News & Press

SIT Newsletter: May 2026

Wed, 13 May 2026 21:04:00 GMT

SCHOLAR IN TRAINING NEWSLETTER

SIT Home

Publications

Awards

Documents

Committee

Archive

Upcoming Conferences
and Workshops

RRS 2026 Annual
International Meeting
Location: Waikoloa, Hawaii
Time: October 4-7, 2026
Registration Now Open!
More Info

RRS Virtual Course on
Adverse Outcome Pathways
Location: Online
Time: Anytime
More info

European Society for
Radiation Oncology
(ESTRO) 2026
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Time: May 15-19, 2026
Abstract Deadline: Closed
More info

Particle Therapy Co-Operative Group (PTCOG)
Location: Normandy, France
Time: June 8-13, 2026
Abstract Deadline: Closed
More info

American Association of
Physicists in Medicine
2026 Annual Meeting
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Time: July 19-22, 2026
Abstract Deadline: Closed
More info

American Society for
Radiation Oncology
(ASTRO) 2026
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Time: September 26-30, 2026
Abstract Deadline: Closed
More Info

ICRR 2027 – 18th International
Congress on Radiation Research
Location: Brno, Czech Republic
Time: June 20-24, 2027
More Info

NIH Office of
Intramural Training
and Education Seminars
(National Institute
of Health, USA)
Time: Varies, online
More Info

Stay tuned for more information!
Do you know of any
upcoming professional meetings?
Please let us know!

Career Opportunities

Postdoctoral Fellow
AI, image analysis and adaptive radiation therapy
Department of Radiation Physics, MD Anderson Cancer Center
More information here or contact Dr. Jingwei Duan at jduan@mdanderson.org

Postbaccalaureate/
Predoctoral/
Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Radiation Epidemiology Branch
Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics
National Institutes of Health
More information and apply here

NEW! RRS CAREER CENTER!
View job postings, submit a resume and access career resources.
VIEW POSITIONS

FOR MORE CAREER POSTINGS, VISIT:
academicjobs.org; findaphd.com; researchgate.net/jobs; nature.com ; Science Careers; careers.aapm.org; linkedin.com

Do you know of any career opportunities? Please share them with your SIT colleagues!

SIT Committee Contact Details

Trevor Arino
Chemistry
tarino@lbl.gov

Kathryn Brown
Physics/Biophysics
kathryn.brown@qub.ac.uk

Nicolò Cogno, PhD
Physics/biophysics
ncogno@mgh.harvard.edu

Alexander Glasco
Medicine
alexander.glasco@northwestern.edu

Shannon Hartzell, PhD
Physics/Biophysics
hartzell.shannon@mayo.edu

Sara Howard, PhD
Epidemiology
sara.howard@orau.org

Carlos Huesa-Berral, PhD
Physics
chuesaberral@mgh.harvard.edu

Anna Kirstein, PhD
Biology
anna.kirstein@cchmc.org

José Antonio López-Valverde, PhD
Biology
jlopez-valverde@mgh.harvard.edu

Gabriele Parisi
Physics
g.parisi@surrey.ac.uk

Bethany Rothwell, PhD
Physics
bethany.rothwell@
postgrad.manchester.ac.uk

Cristina Totis, PhD
Physics
totis.cristina@mayo.edu

Victoria Valvo, PhD Candidate
Radiation Biology/Oncology
vvalvo@umich.edu

Geraldine Vitry, PhD
Radiation Biology
gv200@georgetown.edu

Contact the SIT Committee here!

Aloha Scholars-In-Training!

The abstract submission season for the Radiation Research Society (RRS) 2026 Annual Meeting is now closed and you probably rocked it, that’s the Artemis vibe! Now that the dust has settled, it’s time for the next step: registration is open and early bird pricing.

As a European native, I have always dreamed of going to Hawaii. This is a dream destination for many of us… and now there it is, the true once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

The opportunity for what? Science, ocean, volcanoes, and an incredible community all in one place… what better setting to connect, share our work, and grow radiation research together.

A big thank you to the organizing committee of the Radiation Research Society for making this meeting possible. We all know how much work goes on behind the scenes to create these moments for the community, and it truly makes a difference.

As always, this time of year also brings many new faces to the SIT community. Some will jump right in, others may be a bit more shy, and that’s perfectly fine. It is our role, and our privilege, to make sure everyone feels welcome and supported. This year, maybe let’s make an extra effort to introduce ourselves to new faces, help them connect, and include them in our various chats.

In that spirit, we would like to spotlight our SIT Member of the Month: Dr. Anna Kirstein!

Importantly, your experience matters and you can help shape the future of particle therapy research by contributing to a PTCOG Early Career Researcher survey on the PhD experience (see after).

And now onto this month’s topic… Artemis: The return to the Moon, and a new frontier for radiation research.

Warmly,
Geraldine

Share Your PhD Experience: PTCOG Early-Career Researcher Survey

Do you work in particle therapy—or in a related area of radiation research?

Colleagues from the PTCOG Early Career Researcher (ECR) Subcommittee have launched a short survey to better understand the PhD experience across the particle therapy community. Inspired by similar initiatives from Nature Research, this survey aims to capture career paths, challenges, and perspectives from early-career researchers.

If you completed your PhD within the past 10 years in particle therapy or a closely related field, your input would be incredibly valuable. The survey is fully anonymous and will help shape future initiatives to support the next generation of researchers.

It takes just ~10 minutes to complete, and participants will be entered into a draw to win one of three prizes.

👉 Take the survey here: https://forms.fillout.com/t/rpJmtk7PcHus

SIT Topical Essay: We Are Back in the Race: How Strategic Positioning of Radiation Research Can Shape the Artemis Era !

Let’s be honest, none of us were born when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on the Moon.

I have always been jealous of those who witnessed this historical moment. After decades, I wondered, would it ever happen again during my lifetime? I won’t lie, I cried when watching the far side of the Moon for the first time in history, and then frantically wild crocodile tears came out when hearing astronauts put this journey into words … it was all about us. Because this time, we are not just watching history, we are part of it. We are the ones opening new frontiers for future generations to continue.

And with that comes responsibility.

Artemis is not just a return to the Moon. Artemis is a unique scientific opportunity for radiation research. For the first time in decades, humans will operate beyond low Earth orbit, exposed to complex radiation environments that cannot be fully replicated on Earth. Galactic cosmic rays, solar particle events, and mixed-field exposures will challenge not only spacecraft shielding, but our understanding of biological response to radiation.

Historically, radiation research has focused on measuring dose and damage. But Artemis forces us to rethink this approach. In deep space, radiation is not a single number, it varies with shielding, habitat design, mission duration, and even astronaut behavior. The key question becomes not only how much radiation is received, but how the body responds over time.

This is where the current and next generation of researchers - Senior researchers, ECIs and SITs - can play a critical role.

We can envision a future where radiation monitoring goes beyond passive dosimeters. Wearable biosensors, skin-based measurements, and real-time metabolic or physiological readouts could provide continuous insight into astronaut health. Instead of isolated measurements, we could build integrated, non-invasive “exposure profiles” that combine physical dose with biological response, enabling longitudinal, adaptive, and personalized protection strategies.

A lunar base itself could become an unprecedented laboratory. Experiments on human tissues, organ-on-chip personal sentinels, organoids learning, microbiotes-driven radioprotection, and plants under chronic low-dose radiation and partial gravity could reshape our understanding of radiation effects. Questions around cardiovascular health, immune response, and long-term adaptation could finally be addressed in a relevant environment.

At the same time, the radiation research community already holds critical expertise, from biodosimetry and radiobiology to risk modeling and countermeasure development. Artemis offers a platform where this knowledge can be translated, tested, and expanded.

For SITs, this is an invitation to an exciting prospect. An invitation to think beyond traditional boundaries, to integrate biology, physics, engineering, and space science, and to help define the next generation of radiation research questions.

Because if Artemis is humanity’s return to the Moon, then it should also be a leap forward in how we understand and respond to radiation to become interplanetary species.

And this time, we are shaping the history, TOGETHER!

SIT Tool Box For
Shaping Radiation Research For Artemis:

We are Scholars-in-Training, future contributors, future designers of radiation science, and here are some idea of actions for space leadership :

Move beyond dose: Integrate physical dosimetry with biological response (metabolomics, physiology, microbiome).
Think wearable: Develop non-invasive, real-time monitoring tools (skin sensors, optical readouts, e-skin technologies).
Design for space, not just Earth: Adapt experiments to lunar constraints—limited resources, partial gravity, and continuous exposure.
Build interdisciplinary bridges: Combine radiobiology, engineering, data science, and space medicine.
Translate knowledge: Use Artemis as a platform to test and refine radioprotective strategies for both astronauts and patients on Earth.

The next breakthrough in radiation research will come from interdisciplinary collaboration, and how we make it visible.

Insight full references

Sempionatto JR, Lasalde-Ramírez JA, Mahato K, Wang J, Gao W. (2022) Wearable chemical sensors for biomarker discovery in the omics era. Nat Rev Chem.
Chang A-Y, Lin M, Yin L, et al. (2025) Integration of chemical and physical inputs for monitoring metabolites and cardiac signals in diabetes. Nat Biomed Eng.
Tehrani F, Teymourian H, Wuerstle B, et al. (2022) An integrated wearable microneedle array for continuous monitoring of multiple biomarkers in interstitial fluid. Nat Biomed Eng. 6(11):1214–1224.
Crowther JM, Matts PJ. (2024) In vivo confocal Raman spectroscopy: The window into the skin. Int J Cosmet Sci. 46(4):603–609.
Bresci A, Kim Y, Jue M, So PTC, Kang JW. (2025) Band-pass Raman spectroscopy unlocks compact point-of-care noninvasive continuous glucose monitoring. Anal Chem.
Yu Y, Nassar J, Xu C, et al. (2020) Biofuel-powered soft electronic skin with multiplexed and wireless sensing for human–machine interfaces. Sci Robot.

SIT Feature of the Month: Anna Kirstein

Hi! My name is Anna Kirstein, and I’m a postdoctoral fellow at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

I earned both my master’s degree and PhD in Radiation Biology at the Technical University of Munich, Germany, where my research was focused on sensitizing glioblastoma cells to X-ray irradiation. While my training was mainly rooted in conventional radiation, I have long been fascinated by particle radiation, which ultimately led me to Cincinnati. With a dedicated proton research gantry and the first in-human proton FLASH clinical trial, Cincinnati Children’s provides a truly unique environment to pursue this work. My current research investigates the biological effects of protons compared with conventional X-rays, using primary, patient-derived head and neck cancer cells and engineered organoids (or, as we call them in the lab, organotypic rafts). As many of you know, X-rays have been studied for over a century, yet a significant knowledge gap remains regarding the biological effects and mechanisms of proton radiation. I am using a multi-omics approach, integrating transcriptomics, metabolomics, and proteomics to identify new biomarkers and potential radiosensitizers for proton (and X-ray) therapy, with the ultimate goal of improving patient outcomes.

