroup, 2001-2010.
• American College of Radiology (ACR).
  • Chair, Radiation Oncology Appropriateness Criteria (AC) Committee, 2012-2015.
  • Chair, AC Committee for Lung Cancer, 2008-2011.
• Quality Research in Radiation Oncology (QRRO)/Patterns of Care.
  • Chair, Lung Committee, 1998-2013.
• American Board of Radiology (ABR).
  • Chair, Written Board Exam Section for Lung and Bone Cancers, 2007-2011.
  • Examiner, Exam for Lung Cancer, 2006.
• American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
  • Member, Planning Committee, 2002-2004.
• National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN).
  • Member, CNS and GI Staging Committees, 1998-2004.
• Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO).
  • Editorial Board Member, 1999-2001.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

After graduating from Harvard University and Washington University School of Medicine, I completed my radiation oncology residency at the National Cancer Institute. Over the next decade, I was faculty and Vice-chair at Fox Chase Cancer Center. Since then, I have been Chair of Radiation Oncology at the Henry Ford Cancer Institute. I feel fortunate that, over my career, I have had many exciting opportunities to collaborate with so many wonderful colleagues to further enhance education and research in our field. Much of my effort has directly tied into my service to ASTRO in many different roles over the past two decades, including being Chair of ASTRO’s Education Committee and ASTRO’s Annual Meeting Scientific Committee. I am honored to be an ASTRO Fellow since 2012 and to soon become President of ASTRO’s Society of Chairs of Academic Radiation Oncology Programs (SCAROP). I serve as Co-chair of the NCI NRG Patient Centered Outcomes Research Committee to incorporate patient reported outcomes (PROs) into clinical trials. I have also served in various leadership roles to support initiatives at the NCI, ABR, ACR, ACS, ARS, ASCO, NCCN, NQF, NRG/RTOG, QRRO/Patterns of Care and VA. My projects and >300 papers and chapters have spanned many different areas, such as treatment guidelines, QA, lung cancer, stereotactic radiation, prostate cancer, gene therapy and PROs. No matter what the topic, it is clear that high-quality education and close collaboration are essential to reaching the goal.

How would ASTRO’s Strategic Plan inspire you (your leadership) as an ASTRO Board Member?

A long-time passion of mine has been to enhance educational opportunities for our ASTRO members, a goal which is at the very core of ASTRO's strategic plan to advance the field of radiation oncology. As part of ASTRO's vision, radiation oncologists should be the recognized leaders for cancer care, innovation and value. To achieve this, we need to ensure that high-quality, timely and user-friendly educational programs, materials, and tools are readily accessible for our ASTRO members. I have learned so much from our ASTRO members by serving as both Chair of the ASTRO Education Committee and Chair of ASTRO’s Annual Meeting Scientific Committee for many years. During this time, I am proud that the number of educational programs has increased and the quality our annual scientific meeting has improved and continues to do so. Yet, we still have a lot more to accomplish. For example, on a molecular level, we need to better understand how precision medicine can help us improve radiation outcomes for each individual patient. At the same time, we must always focus on the "person" in personalized medicine. To do so, we need to learn to how to efficiently incorporate patient reported outcomes, a deep interest of mine, into our radiation clinics, to better understand and address the needs of each of our patients. These approaches represent just a few examples of various aspects of ASTRO’s strategic plan to help move our field forward. I would be honored to work closely with each of you, our ASTRO members, and serve as your Vice-chair of ASTRO's Education Council, to achieve these goals together.  

EDUCATION

• MS, Physics, University of Connecticut, 1991.
• MD, University of Connecticut, 1985.
• BS, Physics (Summa Cum Laude), University of Connecticut, 1978.

POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION

• Resident, Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 1986-1989.
• Internship, Internal Medicine, St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, Hartford, Connecticut, 1985-1986.

ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS

• Interim Director, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, 2017-present.
• Professor, Radiation Oncology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, 2009-present.
• Professor, Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, 2001-2008.
• Associate Professor, Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, 1995-2001.
• Assistant Professor, Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, 1989-1995.

HOSPITAL APPOINTMENTS

• Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, 2008-present.
• University of Michigan, 1989-2008.

