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Global Health Scholars Program Current Awardees

The ASTRO/ARRO Global Health Scholars (GHS) program provides scholarships allowing senior residents to work on cancer care projects and encourages ongoing outreach and research in developing countries. 

View past recipients of the ARRO Global Health Scholars Grant.

Congratulations to the 2025 GHS awardees:

Bethel Adefres Headshot

Bethel Adefres, 2025 Global Health Scholars Awardee

  • Institute: Yale New Haven Health
  • Visiting Country: Gaborone, Botswana
Bethel Adefres, MD is a resident physician in the Department of Therapeutic Radiology at Yale New Haven Health, dedicated to advancing global equity in cancer care. She received her medical degree from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and holds a BA in Neuroscience from Wellesley College.

Dr. Adefres’s work is driven by a commitment to global oncology, with research spanning brachytherapy outcomes, palliative care delivery, and strategies to improve access to cancer treatment in low- and middle-income countries. She has presented her research at national meetings including the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) and the American Brachytherapy Society (ABS) and is scheduled to present global health research at the upcoming International Gynecologic Cancer Society (IGCS) meeting in Cape Town. Her academic contributions include peer-reviewed publications, abstracts, and ongoing work addressing barriers to cancer care and innovation in underserved regions.

Dr. Adefres serves in leadership roles as co-leader of the ABS Residency Council and as a member of the Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology (ARRO) Global Health Subcommittee, in addition to mentoring medical students through the Society for Women in Radiation Oncology (SWRO). Her prior experiences include research positions at UCLA, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Harvard Medical School, as well as global health initiatives with the United Nations Foundation and the Ethiopian Ministry of Health. 

Kara Branson Headshot

Kara Banson, 2025 Global Health Scholars Awardee

  • Institute: NYU Langone Health
  • Visiting Country: Philippines
Kara Banson, MD, is a PGY-4 radiation oncology resident at NYU Langone Health with a strong interest in global oncology and health equity. Her clinical and research interests include gynecologic and gastrointestinal malignancies, quality improvement, and resident education. She volunteers with Rayos Contra Cancer and RAD-AID, where she has connected and learned from a global network of oncology professionals dedicated to advancing cancer care globally.

As a recipient of the ASTRO/ARRO Global Health Scholars Grant, Dr. Banson will partner with both public and private hospitals in the Philippines to enhance radiation oncology resident training. She plans to lead interactive chart rounds workshops aimed at strengthening residents' treatment plan evaluation skills.
 

Kelly Becht

Kelly Becht, 2025 Global Health Scholars Awardee

  • Institute: Yale New Haven Hospital
  • Visiting Country: Gaborone, Botswana
Kelly Becht, MD, is a chief resident in radiation oncology at Yale New Haven Hospital with a passion for global oncology and women’s health. She completed her medical degree at Georgetown University School of Medicine and has dedicated much of her personal and professional life striving to understand the unique needs of under-resourced communities. Dr. Becht has spent a portion of her residency training working in Gaborone, Botswana at Princess Marina Hospital in a multidisciplinary gynecologic oncology clinic caring for patients with a high burden of advanced cervical cancers and performing high-impact clinical research.
 
Dr. Becht is dedicated to her professional interests in global gynecologic radiation oncology, specifically, understanding the socioeconomic and infrastructure challenges of implementing brachytherapy programs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). After completing residency, Dr. Becht plans to focus her career in the global health sector caring for patients with gynecologic cancers in LMICs and advocating for brachytherapy access and infrastructure expansion to accommodate this highly specialized radiation technique in low-resource communities.
 

Brett Tortelli

Brett Tortelli, 2025 Global Health Scholars Awardee

  • Institute: University of Texas Southwestern
  • Visiting Country: Vienna, Austria
Brett Tortelli, MD, is a PGY-4 radiation oncology resident at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He grew up in Wisconsin where he completed his undergraduate degree in political science at University of Wisconsin - Madison. It was during this time that he first became interested in global health and health policy. He then went on to complete his medical degree and PhD at Washington University in St. Louis. His PhD focused on the relationship between the vaginal microbiome and women’s health, which fostered an interest in gynecologic malignancies and health disparities research. 

As a resident, Dr. Tortelli has continued his interests in global health and is focusing his research efforts on identifying and addressing oncology disparities with a regional interest in Latin America. With the support of the ASTRO-ARRO Global Health Scholar Program, Dr. Tortelli will be working at the International Atomic Energy Agency with Dr. May Abdel-Wahab on research efforts to improve radiotherapy access in Central and South America.
 

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