Last year, I was finally able to join RRS in person (after participating virtually in 2020), and I was immediately impressed by the energy, openness, and passion of the radiation science community. The SIT workshop was a fantastic way to kick off the conference and make new connections! The very welcoming community motivated me to become more actively involved, and I am very happy to have joined the SIT-C. I am excited about what’s ahead and hope to connect with many of you soon!

Are you a Scholar In Training who would like to share their research in our next Newsletter? Please let us know!

Recent SIT Publications

Howard SC, Mumma MT, Samuels CE, Bellamy MB, Leggett RW, Eckerman KF, et al., Mortality among workers at the Rocky Flats Plant, 1951–2017. J Radiol Prot 2026; 46, 011517.

Baggett JM, Dawson RJ, Dinwiddie LE, Smither WW, Wang Y, Wehmeier SK, et al., Technical note: The UF/MSK pediatric mesh-based computational human phantom library: applications to organ dosimetry in computed tomography. Phys Med Biol 2026; 71, 05NT03.

Choi C, Dawson RJ, Shin B, Wang Y, Tran-Gia J, Ramirez MS, et al., Mesh-based detailed skeletal models for the ICRP reference pediatric individuals: development and dosimetric implications. Phys Med Biol 2026; 71, 065002.

Smither WW, Borrego D, Applegate K, Bolch WE, Marshall EL, Impact of contrast agents on organ dosimetry in paediatric diagnostic fluoroscopy: the upper gastrointestinal series. Phys Med Biol 2026; 71, 025014.

Mate-Kole EM, Graffigna M, Margot D, Cochran LD, Jelsema C, Buchbinder Shadur L, et al., Statistical Uncertainty of Inhalation Dose Coefficients in Consequence Management: Propagated Dose Uncertainty in ICRP 66 Human Respiratory Tract Model. Health Phys 2026, 10.1097/HP.0000000000002048.

Shin B, Choi C, Yeom YS, Kim CH, Bolch WE, Dose Coefficients for Irradiation of Tooth Enamel within ICRP Adult Mesh-type Reference Computational Phantoms for Idealized External Photon Exposures. Health Phys 2026; 130(5):p 588-597.

Zbysinski T, Howard S, Rosecrance J, Golden A, Neophytou A, Ionizing Radiation and Neurodegenerative-Related Mortality in a Retrospective Uranium Processing Cohort: Assessing Confounding and Effect Modification by Co-Exposures. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2026, 10.1097/JOM.0000000000003680.

Ghita-Pettigrew M, Brown KH, Kerr BN, Walls GM, Verginadis II, Adrian G, Petersson K, McMahon SJ, Butterworth KT. Photon FLASH spares radiation-induced changes in cardiac function, remodelling and arrythmia in a preclinical model. Radiother Oncol. 2026 Jan 5;216:111369.

Do you know of any SIT publications, or would you like to have your work featured? Let us know.

Funding Sources

Graduate Funding Opportunities Database
Application Deadline: Varies
More Info

Postdoctoral Funding Opportunities Database
Application Deadline: Varies
More Info

Burroughs Wellcome Awards
Application Deadline: TBD
More Info

UK Research and Innovation Funding
Application Deadline: Varies
More info (UK based)

Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung/Foundation
Application Deadline: Open
More Info

Antibodies Travel Grants Program
Application Deadline: Quarterly
More Info

ASTRO Funding Opportunities
ASTRO funds research in radiation biology, cancer biology and radiation physics. Funding opportunities are available for junior faculty and residents.
More Info

AAPM Funding Opportunities
More Info

Proposal Central
Database of foundation, non-profits and organizations grants.
More Info

DAAD Funding Opportunities
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) funds study and research visits to universities and non-university research institutions in Germany.
More Info

Do you know of any other funding sources? Please let us know!

RADIATION RESEARCH SOCIETY

Shaylin Eggum, Association Manager

726 Grand Ave. | Billings, MT 59101

1.877.216.1919 | shaylin@radres.org

Facebook

SIT Group

YouTube

Flickr

Click icon to connect!

SIT Newsletter: April 2026

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 22:45:00 GMT

SCHOLAR IN TRAINING NEWSLETTER

SIT Home

Publications

Awards

Documents

Committee

Archive

Upcoming Conferences
and Workshops

RRS 2026 Annual
International Meeting
Location: Waikoloa, Hawaii
Time: October 4-7, 2026
Registration Now Open!
Abstracts Open: March 26 - April 30, 2026
More Info

RRS Virtual Course on
Adverse Outcome Pathways
Location: Online
Time: Anytime
More info

European Society for
Radiation Oncology
(ESTRO) 2026
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Time: May 15-19, 2026
Abstract Deadline: Closed
More info

Particle Therapy Co-Operative Group (PTCOG)
Location: Normandy, France
Time: June 8-13, 2026
Abstract Deadline: Closed
More info

American Association of
Physicists in Medicine
2026 Annual Meeting
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Time: July 19-22, 2026
Abstract Deadline: Closed
More info

American Society for
Radiation Oncology
(ASTRO) 2026
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Time: September 26-30, 2026
Abstract Deadline: Closed
More Info

ICRR 2027 – 18th International
Congress on Radiation Research
Location: Brno, Czech Republic
Time: June 20-24, 2027
More Info

NIH Office of
Intramural Training
and Education Seminars
(National Institute
of Health, USA)
Time: Varies, online
More Info

Stay tuned for more information!
Do you know of any
upcoming professional meetings?
Please let us know!

Career Opportunities

SIT Committee Contact Details

Dear Scholars in Training,

Spring is in the air (in the northern hemisphere)- I am hopeful that warm weather is on the horizon and we can let the April showers wash away the winter gloom. As we move into the new season, I want to remind you all of a few important things!

First and foremost, abstracts for the Annual Radiation Research Conference are now open! Abstracts are due Thursday April 30th, make sure to mark this date in your calendar!

We are excited to announce that at this year’s Radiation Research Conference there will be a SIT Symposium section titled “SIT Symposium: Radiation Effects on the Brain and Related Outcomes”. This session will present research on radiation-induced effects on the neurological system and neurocognition. This multidisciplinary session will bring together scientists working across multiple radiation exposure scenarios (space, occupational, and medical).

Finally we want to highlight the opportunity to nominate yourself or your colleagues to be featured as the SIT of the month. Nominations are easy and take less than 10 minutes using this form. Being featured as the SIT of the Month is an easy way to increase your visibility, grow your network as well as boost your resume!

Good luck writing your abstracts and have a great month!
Victoria Valvo

SIT Topical Essay: How to write an outstanding abstract and have a fun time while doing it!

Writing scientific abstracts - whether it be for a conference, scientific paper, grant or something else entirely - is a common occurrence throughout a scientist’s career. Many individuals struggle to motivate themselves to write an abstract, often resulting in abstracts being written at the last minute and lacking refinement. As many of you will be focusing on writing your abstract this month for the annual Radiation Research conference, I want to provide some guidelines on how to write an outstanding abstract and how to not be miserable while you do it!

Scientific abstracts provide a window for the reader to peek into your scientific project. A majority of readers will only ever read your abstract, thus it is essential that your abstract is interpretable as a standalone document which sufficiently represents your work (1). Scientific abstracts should provide necessary background information and clearly state the objective of your research or the gap in knowledge you are attempting to fill. Methods should be concise but clear and include necessary details about the study’s design. Your primary results should be stated clearly with an emphasis on the most important outcomes observed. Finally a good abstract ends with a logical conclusion that underscores the key implications of your findings (2).

Many scientists have mastered the art of writing compelling and interesting abstracts, and many resources currently exist providing guidance on how to improve your writing. I have compiled a short list of dos and don'ts from a few sources to aid you (1-5).

Abstract Writing Dos:

Start the writing process early! Don’t wait until the night before to write your abstract as you leave yourself with no time to edit or receive feedback!
Ask your colleagues for feedback! Have your mentor or a senior member in your lab read your abstract and provide you with feedback.
Use clear and concise language that is accessible to experts and non-experts. Avoid excessive jargon, abbreviations, or acronyms unless absolutely necessary.
Highlight the novelty of your work and how it contributes to the field. Emphasize innovation and explain how your work fills a gap in the existing knowledgebase.
Before submission - read your abstract outloud to yourself. Often when reading, we skim sentences and use our context clues to fill in the blanks, making proofreading hard. However when you are forced to read something outloud you are more likely to notice missing words or confusing sentences.

Abstract Writing Don’ts:

Do not write your abstract the night before or the day it is due!
Make sure you do not present a biased view or picture of your data or the background information.
Do not make unsupported claims or overstate your results and conclusions.
Avoid ambiguous terms that can be interpreted multiple ways.

Writing abstracts can often feel like a tedious chore, but with a little perspective switching you may be able to have fun and find joy in the process or at the very least just not be miserable. Below I have included a few ways to spice up the writing process and have some fun while you write your next abstract!

Gamify the Process - create challenges for yourself through gamifying abstract writing so that you get a dopamine boost once completed! Pretend you only have 30 seconds to explain your entire project to a non expert in an “elevator pitch” style. Challenge yourself to write your abstract in only 5-6 sentences
Add some Creativity - make a catchy title to make the writing process feel more like a creative process rather than a rigid professional process. Use analogies to explain complex topics in a fun way. Find subtle ways to add personal touches or fun elements without breaking professional standards.
Focus on the Story - start your abstract with a catchy hook that highlights the problem you are solving or gap in knowledge you are addressing, make it dramatic. Focus on why your work matters and express your passion for your work.
Make it Collaborative - find some friends who are also working on abstracts (or really any version of computer work) and co-work together. Set goals at the beginning of your co-working session and a timer. Check in at the end of the session to see what you have accomplished.

I encourage all of you to try a suggestion or two while you are working on your abstract for the conference this year. Choose one that resonates with you and give it your best effort - you may find that you actually enjoy writing your abstract this year!