SERVICE TO ASTRO

• Co-chair, Hypofractionated Prostate Cancer Guidelines, 2016-2018.
• Chair, ASTRO Prostate/GU Resource Panel, 2009-present.
• Member, Government Relations Committee, 2007-present.
• Vice-chair, 2014-2017.
• Chair, 2017-present.
• FDA Subcommittee, 2007-2014, Chair 2009-2014.
• ASCO-ASTRO-SUO Genitourinary Cancer Symposium, Program Committee/Steering Committee, 2007-2013.
• Scientific Program Chair, 2010 meeting.
• ASTRO Evidence-based Clinical Practice Guideline Panel: Role of Post-Operative Radiotherapy for Radical Prostatectomy, Research Council, 2007-2010.
• ASTRO Member, Prostate Cancer Work Group, AUA-Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement, 2006.
• ASTRO Advocacy Day Attendee, 2006-present.
• ASTRO Annual Meeting Abstract Reviewer, 2003-present (most years).
• ASTRO Health Services Research Committee, 1999-2004.

SERVICE TO OTHER ONCOLOGY OR RADIOLOGY ORGANIZATIONS

• AUA Localized Prostate Cancer Guidelines Panel, 2014-2016.
• ASCO CancerProgress.Net, 2011-2014.
• ASCO/ESPN Prostate Cancer Advisory Panel, 2010-2012.
• ASCO Cost of Care Cancer Task Force, Patient Resources Subcommittee, 2008.
• AACR/ASCO Workshop on Methods in Clinical Cancer Research, 2008-2009.
• ASCO Cancer Communications Committee, 2006-2009.
• ASCO Localized Prostate Cancer Expert Panel, 1998-2016.
• RTOG/NRG Oncology, Chair, GU Cancer Committee, 1997-2018.
• ABR Volunteer, 1997-present, Chair GU Cancer Oral Exam, 2012-present.
• SWOG Brain Committee, 1991-1997, Vice chair, 1994-1997.

BIOGRAPHY

My background has been in academic radiation oncology, first at the University of Michigan and recently at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. I’m a firm believer in expanding our clinical radiation oncology knowledge base through carefully conducted clinical research and I’ve been active in RTOG/NRG Oncology in the design and leadership of prostate cancer clinical trials.

In parallel with my clinical trial activities, I’ve been active in service to ASTRO and other oncology organizations in part because, importantly, oncology organizations are often the official spokespersons for us as cancer specialists and organizations like ASTRO benefit from the voluntary efforts of its members. As a result of various service roles, including a brief stint at FDA, I have found a home in the ASTRO Government Relations Committee for a number of years, which has further emphasized for me the importance of ASTRO’s engagement with all of the governmental entities that can have a direct impact on the practice of medicine in general and radiotherapy specifically.

How would ASTRO’s Strategic Plan inspire you (your leadership) as an ASTRO Board Member?

As a 30-year ASTRO member and volunteer, I have long felt that every professional action is integral to moving our specialty forward. In each patient’s room, when I describe how radiation works and what it is capable of achieving for someone going through treatment, there’s an increase in the positive public perception, however small. Each time I publish a paper with colleagues, there’s a similar public perception change. 

The Strategic Plan of ASTRO is the quintessence of our daily activities leveraged across our specialty to enhance our voices and to support the goals of ASTRO. To deliver high quality care and value, to shape health policy and support our members, and be an equal partner among the multidisciplinary voices of oncology embody the implementation of the plan. 

We take inspiration from the bold vision offered by the ASTRO Strategic Plan and its bold view of the near term and longer-term future of Radiation Oncology. My main inspirations are to communicate – as peers – with other oncologic organizations, to support and expand the research that delivers better treatments for our future patients, and to work with the governmental entities that shape the future of America’s health care as an advocate for Radiation Oncology.

EDUCATION

• MD, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., 1986.
• BS, (Biology and Theology majors) Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., 1982.

POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION

• Residency, Radiation Oncology, Arizona University, 1989-1993.
• Internship and Residency, Internal Medicine, Georgetown University, 1986-1989.

ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS

• Secondary Appointment, Department of Neurosurgery, Carver College of Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 2009-present.
• Secondary Appointment, Department of Otolaryngology, Carver College of Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 2004-present.
• Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, Carver College of Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 2001-present.
• Professor, Department of Radiology Carver College of Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 1999-2001.
• Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, Shands Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 1999-2001.
• Associate Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, Shands Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 1998-1999.
• Joint Appointment, Department of Neurosurgery, Shands Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 1997-1999.
• Assistant Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, Shands Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 1993-1998.

HOSPITAL APPOINTMENTS

• Deputy Director of Clinical Cancer Care, Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, Carver College of Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 2008-2012.
• Chair, Department of Radiation Oncology, Carver College of Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 2001-present.
• Director, Division of Radiation Oncology, Carver College of Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 1999-2001.
• Vice-Chair, Department of Radiology, Carver College of Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 1999-2001.

SERVICE TO ASTRO

• Chair, ASTRO Theranostics Work Group, 2018.
• Moderator, ASTRO Panel, Advanced Quantitative Imaging for the Radiation Oncologist: Response Assessment and Targeting for Clinical Trials and Practice, A View from NCI’s Quantitative Imaging Network, Boston, 2016.
• ASTRO Fellow (FASTRO), 2014.
• ASTRO Science Council Steering Committee, 2013-2017.
• Speaker, AANS/ASTRO Stereotactic Radiosurgery Course for Neurosurgery and Radiation Oncology Residents, “Radiosurgery for Acoustic Neuromas” and “Evidence Based Radiosurgery”, Evanston, Illinois, 2012.
• Co-chair, ASTRO – IHERO Leadership Committee, 2012-2017.
• Co-moderator in an oral scientific session at ASTRO’s 53rd Annual Meeting. Session Name: Head and Neck II: Targeted Biologics, Particle Therapies and Approaches to Reduce Toxicities of Radiotherapy. Miami, 2011.
• Moderator, Scientific Session at ASTRO’s 52nd Annual Meeting in San Diego, November 2010
• Speaker, ASTRO IGRT IMRT SBRT Symposium, Dallas, 2010.
• Abstract reviewer, ASTRO’s Annual Meeting, 2009-2011.
• ASTRO 51st Annual Meeting, Scientific Panel (speaker) “Utilization of Quantitative Imaging (QI) for Tumor Response Assessment.” Chicago, 2009.
• Speaker, ASTRO IGRT and SBRT Conference. “IGRT for Head and Neck Cancer.” Miami, FL, 2009
• Speaker, ASTRO IGRT and SBRT Symposium, Head and Neck Cancer, Miami, 2009.
• Speaker, 2008 ASTRO IGRT Image Guided Radiotherapy Symposium. Workshop “IGRT How to: CNS and Head and Neck” Eyes on Screen Practicum. Newport Beach, California, 2008.
• Member, ASTRO Research Evaluation Committee, 2004–2009.
• Member, ASTRO Education Committee, 2004–2010.
• Member, ASTRO Education Committee, 1998-2000.
• Member. American Society for Therapeutic Radiation and Oncology (ASTRO), 1989-present.