Happy writing,
Victoria Valvo

Citations:
(1) Andrade, C. (2011) How to write a good abstract for a scientific paper or conference presentation. Indian J Psychiatry. 53(2):172-175.
(2) Litvan, I. (2024) Why crafting a Compelling Abstract Is Important to Summarize Research Findings. Mov Disord Clin Pract. 11(Suppl3):S42-S44.
(3) Miller, A.G. (2023) How to Write an Abstract for Presentation at a Scientific Meeting. Respir Care. 68(11):1569-1575.
(4) Japiassu, A.M. (2013) How to prepare and submit abstracts for scientific meetings. Rev Bras Ter Intensiva. 25(2):77-80.
(5) https://pubscholars.org/conference/how-many-abstracts-can-you-submit-to-a-conference/

SIT Feature of the Month: José Antonio Lopez-Valverde

Hi! I'm José Antonio Lopez-Valverde, a postdoctoral research fellow at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Brigham and Women's Hospital and Mass General Hospital, Harvard Medical School.

While my early studies focused on biomedical research and molecular biology, I decided to spice things up for my PhD and joined a Medical Physics lab. There, I expanded my knowledge of Monte Carlo simulations and computational modeling. This sparked my ongoing work at the intersection of physics and biology in the field of radiotherapy, blending both medical physics and radiobiology.

In my current position, I am continuing this mixed approach as a shared postdoc between a wet lab and a dry lab, led by Prof. Ross Berbeco and Prof. Alejandro Bertolet, respectively. My main project right now focuses on understanding the mechanism of action of the leading radiosensitizer nanoparticle that is currently in clinical trials. While we have observed radiosensitization effects, the exact mechanism remains unclear. I am working to uncover how it works so we can optimize this promising technology and ensure it doesn't fail in its early stages of development.

Outside the lab, I love outdoor sports. I used to cycle extensively and race in triathlons before moving to Boston, though the New England winters have definitely slowed down my outdoor training lately! I also love live music events, so you can always find me at concerts and electronic music festivals (fun fact: I am actually writing this short bio from Miami Music Week 🙂).

Last year, I attended the RRS annual meeting for the first time, and it was an incredible experience, both in terms of the connections I made and the fantastic program that aligns so perfectly with my scientific interests. I liked it so much that I joined the RRS Scholar-in-Training Committee this year! As part of the committee, I hope to continue advocating for and building a strong network for SITs working in Radiation Research.

Are you a Scholar In Training who would like to share their research in our next Newsletter? Please let us know!

Recent SIT Publications

Do you know of any SIT publications, or would you like to have your work featured? Let us know.

Funding Sources

RADIATION RESEARCH SOCIETY

Shaylin Eggum, Association Manager

726 Grand Ave. | Billings, MT 59101

1.877.216.1919 | shaylin@radres.org

Facebook

SIT Group

YouTube

Flickr

Click icon to connect!

SIT Newsletter: March 2026

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 19:35:00 GMT

SCHOLAR IN TRAINING NEWSLETTER

SIT Home

Publications

Awards

Documents

Committee

Archive

Upcoming Conferences
and Workshops

RRS 2026 Annual
International Meeting
Location: Waikoloa, Hawaii
Time: October 4-7, 2026
Registration Now Open!
Abstracts Open: March 26 - April 30, 2026
More Info

RRS Virtual Course on
Adverse Outcome Pathways
Location: Online
Time: Anytime
More info

National Proton Conference
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Time: March 19-21, 2026
More info

European Society for
Radiation Oncology
(ESTRO) 2026
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Time: May 15-19, 2026
Abstract Deadline: Closed
More info

Particle Therapy Co-Operative Group (PTCOG)
Location: Normandy, France
Time: June 8-13, 2026
Abstract Deadline: Closed
More info

American Association of
Physicists in Medicine
2026 Annual Meeting
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Time: July 19-22, 2026
Abstract Deadline: Closed
More info

American Society for
Radiation Oncology
(ASTRO) 2026
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Time: September 26-30, 2026
Abstract Deadline: Closed
More Info

ICRR 2027 – 18th International
Congress on Radiation Research
Location: Brno, Czech Republic
Time: June 20-24, 2027
More Info

NIH Office of
Intramural Training
and Education Seminars
(National Institute
of Health, USA)
Time: Varies, online
More Info

Stay tuned for more information!
Do you know of any
upcoming professional meetings?
Please let us know!

Career Opportunities

RAPTORplus fully funded PhD Positions
Adaptive Particle Therapy
Various institutes across Europe
Enrollment window: April–December 2026
More information and apply

Postdoctoral Fellow
AI, image analysis and adaptive radiation therapy
Department of Radiation Physics, MD Anderson Cancer Center
More information here or contact Dr. Jingwei Duan at jduan@mdanderson.org

Postbaccalaureate/
Predoctoral/
Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Radiation Epidemiology Branch
Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics
National Institutes of Health
More information and apply here

NEW! RRS CAREER CENTER!
View job postings, submit a resume and access career resources.
VIEW POSITIONS

FOR MORE CAREER POSTINGS, VISIT:
academicjobs.org; findaphd.com; researchgate.net/jobs; nature.com ; Science Careers; careers.aapm.org; linkedin.com

Do you know of any career opportunities? Please share them with your SIT colleagues!

SIT Committee Contact Details

Trevor Arino
Chemistry
tarino@lbl.gov

Kathryn Brown
Physics/Biophysics
kathryn.brown@qub.ac.uk

Nicolò Cogno, PhD
Physics/biophysics
ncogno@mgh.harvard.edu

Alexander Glasco
Medicine
alexander.glasco@northwestern.edu

Shannon Hartzell, PhD
Physics/Biophysics
hartzell.shannon@mayo.edu

Sara Howard, MPH
Epidemiology
sara.howard@orau.org

Carlos Huesa-Berral, PhD
Physics
chuesaberral@mgh.harvard.edu

Anna Kirstein, PhD
Biology
anna.kirstein@cchmc.org

José Antonio López-Valverde, PhD
Biology
jlopez-valverde@mgh.harvard.edu

Gabriele Parisi
Physics
g.parisi@surrey.ac.uk

Bethany Rothwell, PhD
Physics
bethany.rothwell@
postgrad.manchester.ac.uk

Cristina Totis, PhD
Physics
totis.cristina@mayo.edu

Victoria Valvo, PhD Candidate
Radiation Biology/Oncology
vvalvo@umich.edu

Geraldine Vitry, PhD
Radiation Biology
gv200@georgetown.edu

Contact the SIT Committee here!

Dear Scholars in Training,

I’ll be honest with you: this year, I’m done with winter. I live in Boston, and I could not imagine that the amount of snow in my driveway was even possible. For that reason, I’m happy to share the following dates for our Annual Meeting, because it means we’re finally moving on from winter!

Registration opened March 17

Call for Abstracts opens March 26

For the Call for Abstracts, we're excited to announce this year's SIT Symposium topic. SIT members can submit abstracts, and preference will be given to SIT submissions:

SIT Symposium: Radiation Effects on the Brain and Related Outcomes
Session Summary: This session presents research on radiation-induced effects on the neurological system and neurocognition, including Parkinson’s disease, suicides, and post-treatment radiation induced cognitive decline. This multidisciplinary session brings together scientists working across multiple radiation exposure scenarios (space, occupational, and medical).

The good thing about snowstorms is that they gave me time to reflect. I’m sharing a few thoughts on how I think AI may impact our careers, and what I believe is a good way to approach it. I hope you enjoy it.

Carlos Huesa-Berral, PhD

SIT Topical Essay: “We are living a real revolution”

AI is moving fast, and many of us already feel it in our day-to-day research. For those who code, the shift is especially visible: we’re moving from writing every line ourselves to organizing sets of skills or agents that can build code on our behalf. This isn’t a small incremental change; it’s a structural one. The speed of iteration has increased, the barrier to exploring new methods has dropped, and the range of what a single researcher can prototype has expanded dramatically. A few years ago, a complex analysis pipeline might have taken months of development; today, it can be assembled in days and refined in hours. This shift is happening across disciplines, not just in computer science, and it’s reshaping how we design experiments, analyze data, and connect ideas across fields. In many ways, we are moving from being only builders to being conductors - guiding and orchestrating a larger set of tools.

This is a real revolution. When revolutions arrive, people naturally worry about being replaced or try to resist the change. That reaction is understandable, but as scientists, we are uniquely positioned to respond differently. The value of AI is not in replacing us; it is in amplifying what we can do. It allows us to become designers and integrators: people who frame the right questions, connect concepts across biology, physics, and computation, and bring ideas together in ways that used to be slow or not feasible at all. It enables us to explore more hypotheses, test more possibilities, and move more quickly from intuition to evidence. It also allows smaller teams to tackle larger, more complex problems. In this sense, AI is not a shortcut; it is an expansion of capacity, a way to deepen our reach and accelerate the discovery process when used thoughtfully.

But that expansion comes with responsibility. If anything, AI increases the need for rigor. Models are only as good as the data they are trained on and the assumptions we allow them to make. We must remain skeptical, validate outputs, and keep our scientific judgment at the center of every decision. The future belongs to those who are open, adaptive, and curious across fields, but also disciplined in how they evaluate results. Being a designer means being accountable for the output, and being a scientist means testing and verifying it. If we treat AI as a collaborator rather than a substitute, and if we insist on the same standards of evidence we demand from any experiment, then this revolution becomes a force for better science, stronger collaboration, and greater impact.

This is our moment to define the standards, the culture, and the spirit of a new era of research. Let’s move forward as thoughtful builders of that future.

SIT Feature of the Month: Nicolò Cogno

I’m Nicolò Cogno, a post-doctoral fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

Since the start of my PhD, I’ve been trying to help better understand the effects of radiation therapy on normal tissue. The overall goal of my research is to reduce the side effects of radiation without lowering its impact on the tumor. However, I have little to no experience in the wet lab, and I therefore contribute using my background in mechanistic modeling! I represent biological phenomena with mathematical equations which are then translated into computer code. This allows for fast(er) and cheap(er) hypothesis testing and generation.

My current research focuses on radiation-induced brain necrosis, where I hope to provide valuable insights into patient outcomes for both conventional photon and proton therapies.

Outside the lab, I’m an avid runner in all weather conditions and terrains, and I also enjoy reading and playing the guitar in my free time.

I attended the RRS Annual Meetings in 2024 and 2025, where I felt honored to connect with passionate experts in my field and to learn about the diverse approaches other scientists take to address the challenges I encounter every day.

I’m happy to share that I’ve joined the RRS SIT Committee this year! Given my background and current work in a highly interdisciplinary field at the intersection of physics, biology, and computer science, I’ve come to appreciate the importance of communication and of finding a common language among physicists, biologists, clinicians, and computer scientists. I will do my best to bring this interdisciplinary perspective and collaborative experience to the RRS SIT-C, and to contribute to building a connected and supportive environment for current and future Scholars-in-Training.