SERVICE TO OTHER ONCOLOGY OR RADIOLOGY ORGANIZATIONS

• Member, External Advisory Committee – Moffitt Cancer Center, 2017-2018.
• SCAROP Executive Committee Member, 2017.
• National Cancer Institute (NCI).
  • NCI Special Emphasis Panel U24/UG3-UH3/U01 applications - PAR-16-385: Oncology Co-Clinical Imaging Research Resources to Encourage Consensus on Quantitative Imaging Methods and Precision Medicine (U24); PAR-17-128: Quantitative Imaging Tools and Methods for Cancer Therapy Response Assessment (UG3/UH3); PAR-17-129: Quantitative Imaging (QI) Tools and Methods for Cancer Response Assessment (U01), 2018.
  • Reviewer, NIH/ NCI Development of Informatics Technologies for Cancer Research and Management applications (R21, U01, U24, UG3), 2018.
  • Reviewer, NCI Program Project Review II (P01), Gaithersburg, Maryland, 2018.
  • NCI Site Visit Reviewer - The Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, 2017.
  • NCI Site Visit Reviewer - Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, 2016.
  • NCI Lasker Clinical Research Scholars Program, 2015.
  • Reviewer, (NCI Omnibus R21) and PAR-14-007 “NCI Small Grants Program for Cancer Research (NCI Omnibus R03) Grant Review Study Section, 2015.
  • Chair, NCI Review Special Emphasis Panel “Development of Innovative Algorithms for Processing and Analysis of In Vivo Images, 2014.
  • NCI Site Visit Reviewer, St. Jude Children’s Comprehensive Cancer Center, Memphis, Tennessee, 2013.
  • Reviewer, NCI R21/R03 Applications, Cancer Therapy (Omnibus) Special Emphasis Panel, 2013.
  • NCI IRG Subcommittee A - Parent Committee Meeting (Reporting for the St Jude Children's Research Hospital) Participant, 2013.
  • NCI Special Emphasis Panel-Informatics Technology for Cancer Research – PAR 12-286-289, 2013.
  • NCI Special Emphasis Panel Member - PAR-11-150 “Quantitative Imaging for Evaluation of Responses to Cancer Therapies”, 2013.
  • NCI-Site Visit Reviewer (P30) – Kimmell Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, 2012.
  • NIH/NCI - Ad Hoc Review ZRG1 OTC-C(02) Radiation Therapeutics Study Section, 2011
  • NCI Site Visit Reviewer-Abramson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 2010.
• Quantitative Imaging Network (QIN)
  • QIN Coordinating Committee T-Con, 2013-2015.
  • Committee Chair, QIN Clinical Trials Design Development Working Group., 2014-2015.
  • Chairman, QIN Steering Committee, 2010-2011.
• Reviewer, P13-19 Technology Foundation STW Programme Proposal “Visual technology integrating quantitative patient outcomes to support multidisciplinary clinical decision making”, 2016.
• Panel Reviewer, Italian Association for Cancer Research (AIRC), 2015-2017.
• Reviewer, P13-19 Technology Foundation STW Programme Proposal “Radiomics- Non-invasive Stratification of Tissue Heterogeneity for Personalized Medicine – Radiomics STRaTeGy”. Netherlands, 2014.
• Committee Co-chair, Clinical Trials Working Group, NCI Quantitative Imaging Network, 2013-2014
• Panel Member, ACR Appropriate Criteria® Expert Panel on Radiation Oncology-Brain Metastases, American College of Radiology, 2012-2015.
• Member, Board of Directors, Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Educational Programs (CAMPEP), 2012-2015.
• Examiner, Oral Boards Radiation Oncology, Central Nervous System and Pediatrics, 2010-2011.
• International RadioSurgery Association Guideline Initiative – Pituitary Adenomas, 2005.
• Iowa Society of Therapeutic Radiation Oncology (ISTRO).
  • President, (ISTRO), 2005-2007.
  • Vice-President, (ISTRO), 2003-2005.
• ACR Guidelines for Performance of Stereotactic Radiosurgery, 2005.
• International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society.
  • Education Committee, 2003-2005.
  • Publications Committee, 2003-2005.
  • Newsletter Committee, 2003-2005.
• Selected to Board for International Society for Stereotactic Radiosurgery (2003-2005), Japan, 2003.
• Item writer for ACR Certification Exam, American College of Radiology, 2003–2006, 2012.
• International Society of Stereotactic Radiosurgery-Scientific Program Committee, 2000.
• American Association of Neurosurgery Consensus Guidelines for Treatment of Malignant Gliomas, 2000–2006.
• Ependymoma Subcommittee, Children’s Oncology Group, 1999–2000.
• American Board of Radiology-Recertification Board Examination Item Writer on Central Nervous System Tumors, 1998–2001.
• Study Co-chair, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Trial E6397: A Phase II Trial of Radiosurgery for 1 to 3 Newly Diagnosed Metastases from Renal Cell, Melanoma and Sarcoma, 1998.
• A Randomized Trial of Best Supportive Care with or without Palliative Radiotherapy in Poor Prognosis High Grade Glioma (BR09). Medical Research Council. London, England. 1988
• Brain Tumor Core Committee, Pediatric Oncology Group, 1997–1999
• Co-chair, Stereotactic Radiosurgery Subcommittee, Pediatric Oncology Group Brain Tumor Group, 1997–1999.
• Ad Hoc Committee to Develop Criteria for Quality Assurance of 3D-Conformal Radiotherapy, Pediatric Oncology Group, 1997.
• RT Study Coordinator, POG 9432: A Phase II Study of Pre-Irradiation Chemotherapy in Newly Diagnosed Children with Intracranial Ependymoma, 1996–1999.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Dr. Buatti is Professor and the Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology, a position that he has held with distinction since 2001 when he established an independent department at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. In 2005, he opened Iowa’s first Center of Excellence in Image Guided Radiation Therapy, which was innovative for its use of advanced 3-D imaging including a 3T MR scanner and 40 slice respiratory-gated PET/CT scanner to better locate and treat tumors. As a clinician, he is a leading authority on the treatment of cranial malignancies. He is a prolific scholar having authored or co-authored more than 210 peer-reviewed publications. He has published 22 book chapters, and more than 150 abstracts. With a life-long commitment to improve the quality of cancer imaging he served as the first chair of the Steering Committee for the Quantitative Imaging Network (QIN) and Chair of the Clinical Trials Design and Development Working Group and was a member of the Coordinating Committee for QIN. He has served on the ASTRO Education Committee, as Co-Chair of the ASTRO IHE-RO (Integrating Health Enterprise-Radiation Oncology) and served on the ASTRO Science Council Steering Committee. He is currently chairing an ASTRO task-force on Theranostics. He is and advocate for diversity in the workplace and encourages the development of scientist-investigators through summer internships and the active recruitment of minorities. His enthusiastic devotion to education is evident in his biography.