Are you a Scholar In Training who would like to share their research in our next Newsletter? Please let us know!

Recent SIT Publications

Popović J, Hahut A, Torres GE, Vincent A, Soto-Echevarria N, Wray B, Barton ET, Paunesku T, Goodman CR, Woloschak GE, Changes in EGFR activity following CRISPR/Cas9-editing of the EGF binding domain. Sci Rep 2026; 16, 6797.

Carpio Gonzalez D, Glasco AD, Woloschak GE, Dewji SA. Reconstructing strontium-90 intake in beagles using neural networks: a data-driven assessment of historical inhalation records. J Radiol Prot. 2025; 45, 041512.

Carpio Gonzalez D, Glasco AD, Woloschak GE, Dewji SA. Reconstructing strontium-90 intake in beagles using neural networks: a data-driven assessment of historical inhalation records. J Radiol Prot. 2025; 45, 041512.

Rothwell B, Shin W, LaVerne JA, Rodriguez Gonzalez T, Joseph K, Chan TY, Huang Q, Cascio E, Schuemann J. Measurements of Hydrogen Peroxide Yields in Ultra-High-Dose-Rate vs. Conventional Radiation. Radiat Res. 2025. doi:10.1667/RADE-25-00190.1

Parisi G, Missiaggia M, Pierobon E, Cordoni FG, Verroi E, Verona C, Schettino G, La Tessa C. Microdosimetry investigation of target fragments in proton therapy, assessing the impact of the detector type. Phys Med Biol. 2025; 235016, 70.

Brown KH, Ghita-Pettigrew M, McIvor MP, McDowell MP, McLaughlin O, Prise KM, Sforza D, Wong JW, Rezaee M, McMahon SJ, Butterworth KT. Dose, dose rate and split dose impacts murine skin responses following photon FLASH irradiation. Radiother Oncol. 2025; 212, 111125.

Do you know of any SIT publications, or would you like to have your work featured? Let us know.

Funding Sources

RADIATION RESEARCH SOCIETY

Shaylin Eggum, Association Manager

726 Grand Ave. | Billings, MT 59101

1.877.216.1919 | shaylin@radres.org

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SIT Newsletter: January 2026

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 23:34:00 GMT

SCHOLAR IN TRAINING NEWSLETTER

SIT Home

Publications

Awards

Documents

Committee

Archive

Upcoming Conferences
and Workshops

RRS Virtual Course on
Adverse Outcome Pathways
Location: Online
Time: Anytime
More info

PSI Winter School for Proton Therapy Location: PSI, Zurich, Switzerland
Time: January 18-23, 2026
More info

American College of Radiation
Oncology (ACRO) - The Radiation
Oncology Summit 2026
Location: Walt Disney Dolphin Resort,
Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Time: February 4-7, 2026
More info

ASTRO Multidisciplinary Radiopharmaceutical
Therapy Symposium
Location: Palm Desert, California
Time: February 17-18, 2026
More info

RRS Winter Workshop - Comparative Radiation Research: The Role of Companion Animal Medicine in the Radiation Sciences
Location: Denver, Colorado
Time: February 26-27, 2025
Registration Now Open!
More Info

National Proton Conference
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Time: March 19-21, 2026
More info

European Society for
Radiation Oncology
(ESTRO) 2026
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Time: May 15-19, 2026
More info

Particle Therapy Co-Operative Group (PTCOG)
Location: Normandy, France
Time: June 8-13, 2026
More info

American Association of
Physicists in Medicine
2026 Annual Meeting
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Time: July 19-22, 2026
Abstract Deadline: January 27, 2026
More info

American Society for
Radiation Oncology
(ASTRO) 2026
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Time: September 26-30, 2026
More Info

RRS 2026 Annual
International Meeting
Location: Waikoloa, Hawaii
Time: October 4-7, 2026
Early Bird Registration Now Open!
More Info

ICRR 2027 – 18th International
Congress on Radiation Research
Location: Brno, Czech Republic
Time: June 20-24, 2027
More Info

NIH Office of
Intramural Training
and Education Seminars
(National Institute
of Health, USA)
Time: Varies, online
More Info

Stay tuned for more information!
Do you know of any
upcoming professional meetings?
Please let us know!

Career Opportunities

SIT Committee Contact Details

Trevor Arino
Chemistry
tarino@lbl.gov

Kathryn Brown
Physics/Biophysics
kathryn.brown@qub.ac.uk

Nicolò Cogno, PhD
Physics/biophysics
ncogno@mgh.harvard.edu

Alexander Glasco
Medicine
alexander.glasco@northwestern.edu

Shannon Hartzell, PhD
Physics/Biophysics
hartzell.shannon@mayo.edu

Sara Howard, MPH
Epidemiology
sara.howard@orau.org

Carlos Huesa-Berral, PhD
Physics
chuesaberral@mgh.harvard.edu

Anna Kirstein, PhD
Biology
anna.kirstein@cchmc.org

José Antonio López-Valverde, PhD
Biology
jlopez-valverde@mgh.harvard.edu

Poliana Marinello, PhD
Biology, Physics/Biophysics
pcmarinello@mdanderson.org

Gabriele Parisi
Physics
g.parisi@surrey.ac.uk

Bethany Rothwell, PhD
Physics
bethany.rothwell@
postgrad.manchester.ac.uk

Cristina Totis, PhD
Physics
totis.cristina@mayo.edu

Victoria Valvo, PhD Candidate
Radiation Biology/Oncology
vvalvo@umich.edu

Geraldine Vitry, PhD
Radiation Biology
gv200@georgetown.edu

Contact the SIT Committee here!

Dear Scholars in Training,

Happy New Year! As we step into 2026, we hope you’ve had a chance to rest and reset.

We’re excited to welcome four new members to the SIT Committee: Shannon Hartzell, José Antonio López-Valverde, Anna Kirstein, and Nicolò Cogno. We’re delighted to have them on board and look forward to introducing each of them properly in upcoming newsletters, starting with Shannon this month.

The committee is already starting to plan our next annual SIT Workshop, which will take place just before the RRS Annual Meeting in Hawaii on Saturday 3rd October 2026. If you have ideas for sessions, topics you’d like to see covered, or activities you think would benefit the SIT community, we’d love to hear from you. You can share your thoughts about the workshop (or anything else SIT-related!) at any time using this form.

For now, as the year stumbles back into motion, this may be a good moment to take a step back and think about how we ease ourselves into what comes next.

Warm wishes,
Beth

SIT Topical Essay: SIT Topical Essay: “Navigating the post-holiday lull”

January often arrives with a strange sense of whiplash. Just days ago, I was at home in the UK in that awkward, timeless limbo between Christmas and New Year – watching absolutely anything the BBC puts in front of me, not knowing the last time I wore something other than fluffy pyjamas, and eating an ungodly amount of chocolate and cheese. And now, suddenly, I’m expected to re-emerge as a fully functioning academic: refreshed, focused, and ready to dive back into work? I often find this transition… ambitious.

Maybe you’ve been celebrating Christmas too, or Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or perhaps just enjoying a rare pause from emails and experiments. In any case, coming back to work in January can feel jarring. For many of us, the days are still short, the weather is dreary, and yet the calendar insists this is the moment for big goals, fresh starts, and renewed productivity. It’s no surprise that January has earned a reputation for being a bit of a downer – the infamous “Blue Monday” is supposedly the most depressing day of the year (January 24th, if you want to mark your calendar and lament accordingly).

In academic and research environments, this tension can be especially pronounced. January arrives loaded with familiar expectations to “start the year strong”, “hit the ground running”, or “kick-start” a project with a renewed sense of vitality that often evaporates halfway through the month (if it even existed at all!). For Scholars-in-Training, the pressure can feel even heavier. Another reminder that time is limited, progress must be visible, and deadlines loom larger. Maybe you’re defending your PhD in 2026, applying for residency, or starting a new position – and despite the fact that it’s still very early in the year, everything feels alarmingly close now that the calendar has turned.

Yet this expectation of immediate momentum is, in many ways, at odds with both nature and the realities of scientific work. From a biological and psychological standpoint, winter is a period associated with lower energy and slower rhythms. In many cultures, the traditional “new year” begins in spring, when longer days and warmer weather naturally support growth and renewal. In that context, the expectation to immediately accelerate in January can feel somewhat artificial.

Rather than fighting against this, it can be helpful to rethink what productivity looks like during this part of the year. January doesn’t need to be a dramatic relaunch; it can just be a re-entry. For SITs, that might mean focusing on unglamorous but useful tasks – cleaning up analyses, revisiting half-finished ideas, refining experiment timelines, organising code or notes, or finally reading the papers you bookmarked months ago. Maybe it won’t make headlines, but it can help to make the rest of the year run more smoothly.

So, if January is going to insist on being January, here are a few ways to make it feel a little more manageable:

Chase the daylight where you can – a short walk outside, sitting near a window, or just stepping away from your screen at lunchtime can make a surprising difference.
Be kind to your circadian rhythm – if you’re staring at a screen all day, turning down the blue light in the evenings (or using night mode) can help your brain remember what time it actually is.
Lower the bar on productivity – instead of grand resolutions, aim for things that are genuinely doable.
Schedule something that has nothing to do with work – a coffee with a friend, a long walk, a good book, or a midweek treat can do more for your productivity than another evening at your desk.
Be a little kinder to yourself – motivation dips in winter are not a personal failure; they’re a normal human response to darkness, cold, and long to-do lists!

Of course, for those reading this from the southern hemisphere, all of this may sound rather abstract – your days are long, the sun is shining, and the idea of winter gloom may feel pleasantly hypothetical. In that case, consider this a preview: when your own midwinter eventually arrives, we’ll be interested to hear what coping strategies worked for you!

Until then, wherever you are in the world, January doesn’t have to be about sprinting out of the gate. Sometimes, moving a little more slowly, with a bit more intention, is exactly what sets the pace for a good year ahead.

SIT Feature of the Month

Shannon Hartzell

I am currently a medical physics resident at the Mayo Clinic in Florida. I received my PhD from the MD Anderson Cancer Center in 2023, where my research focused on microdosimetry and RBE modeling in particle radiotherapy. Following graduation, I was fortunate enough to continue this work at Mayo, where a combined proton and carbon ion therapy facility is being built. I value the multi-institutional and international collaborations that are critical in this field, many of which grow out of interdisciplinary conferences and communities like RRS. I look forward to contributing to the SIT committee, to RRS more broadly, and to positively influencing the experience of trainees!