How would ASTRO’s Strategic Plan inspire you/your leadership, as a member of the ASTRO Nominating Committee, and your vision of characteristics of future ASTRO leaders?

As Academic Physician on the Nominating Committee, I would look forward to help achieve ASTRO’s Strategic Plan through rigorous and diversity minded selection of candidates for consideration by our members. The ability of candidates to positively impact the public perception of our field through education and effective communication is an often overlooked aspect of our society. The advancement of the science of radiation oncology in all aspects including clinical, physics and biology research is critical to our future success and is the centerpiece of our strategic plan. Enabling the future success of the next generation researchers is critical. I believe that doing this well implies enhanced representation of diverse candidates for leadership in our organization. Additional critical missions in our strategic plan involve monitoring and improving quality through several ASTRO sponsored mechanisms such as APEX and RO-ILS. Advocating for our high-quality treatment and our known impactful outcomes for cancer patients is vital for our future success. Defining our leadership role in the interdisciplinary care of cancer patients will solidify our policy, scientific and quality goals for the organization. I would be honored to serve and help in the nomination of our future leaders and helping assure that they are vested in implementing our strategic plan.

EDUCATION

• MD, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, 1998.
• BA, History, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, 1988.

POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION

• Resident, Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, 1999-2003.
• Intern, Internal Medicine, Evanston Hospital, Evanston, Illinois, 1998-1999.

ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS

• Instructor, Radiation Oncology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, 2003-2014.
  • Affiliate, 2004-2014.
  • Massachusetts General Hospital, 2003-2004.

HOSPITAL APPOINTMENTS

• Partner, Radiation Oncology Associates, Manchester, New Hampshire, 2004-present.
• Division of Radiation Medicine, Lowell General Hospital, Lowell, Massachusetts, 2007-present.
• Division of Radiation Oncology, Elliot Hospital, Manchester, New Hampshire, 2004-present.
• Division of Radiation Oncology, Concord Hospital, Concord, New Hampshire, 2004-2007.
• Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, 2003-2004.

SERVICE TO ASTRO

• Vice-Chair, Annual Meeting Track (History), 2017-present.
• Member, Annual Meeting Scientific Committee, 2017-present.
• Member, Continue Medical Education (CME) Task Force, 2015-present.
• Member, Annual Meeting Education Committee, 2015-present.
• Member, Education Committee, 2015-2017.
• Member, Publishing Innovations Committee for IJROBP, 2011-present.
• Chair, Communications Committee, 2010-2012.
• Vice-Chair, Communications Committee, 2009-2010.
• Chair, Information Technology Development and Resources Committee, 2008-2009.
• Member, Information Technology Development and Resources Committee, 2007-2008.
• Member, State Captains Grassroots Initiative, 2007-2011.
• Member, Government Relations Committee, 2004-2010.

SERVICE TO OTHER ONCOLOGY OR RADIOLOGY ORGANIZATIONS

• NRG Oncology.
  • Member, Patient Engagement Working Group, 2018-present 
• American Board of Radiology.
  • Clinical category examiner, Genitourinary diseases, 2015-present. 
• American Society of Clinical Oncology.
  • Social Media Working Group, 2015-present. 
• Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology.
  • Faculty Advisor, Executive Committee, 2015-2017. 
• Radiological Society of North American.
  • Advisor, radiologyinfo.org, 2012-2018. 
• New Hampshire Comprehensive Cancer Coalition.
  • Member, Treatment and Survivorship Work Group, 2007-2010. 
• Northern New England Clinical Oncology Society.
  • Member, Publications Committee, 2009.
  • Member, Access to Care Subcommittee, 2006-2009. 

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

I still remember visits to my grandfather as a general practice doctor in Kentucky, both watching him in his clinic and having his patients greet us on the street to tell me how he had helped them. His example instilled in me an early love of medicine and a desire to make a difference in patients’ lives. After I learned how important a family member’s radiation oncologist was for support and successfully completing cancer treatment, I seized the opportunity during medical school to do clinical research at the Joint Center for Radiation Therapy. Exposure to research and the morning educational sessions solidified my decision for a career in radiation oncology. My training at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center further taught me the value of being an equal member in a multidisciplinary cancer team.

I loved research and the academic environment at Massachusetts General Hospital but left for community practice in 2004, to focus on the kind of community-based direct patient care that brought me to medicine in the first place. Working in rural and urban communities in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, I find it gratifying to contribute to improving quality cancer care in non-academic settings, where most cancer patients receive treatment. Clinical practice over almost 20 years has reinforced my belief that all cancer patients deserve excellence in cancer care, and that all radiation oncologists should have the resources to do so.

By volunteering with ASTRO since completing residency, I have found a deeply meaningful way to contribute to a field that continues to evolve and offers so much to others. I look forward to continuing to serve the needs of patients and our specialty in the years to come.

How would the ASTRO‘s Strategic Plan inspire you and your leadership as an ASTRO Nominating Committee Member?

I learned the value of excellence in patient care and implementing new research into clinical practice in my training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. My mentors inspired me to become involved in ASTRO, to contribute to improving cancer care through service. I have been honored to serve our society for the past 14 years primarily in community practice and see great opportunity for radiation oncology as our field continues to evolve.

Radiation oncology plays a critical role in multidisciplinary cancer care but risks being left behind unless we innovate and adapt. As health policy debates alternative payment reforms, we must continue to demonstrate our value in patient care, cancer research and the medical community in general. Innovation and better research funding are essential. Equally important is effective translation from research to clinical practice. With better collaboration, we can ensure all cancer patients can access the quality care they deserve. Enhancing the public perception of radiation oncology is also essential to demonstrate that value. We need to build better relationships with other cancer specialists, government agencies and policy stakeholders – including patient advocates.

Through my service on Government Relations Committee and as Chair of Communications Committee, I learned the importance of clear communication if radiation oncology wants to effectively explain what we do to non-physicians. The teamwork necessary to revise ASTRO’s brochures and helping make educational videos for our patients reinforced my belief that radiation oncologists can advocate well for our specialty and make a difference in patients’ lives in clinical practice.

Through the American Society of Clinical Oncology and Massachusetts Medical Society, my experience has given me an opportunity to learn how to better advocate for radiation oncology beyond our own specialty. My experience with social media has permitted me to help organizing colleagues and contribute to giving radiation oncology a voice online so that others don’t define our value for us.

ASTRO needs leadership embodying our values: integrity; compassion; a commitment to excellence; and the ability to represent the needs of diverse community of cancer professionals. I would be honored to serve on the Nominating Committee as a Community Practice Physician and would help select the best leaders among our dedicated members. Thank you in advance for considering me for this position, I look forward to continuing to serve the needs of our membership and our patients through ASTRO.

EDUCATION

• Research Fellow, MD Anderson, Houston, TX, Radiation Physics, 1993-1994.
• PhD, MD Anderson, Houston, TX, Radiation Physics, 1993.
• MS, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, Nuclear Engineering, 1991.
• BS, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, Nuclear Engineering, 1988.

ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS

• Professor and Chief of Physics, Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2013-present.
• Associate Professor, Radiation Oncology, University of Iowa, 2004-2012.
• Assistant Professor, Radiation Oncology, UTMB, 1999-2004.
• Assistant Professor, Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh, 1994-1999.

SERVICE TO ASTRO

• Promoting Science through Research and Training Committee, Member, 2015-present.
• Annual Meeting Track-Physics, 2017.
• Workforce Subcommittee, Member, 2009-2012.
• Emerging Technology Evaluations Subcommittee, 2009-2011.
• Radiation Physics Committee, Member, 2003-2009.

SERVICE TO OTHER ONCOLOGY OR RADIOLOGY ORGANIZATIONS

• American Board of Radiology - ABR
  • Therapeutic Medical Physics Oral Board Committee 2011-present
  • Oral Board examiner, 2005-present.
• Radiological Society of North America
  • Radiation Oncology Study Section, 2010-2012, 2018.
• American Association of Physicists in Medicine – AAPM
  • Presidential chain (Pres-elect, President, Chairman of Board) 2012-2014.
  • Member – Board of Directors, 2008-2014.
• Society of Directors of Academic Medical Physics Programs – SDAMPP
  • Presidential chain (Pres-elect, President, Chairman of Board), 2011-2013.
  • Member - Board of Directors, 2010-2013.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