Are you a Scholar In Training who would like to share their research in our next Newsletter? Please let us know!

Recent SIT Publications

Carpio Gonzalez D, Glasco AD, Woloschak GE, Dewji SA. Reconstructing strontium-90 intake in beagles using neural networks: a data-driven assessment of historical inhalation records. J Radiol Prot. 2025; 45, 041512.

Rothwell B, Shin W, LaVerne JA, Rodriguez Gonzalez T, Joseph K, Chan TY, Huang Q, Cascio E, Schuemann J. Measurements of Hydrogen Peroxide Yields in Ultra-High-Dose-Rate vs. Conventional Radiation. Radiat Res. 2025. doi:10.1667/RADE-25-00190.1

Parisi G, Missiaggia M, Pierobon E, Cordoni FG, Verroi E, Verona C, Schettino G, La Tessa C. Microdosimetry investigation of target fragments in proton therapy, assessing the impact of the detector type. Phys Med Biol. 2025; 235016, 70.

Brown KH, Ghita-Pettigrew M, McIvor MP, McDowell MP, McLaughlin O, Prise KM, Sforza D, Wong JW, Rezaee M, McMahon SJ, Butterworth KT. Dose, dose rate and split dose impacts murine skin responses following photon FLASH irradiation. Radiother Oncol. 2025; 212, 111125.

Choi C, Dawson RJ, Wang Y, Shin B, Tran-Gia J, Ramirez MS, Theisen AL, Lassmann M, Bolch WE. Mesh-based detailed skeletal models for the ICRP Reference Adults: Part 1. development and dosimetric impact. Phys Med Biol. 2025; 24,70.

Do you know of any SIT publications, or would you like to have your work featured? Let us know.

Funding Sources

RADIATION RESEARCH SOCIETY

Erica Hand, Association Manager

380 Ice Center Lane, Suite C | Bozeman, MT 59718

1.877.216.1919 | erica@radres.org

Facebook

SIT Group

YouTube

Flickr

Click icon to connect!

SIT Newsletter: December 2025

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 18:32:00 GMT

SCHOLAR IN TRAINING NEWSLETTER

SIT Home

Publications

Awards

Documents

Committee

Archive

Upcoming Conferences
and Workshops

RRS Virtual Course on
Adverse Outcome Pathways
Location: Online
Time: Anytime
More info

American College of Radiation
Oncology (ACRO) - The Radiation
Oncology Summit 2026
Location: Walt Disney Dolphin Resort,
Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Time: February 4-7, 2026
More info

ASTRO Multidisciplinary Radiopharmaceutical
Therapy Symposium
Location: Palm Desert, California
Time: February 17-18, 2026
More info

RRS Winter Workshop - Comparative Radiation Research: The Role of Companion Animal Medicine in the Radiation Sciences
Location: Denver, Colorado
Time: February 26-27, 2025
Registration Now Open!
More Info

National Proton Conference
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Time: March 19-21, 2026
More info

European Society for
Radiation Oncology
(ESTRO) 2026
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Time: May 15-19, 2026
More info

Particle Therapy Co-Operative Group (PTCOG)
Location: Normandy, France
Time: June 8-13, 2026
More info

American Society for
Radiation Oncology
(ASTRO) 2026
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Time: September 26-30, 2026
More Info

RRS 2026 Annual
International Meeting
Location: Waikoloa, Hawaii
Time: October 4-7, 2026
Early Bird Registration Now Open!
More Info

ICRR 2027 – 18th International
Congress on Radiation Research
Location: Brno, Czech Republic
Time: June 20-24, 2027
More Info

NIH Office of
Intramural Training
and Education Seminars
(National Institute
of Health, USA)
Time: Varies, online
More Info

Stay tuned for more information!
Do you know of any
upcoming professional meetings?
Please let us know!

Career Opportunities

PhD Position in Medical Physics
Temporal optimization of radiation therapy
University of Zurich, Switzerland
More information and apply here

Postbaccalaureate/
Predoctoral/
Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Radiation Epidemiology Branch
Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics
National Institutes of Health
More information and apply here

NEW! RRS CAREER CENTER!
View job postings, submit a resume and access career resources.
VIEW POSITIONS

FOR MORE CAREER POSTINGS, VISIT:
academicjobs.org; findaphd.com; researchgate.net/jobs; nature.com ; Science Careers; careers.aapm.org; linkedin.com

Do you know of any career opportunities? Please share them with your SIT colleagues!

SIT Committee Contact Details

Trevor Arino
Chemistry
tarino@lbl.gov

Kathryn Brown
Physics/Biophysics
kathryn.brown@qub.ac.uk

Alexander Glasco
Medicine
alexander.glasco@northwestern.edu

Sara Howard, MPH
Epidemiology
sara.howard@orau.org

Carlos Huesa-Berral, PhD
Physics
chuesaberral@mgh.harvard.edu

Poliana Marinello, PhD
Biology, Physics/Biophysics
pcmarinello@mdanderson.org

Gabriele Parisi
Physics
g.parisi@surrey.ac.uk

Bethany Rothwell, PhD
Physics
bethany.rothwell@
postgrad.manchester.ac.uk

Cristina Totis, PhD
Physics
totis.cristina@mayo.edu

Victoria Valvo, PhD Candidate
Radiation Biology/Oncology
vvalvo@umich.edu

Geraldine Vitry, PhD
Radiation Biology
gv200@georgetown.edu

Contact the SIT Committee here!

Ciao Scholars in Training!

Winter is knocking at the door here in Paris, from where I write. And while in the northern hemisphere we start dreaming of fireplaces, snow, cozy wooden chalets, punch and hot chocolate, I am pretty sure somewhere else in the southern hemisphere there is someone getting ready for a nice refreshing swim. To this person goes all my envy, because despite the cozy dreams, I am writing this newsletter on a cold, gray and rainy day, waiting for an anonymous (but hot) soup to warm me up.

Wherever you are based, though, no matter if you are wearing a bikini or a wool sweater, hold on! Because I know you are all craving some well-deserved time off for Christmas and for celebrating the New Year! The topical essay is dedicated to this, hopefully giving you a light and pleasant read.

Between a thought for a Christmas present and one for a new year’s resolution, don’t forget two important deadlines:
💳 to verify that your card details remain valid for the automatic membership renewal on December 31, 2025.
✍️ to submit your abstract for the 5th RRS Winter Workshop “Comparative Radiation Research: The Role of Companion Animal Medicine in the Radiation Sciences” by Tuesday, December 30, 2025.
🎉 The more, the merrier! If you know people passionate about radiation science, invite them to join the Radiation Research Society family here.

Best wishes to all,

Gabriele,
SIT Committee Member

SIT Topical Essay: SIT Topical Essay: “When seasonal migration becomes difficult: winter holidays around the world”

Every December, as twinkly lights go up and Mariah Carey reawakens from her eleven-month hibernation, another, far less glamorous tradition resurfaces: the mass migration of students and early-career researchers trying to get home for the holidays. If you’re doing a Master’s, a PhD, a post-doc, or just finishing a semester far from “home”, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

International mobility in higher education and research is common: in 2023, around 8.4% of university students in the European Union were enrolled abroad (i.e. in a country different from their origin) [European Commission]. For doctoral and advanced-studies levels, mobility is even more significant: in many OECD countries, the share of international PhD-level students is higher than 40% [Cambridge University Press]. In France alone, there are about 25,000 foreign doctoral candidates enrolled in 2023-2024 [Campus France].

December is that annual moment (usually somewhere between checking your experimental schedule and realizing you haven’t done laundry in two weeks) when you open a flight- or train-booking website and immediately wish you hadn’t. Trains vanish from existence. Buses sell out. Even imagining a seat on an airline triggers a mild financial crisis. Once again, you missed the moment when transport companies became jewelries. The annual Christmas doubt arises: “Shall I get the fellowship of the ring together and undertake a fantascientific quest to get back home (…again)?”. If this year you had enough of extenuating trips, turn this into an opportunity to live or discover how the rest of the world celebrates (or does not celebrate) Christmas and New Year.

Europe treats Christmas like a competitive sport. Germany‘s Weihnachtsmärkte with warm mulled wine strong enough to make you forget your publication backlog. Italy with tables groaning under multiple festive dishes that will give a hard time to your trousers’ button. Spain with its chaotic national lottery. Parts of Eastern Europe, with a pickle ornament that you might find hidden in the tree; why? Because tradition doesn’t always explain itself. In much of Latin America, Christmas Eve (Nochebuena) is the main event. Families and friends gather, eat, laugh, and sometimes launch fireworks that would never pass European safety regulations. In Mexico, for example, you’ll see posadas: street processions reenacting Mary and Joseph’s journey. Nordic Countries lean into winter with unapologetic enthusiasm: candles everywhere, warm spiced drinks, thick knitwear to survive the cold, and mythical companions of Santa: like the Yule Goat in Sweden or “Yule Lads” in Iceland. Not everyone celebrates Christmas, of course. December looks very different in places where cultural traditions differ. In many countries where the predominant religion is not Christianity, like China and the Middle East, December 25th is just an ordinary day. But globalization often means city centers get decorated, festive lights are displayed, malls play holiday music, and people exchange gifts or treats. So for some expatriates or locals, there’s a kind of unofficial “holiday season vibe,” even without a formal celebration. In Japan (and some other Asian countries), for example, streets fill with decorations, light shows, and fun traditions: some people go out for a (yes, somewhat random) KFC dinner on Christmas Eve.

Even though Christmas divides the world between “celebrators” and “meh (it’s just a normal day)”, the universal reset button is around the corner: the New Year’s Eve! Fireworks? Global. Celebrations? Common. Resolutions we’ll never keep? Also global. Whether in snowy Europe, bustling Asian megacities, warm-climate countries, stilt villages on crystal clear waters or tiny mountain villages, the countdown to a fresh calendar resonates. It carries a sense of hope, renewal, and the chance to start new chapters, which probably feels especially meaningful if you’re far from “home”.

SIT Feature of the Month

Dray Gentry

Dray Gentry is a nuclear engineer from Upper East Tennessee who applies radiation science to real clinical problems. He completed his bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Engineering and his master’s degree in Medical Physics at the University of Tennessee, where he is also completing his PhD in Radiological Physics, graduating in May. He is strongly focused on clinical applications of research, and beginning his medical physics residency in May, his work centers on developing in-clinic biodosimetry workflows for SRS, SBRT, and proton therapy patients. Outside of work, Dray spends his time training MMA, working out, and scuba diving.

Are you a Scholar In Training who would like to share their research in our next Newsletter? Please let us know!