I am a tenured professor, the Bhudatt Paliwal endowed chair and the chief of the Radiation Oncology Physics Division in the Department of Human Oncology at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. It’s my honor to direct one of the nation’s premier radiation oncology physics programs, a group of 20 medical physics faculty and staff. Nationally, I have served in the presidential chain of both the American Association of Physics in Medicine (AAPM) and the Society of Directors of Academic Medical Physics Programs (SDAMPP) and within various committees of the American Society of Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) and the American Board of Radiology (ABR). For several years, I have investigated the clinical impact of advanced treatment approaches in radiation oncology, including intensity modulation radiation therapy treatment (IMRT) planning, image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), respiratory-gated imaging and radiation therapy and functional imaging for treatment planning and response to therapy. My primary area of research is acquisition and analysis of 4DCT images to quantify longitudinal pulmonary functional changes following radiation therapy, and I am currently the principle investigator (PI) of an NCI funded (R01 CA166703) Investigator Initiated Clinical Trial open at UW-Madison (UW16037), whose goal is to design and deliver radiation treatment plans that will improve pulmonary function of radiation therapy patients. Beginning in 2013, I worked on the clinical development and implementation of MRI-guided radiation therapy (ViewRay) at UW-Madison. This program is creating novel research in IGRT, as patients are imaged daily and during treatment delivery, demonstrating the indication for and enabling execution of online adaptation of treatment delivery and providing a wealth of tumor and normal tissue response information.

How would ASTRO’s Strategic Plan inspire you/your leadership, as a member of the ASTRO Nominating Committee, and your vision of characteristics of future ASTRO leaders?

I would be honored to participate in the Nominating Committee, seeking out candidates who embrace the elements laid out in the ASTRO Strategic Plan. As a proud member of ASTRO, I recognize the tremendous impact our society’s leaders have on advancing the field of radiation oncology to improve the human condition. I believe my active engagement within ASTRO and several other professional societies provides me the opportunity to routinely witness the works of many future leaders.

ASTRO is a professionally diverse organization that should leverage the diversity of its most engaged and active members. Those nominated for leadership roles within ASTRO should have broad knowledge of and deep experience within the organization. They should exemplify the core ideology of the organization. Visionary, skilled, and knowledgeable member-based leadership is essential for ASTRO to remain a valuable facilitator of innovation and excellence in patient care that leads to improved outcomes. Our leaders should be rock-solid in their knowledge of radiation oncology practice, while being sufficiently versed and well-spoken in all aspects of cancer care to successfully elevate the profile of our field. Our leaders should have expertise in fostering intellectual research talent, to keep our field innovative, novel, and significant. Our leaders should help our profession to navigate the dynamic health policy environment in which we practice, articulating the value proposition of radiation oncology to insurance providers, government agencies, and policy stakeholders. ASTRO leaders should foster an environment of continuing education opportunities focused on the scientific fundamentals and best-practice to consistently deliver the highest quality and value of our care to cancer patients. Finally, the future leaders of ASTRO should have a passion for working with our countless volunteer members and ASTRO staff to advance radiation oncology.

EDUCATION

• PhD, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK, 1980.
• BSc, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK, 1974.

POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION

• Postdoctoral Research Scientist, Toxicology Unit, School of Pharmacy, University of London, UK, 1981-1984.
• Postdoctoral Research Scientist, Department of Medicine, University of Birmingham, UK, 1978-1981.

ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS

• Adjunct Professor of Medical Physics, Department of Physics, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, 2011-2014.
• Co-Director and Member, Oakland University William Beaumont Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Rochester, Michigan, 2011-present.
• Professor, Biomedical Research Department, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Rochester, Michigan, 2010-present.
• Professor, Radiation Oncology Department, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Rochester, Michigan, 2010-present.
• Adjunct Professor, Departments of Radiation Oncology, Immunology and Microbiology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, 2006-present.
• Professor, Radiation Oncology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, 2002-2005.
• Visiting Professor, Department of Oncology, University College, London, UK, 2001-2005.

HOSPITAL APPOINTMENTS

• Director, The Erb Family Molecular and Genetics Laboratory for the Assessment and Prevention of Chronic Disease, Beaumont Health System, Royal Oak, Michigan, 2008-present.
• Scientific Director, BioBank, Beaumont Health System, Royal Oak, Michigan, 2008-present.
• Chief, Radiation Biology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Beaumont Health System, Royal Oak, Michigan, 2006-present.
• Scientific Director, Flow Cytometry Core Facility, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Detroit, Michigan, 2003-2009.
• Assistant Director and Director of Laboratory Research (concurrent appointments), RAFT Institute for Plastic Surgery Research, Mount Vernon Hospital, UK, 2000-2002.
• Senior Research Scientist, Gray Cancer Institute, Mount Vernon Hospital, Northwood, Middlesex, UK, 1990-2002.
• Research Scientist, CRC Gray Laboratory, Mount Vernon Hospital, Northwood, Middlesex, UK, 1984-1990.