Recent SIT Publications

Parisi G, Missiaggia M, Pierobon E, Cordoni FG, Verroi E, Verona C, Schettino G, La Tessa C. Microdosimetry investigation of target fragments in proton therapy, assessing the impact of the detector type. Phys Med Biol. 2025; 235016, 70.

Brown KH, Ghita-Pettigrew M, McIvor MP, McDowell MP, McLaughlin O, Prise KM, Sforza D, Wong JW, Rezaee M, McMahon SJ, Butterworth KT. Dose, dose rate and split dose impacts murine skin responses following photon FLASH irradiation. Radiother Oncol. 2025; 212, 111125.

Choi C, Dawson RJ, Wang Y, Shin B, Tran-Gia J, Ramirez MS, Theisen AL, Lassmann M, Bolch WE. Mesh-based detailed skeletal models for the ICRP Reference Adults: Part 1. development and dosimetric impact. Phys Med Biol. 2025; 24,70.

Guo L, Zhou B, Tsai YC, Jiang K, Iakovenko V, Wang KK. Comprehensive characterization and validation of a fast-resolving (1000 Hz) plastic scintillator for ultra-high dose rate electron dosimetry. Med Phys. 2025; 52, 10.

Giunta E, French B, Walsh L, Dauer LT, Boice JD Jr, Andresen D, Bahadori AA. Colossus: bridging the gap between big data and radiation epidemiology. J Radiol Prot. 2025; 14, 45(4).

Do you know of any SIT publications, or would you like to have your work featured? Let us know.

Funding Sources

RADIATION RESEARCH SOCIETY

Erica Hand, Association Manager

380 Ice Center Lane, Suite C | Bozeman, MT 59718

1.877.216.1919 | erica@radres.org

Facebook

SIT Group

YouTube

Flickr

Click icon to connect!

SIT Newsletter: November 2025

Fri, 28 Nov 2025 19:56:00 GMT

SCHOLAR IN TRAINING NEWSLETTER

SIT Home

Publications

Awards

Documents

Committee

Archive

Upcoming Conferences
and Workshops

RRS Virtual Course on
Adverse Outcome Pathways
Location: Online
Time: Anytime
More info

FLASH Radiotherapy & Particle Therapy (FRPT)
Location: Prague, Czech Republic
Time: December 10-12, 2025
More info

ASTRO Multidisciplinary Radiopharmaceutical Therapy Symposium
Location: Palm Desert, California
Time: February 17-18, 2026
More info

RRS Winter Workshop - Comparative Radiation Research: The Role of Companion Animal Medicine in the Radiation Sciences
Location: Denver, Colorado
Time: February 26-27, 2025
Registration Now Open!
More Info

Particle Therapy Co-Operative Group (PTCOG)
Location: Normandy, France
Time: June 8-13, 2026
More info

RRS 2026 Annual International Meeting
Location: Waikoloa, Hawaii
Time: October 4-7, 2026
Early Bird Registration Now Open! More Info

ICRR 2027 – 18th International Congress on Radiation Research
Location: Brno, Czech Republic
Time: June 20-24, 2027
More Info

NIH Office of
Intramural Training
and Education Seminars
(National Institute
of Health, USA)
Time: Varies, online
More Info

Stay tuned for more information!
Do you know of any
upcoming professional meetings?
Please let us know!

Career Opportunities

Research Fellow
Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology
The University of Adelaide, Australia
More information and apply here

Research Fellow
Radiation Neurobiology
University of Groningen, the Netherlands
More information and apply here

PhD Position in Medical Physics
Temporal optimization of radiation therapy
University of Zurich, Switzerland
More information and apply here

Postbaccalaureate/Predoctoral/Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Radiation Epidemiology Branch
Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics
National Institutes of Health
More information and apply here

NEW! RRS CAREER CENTER!
View job postings, submit a resume and access career resources.
VIEW POSITIONS

FOR MORE CAREER POSTINGS, VISIT:
academicjobs.org; findaphd.com; researchgate.net/jobs; nature.com ; Science Careers; careers.aapm.org; linkedin.com

Do you know of any career opportunities? Please share them with your SIT colleagues!

SIT Committee Contact Details

Trevor Arino
Chemistry
tarino@lbl.gov

Kathryn Brown
Physics/Biophysics
kathryn.brown@qub.ac.uk

Alexander Glasco
Medicine
alexander.glasco@northwestern.edu

Sara Howard, MPH
Epidemiology
sara.howard@orau.org

Carlos Huesa-Berral, PhD
Physics
chuesaberral@mgh.harvard.edu

Poliana Marinello, PhD
Biology, Physics/Biophysics
pcmarinello@mdanderson.org

Gabriele Parisi
Physics
g.parisi@surrey.ac.uk

Bethany Rothwell, PhD
Physics
bethany.rothwell@
postgrad.manchester.ac.uk

Victoria Valvo, PhD Candidate
Radiation Biology/Oncology
vvalvo@umich.edu

Contact the SIT Committee here!

Happy November, Scholars in Training!

As we wrap up the Autumn/Fall semester and head into the holiday season, many of us are already starting to look ahead to the New Year. One thing I have learned is that it is never too early to plan ahead, whether that be experiments, thesis writing, funding ideas or the next big project! I’m sure many of you can relate but as you begin to look toward the next project or thing on the never-ending to-do list, take a moment to reflect on everything you’ve achieved this year - academically, professionally and personally.

Best wishes,
Kathryn,
SIT Committee Member

SIT Topical Essay: Giving Thanks for Discovery

Working in the UK, November is typically a countdown to the end of the year and dare I say the “C” word, but I know my American colleagues are busy preparing their turkeys and pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving. Although this is not something we typically celebrate in the UK, the spirit of pausing to reflect on what we are thankful for should resonate with us all – even in the world of radiation sciences.

So SITs, let’s make November a month to pause and reflect – whether that be for family, friends, health, education or the opportunities that have arisen to shape our future. For those of us studying or working in the radiation sciences, this season of “thanks” also brings the opportunity to celebrate the birthday of one of the most remarkable figures in (radiation) scientific history: Marie Skłodowska Curie.

Marie Curie was born on 7^th November 1867, and her work fundamentally changed how humanity understands energy, matter and medicine. Through her discovery of polonium and radium, she revealed the powerful and mysterious phenomenon of radioactivity, laying the groundwork for everything from diagnostic imaging to radiotherapy treatment. These achievements made her the first woman to win a Nobel Prize in 1903 and again in 1911 (the first to ever win in two scientific fields - Physics and Chemistry). During World War I, she developed “Petites Curies” (mobile X-ray units) used on the front line to quickly diagnose injuries and save countless lives. Marie Curie’s story is one of perseverance, humility and service. Her work was never about fame; it was about ensuring scientific integrity to help others and advance knowledge in the radiation sciences.

As students and future professionals in radiation we navigate a new scientific era of digital imaging, AI-assisted diagnostics and precision medicine, and it is easy to forget the legacy we inherit, built not just on discovery, but on compassion and dedication. Whether in the lab or the clinic, every experiment we run, every dose we calculate, every dataset we analyse; we feed into that legacy. As we remember Marie Curie’s birthday, let’s take a moment to reflect on the power of discovery and the responsibility that comes with it. It is our honour as SITs and future leaders in the radiation sciences to have the opportunity to carry this legacy on.

Our scientific community has lots to be grateful for, new innovations and discoveries, dedicated instructors and mentors guiding us through the complexities of experiments and supportive peers picking us up when things don’t go our way. This month let’s actively take a moment to express gratitude for the pioneers of our research, our mentors, our colleagues and our Society.

And remember, the concept of radiation and thanksgiving dinner have something in common...moderation matters! So, as we give thanks this season, remember to balance the portions on your plate (both work and food) and remember the words of Marie Curie “Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood”.

SIT Feature of the Month

Introducing our new SIT-Committee Vice-Chair… Sara Howard

Tell us a bit about yourself and your current research/project!
Sure! I am an epidemiologist at Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), where I have worked as a masters-level epidemiologist while completing my PhD. In August 2025, I received my PhD in Comparative and Experimental Medicine with a focus in Epidemiology and minor in Statistics from the University of Tennessee. My research is primarily focused on investigating the health risks after chronic low dose radiation exposure, especially for occupational cohorts like in the Million Person Study (MPS) or the International Pooled Analysis of Uranium Workers (iPAUW). I also contribute to a large multi-institutional study, which is a multi-scale evaluation and mitigation of toxicities following internal and radionuclide contamination.

How long have you been a SIT member of RRS? Any highlights?
I have been an SIT member for 4 years, which seems crazy! There have been so many highlights, but generally, the SIT workshops and the RRS conferences are the biggest highlights each year. I love the interactions with other SITs that occur during and after the workshop.

What keeps you motivated when experiments or ideas don’t go to plan?
For me, two main things keep me motivated when studies are not going as planned. First, the simple desire to solve the puzzle. As an epidemiologist, my research is very data heavy. We often fit disparate data or information together to perform our studies, so it feels like solving a puzzle quite a bit. The other, overarching motivation is remembering why we are performing the research. None of us perform research just for the sake of researching something. We are typically answering questions that have some impact on the public good. For me, it helps to keep that in mind.

If you weren’t working within Radiation Sciences, what do you think you would be doing instead?
Oh gosh! That is a tough one. I am not totally sure. If I was still working in epidemiology, I would probably still be working with occupational or environmental epidemiology, just for non-radiological exposures. My current work often involves non-radiological exposures, like beryllium, that are co-occurring for some radiation workers, so that is a nature fit. I have always had a soft spot for public health, especially public health departments, so maybe I would work in one of those. If I was not in science or health at all, I would probably be doing something completely random like professional closet organizer or baking. I love baking and cooking, so maybe I would go to culinary school.

What piece of advice would you give to other SITs?
Say yes – I know that might be a bit simplistic, but I would encourage other SITs to say yes to new opportunities and learning new skills especially for those early in the training process. Some of my most rewarding professional experiences are results of saying yes to new opportunities or learning new skills. Frankly, I am in radiation science because I said yes to an internship placement about which my advisor and I knew very little during my masters degree program. That one decision introduced me to radiation epidemiology and the wonderful team at ORAU & ORISE.

Are you a Scholar In Training who would like to share their research in our next Newsletter? Please let us know!

Recent SIT Publications

Brown KH, Ghita-Pettigrew M, McIvor MP, McDowell MP, McLaughlin O, Prise KM, Sforza D, Wong JW, Rezaee M, McMahon SJ, Butterworth KT. Dose, dose rate and split dose impacts murine skin responses following photon FLASH irradiation. Radiother Oncol. 2025; 212, 111125.

Choi C, Dawson RJ, Wang Y, Shin B, Tran-Gia J, Ramirez MS, Theisen AL, Lassmann M, Bolch WE. Mesh-based detailed skeletal models for the ICRP Reference Adults: Part 1. development and dosimetric impact. Phys Med Biol. 2025; 24,70.

Guo L, Zhou B, Tsai YC, Jiang K, Iakovenko V, Wang KK. Comprehensive characterization and validation of a fast-resolving (1000 Hz) plastic scintillator for ultra-high dose rate electron dosimetry. Med Phys. 2025; 52, 10.

Giunta E, French B, Walsh L, Dauer LT, Boice JD Jr, Andresen D, Bahadori AA. Colossus: bridging the gap between big data and radiation epidemiology. J Radiol Prot. 2025; 14, 45(4).

Guerra Liberal FDC, Thompson SJ, Gardner LL, Parsons JL, Chevalier F, Tabury K, McMahon SJ. Assessing the Relative Contribution of DSB Repair Proteins as a Function of LET. Int J Part Ther. 2025; 26, 17, 101198.

Do you know of any SIT publications, or would you like to have your work featured? Let us know.

Funding Sources

RADIATION RESEARCH SOCIETY

Erica Hand, Association Manager

380 Ice Center Lane, Suite C | Bozeman, MT 59718

1.877.216.1919 | erica@radres.org

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SIT Newsletter: October 2025

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 00:08:00 GMT

SCHOLAR IN TRAINING NEWSLETTER

SIT Home

Publications

Awards

Documents

Committee

Archive

Upcoming Conferences
and Workshops

RRS Virtual Course on
Adverse Outcome Pathways
Location: Online
Time: Anytime
More info

RRS Winter Workshop - Comparative Radiation Research: The Role of Companion Animal Medicine in the Radiation Sciences
Location: Denver, Colorado
Time: February 26-27, 2025
More Info: Coming Soon

NIH Office of
Intramural Training
and Education Seminars
(National Institute
of Health, USA)
Time: Varies, online
More Info

Stay tuned for more information!
Do you know of any
upcoming professional meetings?
Please let us know!

Career Opportunities

PhD Position in Medical Physics
Temporal optimization of radiation therapy
University of Zurich, Switzerland
More information and apply here

PhD Position in Medical Physics
Statistical machine learning models of lymphatic cancer progression
University of Zurich, Switzerland
More information and apply here

Postbaccalaureate/
Predoctoral/
Postdoctoral Research
Scientist
Radiation Epidemiology Branch
Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics
National Institutes of Health
More information and apply here

NEW! RRS CAREER CENTER!
View job postings, submit a resume and access career resources.
VIEW POSITIONS

FOR MORE CAREER POSTINGS, VISIT:
academicjobs.org; findaphd.com; researchgate.net/jobs; nature.com ; Science Careers; careers.aapm.org; linkedin.com

Do you know of any career opportunities? Please share them with your SIT colleagues!

SIT Committee Contact Details

Trevor Arino
Chemistry
tarino@lbl.gov

Kathryn Brown
Physics/Biophysics
kathryn.brown@qub.ac.uk

Alexander Glasco
Medicine
alexander.glasco@northwestern.edu

Sara Howard, MPH
Epidemiology
sara.howard@orau.org

Carlos Huesa-Berral, PhD
Physics
chuesaberral@mgh.harvard.edu

Poliana Marinello, PhD
Biology, Physics/Biophysics
pcmarinello@mdanderson.org

Gabriele Parisi
Physics
g.parisi@surrey.ac.uk

Bethany Rothwell, PhD
Physics
bethany.rothwell@
postgrad.manchester.ac.uk

Victoria Valvo, PhD Candidate
Radiation Biology/Oncology
vvalvo@umich.edu

Contact the SIT Committee here!

Hello Scholars in Training!

I sincerely hope that everyone who attended the 71st Annual Meeting of the Radiation Research Society in Puerto Rico, had a wonderful time. The Radiation Research Society is truly a special event full of attendees who are generous with their time and expertise.

At the annual meeting, we got to connect with each other to strengthen our research community and our friendships. We had the opportunity for deep scientific discussion regarding radiation research, a field that has never been more important than it is right now. Radiation research is at the forefront of scientific importance for its growing use in diagnostics, therapy, energy, and more. As we all take the chance to recover from the excitement of RRS 2025 in beautiful Puerto Rico, I hope everyone takes the opportunity to reflect on their experience at the meeting, and I encourage you to follow-up on connections made during the conference.

At the SIT workshop, we emphasized the importance of engaging in your scientific community and taking an active role in putting yourself out there. Whether it is with a mentor, sponsor, or a colleague, being present will help build your network, bolster your career, and advance your field. We were very fortunate to hear firsthand experience from established researchers who run scientific journals, head collaborative research grants, and have acted as successful mentors, many of whom were also Scholars-In-Training themselves. It was inspiring to see the exciting careers led by our speakers and to reflect on the fact that many of them were SIT members themselves.

In conclusion, it is events like this that invigorate our passions for our work, and I hope to see you all next year. Please let us know if you have feedback to share, to make our workshop even better next year!

Trevor Arino,
SIT Committee Member

The SIT-C is Looking for New Members!

Want to be more involved? The Scholar-In-Training Committee is looking for applications to join next year! If you would like to be a member of the SIT-C please submit a CV (1-2 pages) and statement of interest (1 page max) to brothwell1@mgh.harvard.edu by November 25^th. Please feel free to reach out to the email address listed if you have any questions. We look forward to working with you next year!

SIT Topical Essay: Some Tips for Engaging in Unfamiliar Science

Have you ever had a colleague give a presentation on work that is so far from your own, it sounds like they are speaking in another language? Attended a lecture at a conference on a topic outside of your field? Your uncle sent you a study to prove aliens built the pyramids? You are not alone! It is an important fact of research that you will often be exposed to fields of study that you are unfamiliar with, and it can be tempting to mentally check out during these times. I am certainly guilty of checking emails rather than listening to a talk if it is not in my field. However, it is important to view work outside of your immediate interests, and in return to tailor your work to a broader audience. Both will make you far more productive in research and help you be more empathetic when discussing science with a broader audience. This is important because if your work is to ever make a real impact, you must convince the public that your findings are both useful and safe and people are naturally averse to what they do not understand.

The very best thing one can do to get comfortable with engaging in new science is to read every day. Even for 30 minutes. Use tools like Feedly or TheOldReader to subscribe to journals to stay on top of “what’s new.” Having a personal RRS feed to look at new research will at least give you something productive to doomscroll and will give you common ground for an engaging conversation with someone at a conference, perhaps a potential mentor or collaborator.

If you know ahead of time that you will attend a lecture on unfamiliar topics, look up the presenter using Google Scholar or ORCID and read their most recent publication, then subscribe to their profile to be notified when they publish new work. Familiarity with the work makes you more comfortable when asking questions. Positing great questions is the first step to coming up with your own research ideas and it takes critical thinking skills honed only with time and practice. You will naturally start applying this to your own study, making new connections, and coming up with new ideas.

During a presentation, especially if you could not research ahead of time, engage in active listening and put your distractions away. Start by jotting down the name and contact information of the presenter and write questions as they come up. Do not stress meticulous note taking, instead focus on listening to the presenter. Pay close attention to graphs, legends and axis titles. Presentations are short without enough time to digest the entire slide. Identify trends or outliers rather than individual metrics and reflect on their meaning, draw a conclusion on the data and see if you agree with the presenter.

If you are preparing a talk for an unfamiliar audience, you will have to sacrifice exciting results for background information. Slides should be pointed and in company theme, avoid fancy graphics or images on the slide borders as they can clutter and distract from the content. Arial font only. Make figures specifically for presentations, do not assume figures made for manuscripts are perfect for all forms of media. Presentation slides are wider, and your audience may sit far away. Make data axis titles and legends larger and choose color schemes that are easy to see and colorblind safe. Paul Tol has an amazing website that offers appealing color schemes safe for all audiences. Position the information on a slide in a natural fashion and present it left-to-right, or in a “Z” pattern. Include a text box or graphic that highlights key takeaways in case your audience briefly checks out. Use slide numbers.

Exploring other fields of research, being multidisciplinary, will make you a strong scientist in your respective field. This unique perspective will bring new research insights, more collaborators, and expand your network. Being connected and easy to understand will help guide policy makers to introduce safe science to the public. Get excited to be comfortable with the uncomfortable and be patient with others. Team “Quirky” the winners of our SIT workshop radiation research trivia competition.

SIT Feature of the Month

Mirta Dumancic

Hi, my name is Mirta, and I am really happy to be a part of the RRS. The last conference in Tucson, Arizona, was so inspiring, and my favorites are the SIT training sessions before the conference itself. My background is in particle physics, but during my postdoc, I started working in radiation research with a recent focus on microdosimetry. I am currently a postdoc at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. My goal is to pursue an academic career, and my passion is for discovery and innovation in cancer care. My favorite color is orange, my favorite season is summer, and I'm definitely a dog person.

Are you a Scholar In Training who would like to share their research in our next Newsletter? Please let us know!

Recent SIT Publications

Bender T, Schickel E, Schielke C, Debus J, Grosshans DR, Durante M, et al., Aberrant choroid plexus formation drives the development of treatment-related brain toxicity. Communications Biology 2025; 8, 276.

Reno KE, Costa-Terryll A, Park SH, Hughes RT, Farris MK, Xing F, et al., Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein Promotes Radiation Resistance in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer In Vitro. Int J Mol Sci 2025; 26, 2465.

Giunta E, Stutzman D, Cohen SS, French B, Walsh L, Dauer LT, et al., Colossus: software for radiation epidemiological studies with big data. J Radiol Prot 2025; 45, 021504.

Do you know of any SIT publications, or would you like to have your work featured? Let us know.

Funding Sources

RADIATION RESEARCH SOCIETY

Erica Hand, Association Manager

380 Ice Center Lane, Suite C | Bozeman, MT 59718

1.877.216.1919 | erica@radres.org

Facebook

SIT Group

YouTube

Flickr

Click icon to connect!