SERVICE TO ASTRO

• Member, ASTRO Radiation and Cancer Biology Committee, 2007-2013.
• Vice-chair, ASTRO Radiation and Cancer Biology Committee, 2011-2012.
• Chair, ASTRO Radiation and Cancer Biology Committee, 2012-2013.
• Member, ASTRO Biology Resource Panel of the Clinical Affairs and Quality Council, 2012-present.
• Member, ASTRO Annual Meeting Education Committee of the Education Council, 2012-present.
• Member of the Science Council Steering Committee, 2013-2017.
• Vice-chair, Clincal, Translational and Basic Science Advisory Committee, 2013-2014.
• Chair, Clincal, Translational and Basic Science Advisory Committee, 2014-2016.
• Vice-chair, Science Council Steering Committee, 2013-2017.
• Vice-chair, Science Council Steering Committee, 2013-2017.
• Co-chair, Precision Medicine Workshop, 2016.
• Co-chair, Incorporating Radiotherapy into Immunotherapy Workshop, 2017.
• Member, Promoting Science through Research and Training Committee, 2013-present.
• Member, Nominating Committee, 2017-2018.

SERVICE TO OTHER ONCOLOGY OR RADIOLOGY ORGANIZATIONS

• Reviewer, Breast Cancer Campaign Project Grants, 2003-2004.
• Reviewer, Cancer Research UK Project Grants, 2002-present.
• Secretary, British Institute of Radiation and Cancer Biology Committee, 1998-2002.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

I am the Chief of Radiobiology in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Beaumont Health System and a Professor in Biomedical Science at the Oakland University/William Beaumont School of Medicine, and have over 40 years of experience in biomedical research. I am also the Scientific Director of the Beaumont BioBank and Director of The Erb Family Molecular and Genetics Laboratories at Beaumont. As Scientific Director of the BioBank and Erb Laboratories, I have overseen the growth of the BioBank which now has 100,000 specimens from 4,200 donors collected across 20 different clinical specialties. The BioBank and Erb Laboratories have created a translational research facility that has combined extremely high quality biospecimen collection with state-of-the-art technologies in genomics, proteomics and molecular pathology. My formal radiobiology training came at the Gray Laboratory which I joined in 1984 and worked there as a Senior Scientist until I left in 2002. I was fortunate to experience at first-hand the Directorships of Jack Fowler and Julie Denekamp and benefit from the vibrant research environment that existed in the Laboratory that was further augmented by the constant visits and talks from international researchers and clinicians from around the world. Julie Denekamp was one of the first to coin the term “translational research” and this is the theme of much of my current research to combine genomic and proteomic information with functional and biological imaging to improve the treatment of patients with radiotherapy and to explore the potential combination with targeted therapies.

How would ASTRO’s Strategic Plan inspire you/your leadership, as a member of the ASTRO Nominating Committee, and your vision of characteristics of future ASTRO leaders?

ASTRO is the most important society and forum for research, education, and advocacy for the discipline of radiation oncology with the overarching goal of providing the highest possible quality of care for patients who receive radiotherapy. It has achieved this by recognizing the importance of advances in technology, the need for biological justification of new techniques, the importance of measuring outcomes, the value of providing a continuum of education to members, a transparent focus on patient safety and quality of care and its unbending obligation to represent the interest of its members in the legislative and regulatory arenas. I have been honored to contribute to the success of the Society in several positions within the Science Council. 

My vision for future ASTRO leaders is for them to embrace the new challenges and opportunities that arise as medicine and science progress. For instance, the promise of precision medicine and personalized radiation therapy will compel us to overcome many theoretical, practical, regulatory and financial challenges. Our leaders need to combine the rapid evolution we have seen in imaging and radiation treatment with developments in high-throughput technologies of genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics and the development of targeted therapeutics. Our leaders need to continue to promote radiation oncology as an integral, but not always the most important, part of the modern multidisciplinary approach to patient management. An example is the current exciting developments in immunotherapy where radiation can play a modulating role to improve the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors and other immunological strategies. Our leaders need to continue to promote the highest standards of treatment efficacy and safety and continue to engage our patients in their treatment decisions, outcome reporting and survivorship programs. This particularly needs to be implemented in community cancer centers and smaller practices to ensure that there is access to the best medicine and treatments for all patients, including the disadvantaged. 

I believe ASTRO and its leaders have aspired to these goals and made great progress for the discipline and the Society. I have every confidence that this will continue in the future.