SIT Newsletter: August 2025

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 04:52:00 GMT

SCHOLAR IN TRAINING NEWSLETTER

SIT Home

Publications

Awards

Documents

Committee

Archive

Upcoming Conferences
and Workshops

RRS Virtual Course on
Adverse Outcome Pathways
Location: Online
Time: Anytime
More info

ISoRED 2025 Meeting
(International Society of Radiation Epidemiology and Dosimetry)
Location: Lyon, France
Time: September 9 - 11, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed
More info

ImmunoRad 2025
Location: Paris, France
Time: Sept. 17 - 19, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed
More info

Radiation Research Society
71^st Annual Meeting Meeting
Location: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Time: September 21 - 24, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed

ASTRO 67th
Annual Meeting
(American SocieTy
for Radiotherapy
and Oncology)
Location: San Francisco, USA
Time: September 27 – October 1, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed
More info

ICRP 2025
8th International
Symposium of
Radiological Protection
(International Commission
on Radiological Protection)
Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE
Time: October 6 - 9, 2025
More info

NIH Office of
Intramural Training
and Education Seminars
(National Institute
of Health, USA)
Time: Varies, online
More Info

Stay tuned for more information!
Do you know of any
upcoming professional meetings?
Please let us know!

Career Opportunities

PhD Position in Medical Physics
Temporal optimization of radiation therapy
University of Zurich, Switzerland
More information and apply here

PhD Position in Medical Physics
Statistical machine learning models of lymphatic cancer progression
University of Zurich, Switzerland
More information and apply here

Postdoctoral Fellow
AI in Radiation Therapy
University of Maryland, Baltimore
More information and apply here

Postbaccalaureate/
Predoctoral/
Postdoctoral Research
Scientist
Radiation Epidemiology Branch
Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics
National Institutes of Health
More information and apply here

NEW! RRS CAREER CENTER!
View job postings, submit a resume and access career resources.
VIEW POSITIONS

FOR MORE CAREER POSTINGS, VISIT:
academicjobs.org; findaphd.com; researchgate.net/jobs; nature.com ; Science Careers; careers.aapm.org; linkedin.com

Do you know of any career opportunities? Please share them with your SIT colleagues!

SIT Committee Contact Details

Wuroud Al-Khayyat, PhD Candidate
Radiation Biology
walkhayyat@laurentian.ca

Trevor Arino
Chemistry
tarino@lbl.gov

Kathryn Brown
Physics/Biophysics
kathryn.brown@qub.ac.uk

Alexander Glasco
Medicine
alexander.glasco@northwestern.edu

Sara Howard, MPH
Epidemiology
sara.howard@orau.org

Carlos Huesa-Berral, PhD
Physics
chuesaberral@mgh.harvard.edu

Poliana Marinello, PhD
Biology, Physics/Biophysics
pcmarinello@mdanderson.org

Gabriele Parisi
Physics
g.parisi@surrey.ac.uk

Bethany Rothwell, PhD
Physics
bethany.rothwell@
postgrad.manchester.ac.uk

Victoria Valvo, PhD Candidate
Radiation Biology/Oncology
vvalvo@umich.edu

Contact the SIT Committee here!

Hello Scholars in Training!

You’ve completed your experiments, submitted your abstracts and registered to attend. It’s time to print your posters, pack your bags and get excited for the 71st Annual Meeting of the Radiation Research Society in Puerto Rico! Join us from September 21st through 24th to learn about the cutting-edge research in our field, network and have fun - all under the tropical sun.

As Wuroud highlighted last month, the SIT Committee has been hard at work to bring you an impactful and fun SIT Workshop to complement the main conference. Those who have registered for the SIT Workshop will gather on September 20th to learn more about publishing in journals, collaborating with other researchers in our field, transitioning from SIT to Early Career Investigator (ECI) and transitioning from PhD to a postdoc position. We’ll wrap up by honoring the winner of the SIT Mentor Award and competing against each other in Radiation Science Jeopardy. Be sure to watch your email inbox for details about the SIT Poster Slam, to take place immediately following the SIT Workshop.

The SIT Workshop (and other SIT-run or interest group events at the meeting!) is a great way to make a large meeting feel less intimidating - you’ll see the same faces throughout the week! So if it’s your first RRS meeting, welcome to our fantastic society and get ready to meet some incredible fellow SITs. If you’re a seasoned meeting attendee, relish in soon reconnecting with your peers and prepare to full-heartedly welcome our newest SIT members.

Best wishes and see you all soon,

Alex Glasco,
SIT Committee Member

SIT Topical Essay: Mentoring Down, Up and Sideways

The RRS Annual Meeting brings together individuals at all stages of their training and careers; undergraduates, graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, early-career investigators, established investigators and industry scientists. As SITs, we are accustomed to traditional forms of mentorship where individuals with higher ranking mentor individuals with lower ranking. But! Did you know mentorship comes in so many more flavors? To name just a few:

Mentoring Down: Mentorship in which the mentor is at a higher organizational rank or level of training than the mentee. The mentor guides the mentor-mentee relationship.
Mentoring Up: Mentorship in which the mentee actively engages with the mentor to understand expectations, promote professional development and strengthen the mentor-mentee relationship.¹ The mentee helps to guide the mentor-mentee relationship.
Mentoring Sideways: Mentorship where individuals of a similar training level provide support towards accomplishing goals.² Both individuals serve as mentor and mentee.

Take a second to think about these types of mentorship. Most of us have taken part in all of these forms of mentorship, whether we’ve explicitly recognized it or not. However, being cognizant and mindful of all mentor-mentee relationships provides context that can be leveraged to improve our training experiences, improve the training experiences of others and strengthen our mentoring skills. As SITs, we have unique interactions to these three types of mentorship.

On Mentoring Down: First, there is immense benefit in developing a network of mentors to further your own training.^3,4 Drawing on the myriad of diverse experiences held by a larger network helps you be more informed as you navigate challenges, pursue professional development opportunities and progress towards meeting your goals. Beyond the mentoring down you receive, many SITs are in various stages of mentoring down to others. Graduate students who serve as mentors often note benefits including:

The feeling of fulfillment by giving back and training the next generation of scientists
Development/honing of mentorship style, critical for the careers many of us will have
Improved scientific communication
Deepened understanding of our own project
Help in tackling imposter fears⁵

On Mentoring Up: How many times have we heard “that’s not what I was asking you to do” or “I thought you would have had this done already” from our mentors? Mentoring up can help to bring mentor and mentee together, minimizing these often unintentionally hurtful statements and strengthening the training of the mentee. Mentoring up is rooted in seven principles¹:

Maintaining Effective Communication
Aligning Expectations
Assessing Understanding
Addressing Equity and Inclusion
Fostering Independence
Promoting Professional Development
Ethical Behavior

Which of these principles do you have covered and which have room for improvement? Keep these in mind the next time you interact with your mentor and see if you can start to tackle them.

On Mentoring Sideways: Discussing our challenges with our peers is often beneficial, revealing that many of the challenges we face are not necessarily unique to us and helping us come up with ways to overcome them. Additionally, peer mentorship can fill the knowledge gaps of faculty mentors, who often received training in environments and under pressures different than those of current SITs. Mentoring sideways comes in several forms; discussing career options, dissertation topic/methodology soundboarding, group structured writing time and reflection, student-run workshops or catch-ups.² Your peers are not your competitors; use their support and offer yours when you can.

To Part: Think about these types of mentorship as you prepare to attend the Annual Meeting. You’ll have ample opportunity to practice mentoring down and sideways. Before the meeting, discuss professional development goals with your mentor that can be met while attending.

Lee, S.; McGee, R.; Pfund, C.; Branchaw, J. “Mentoring Up”: Learning to Manage Your Mentoring Relationships. In The Mentoring Continuum: From Graduate School to Tenure; Syracuse University: The Graduate School Press, 2015; pp. 133–153.
Martin, C.; Olejnik, M. “I Couldn’t Have Done This Without You”: Encouraging Horizontal Mentoring in Graduate Degree Programs – Composition Forum. Compositionforum.com. https://compositionforum.com/issue/55/horizontal-mentoring/.
Manuel, S. P.; Poorsattar, S. P. Mentoring Up: Twelve Tips for Successfully Employing a Mentee-Driven Approach to Mentoring Relationships. Medical Teacher 2020, 43 (4), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159x.2020.1795098.
Tithi Basu Mallik. The benefits for Ph.D.s of having multiple mentors (opinion). Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs. https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2021/11/15/benefits-phds-having-multiple-mentors-opinion.
VanMouwerik, H. Mentoring as a Graduate Student. Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs. https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/gradhacker/mentoring-graduate-student.

SIT Feature of the Month

Giulio Bordieri

Hello SIT Members!

My name is Giulio Bordieri, and I am a PhD student at the University of Trento working in the field of radiation biology. My background is in radiation physics with a focus on Monte Carlo simulations to study radiation-matter interaction and energy deposition at the micrometric scale. My research centers on modeling the biological effectiveness of radiation, with an emphasis on applications in cancer therapy — from X-rays to heavy ions — to deepen our understanding of underlying mechanisms and contribute to new perspectives for treatment planning optimization.

The foundation of my research lies in micro- and nanodosimetry, complemented by the integration of AI-based approaches. I primarily work on the Generalized Stochastic Microdosimetric Model (GSM2), with a particular interest in exploring the connection between radiation-induced DNA damage — especially damage clustering — and subsequent biological effects. I also like to combine theoretical modeling with hands-on experimental work at the Proton Therapy Center in Trento and participation in experimental campaigns at MedAustron in Vienna.

Outside of research, I’m a passionate soccer fan — both playing and watching games whenever I get the chance. This is my main way to stay active and disconnect from screens for a while.

I’m very excited to be part of RRS and look forward to contributing to this dynamic community of early-career scientists. I can’t wait to connect with you all and share insights!

Are you a Scholar In Training who would like to share their research in our next Newsletter? Please let us know!

Recent SIT Publications

Do you know of any SIT publications, or would you like to have your work featured? Let us know.

Funding Sources

RADIATION RESEARCH SOCIETY

Erica Hand, Association Manager

380 Ice Center Lane, Suite C | Bozeman, MT 59718

1.877.216.1919 | erica@radres.org

Facebook

SIT Group

YouTube

Flickr

Click icon to connect!

SIT Newsletter: July 2025

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 00:26:00 GMT

SCHOLAR IN TRAINING NEWSLETTER

SIT Home

Publications

Awards

Documents

Committee

Archive

Upcoming Conferences
and Workshops

Career Opportunities

PhD Position
Radiobiology for proton therapy
Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark
More information and apply here

Postdoctoral Fellow
AI in Radiation Therapy
University of Maryland, Baltimore
More information and apply here

Postbaccalaureate/
Predoctoral/
Postdoctoral Research
Scientist
Radiation Epidemiology Branch
Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics
National Institutes of Health
More information and apply here

NEW! RRS CAREER CENTER!
View job postings, submit a resume and access career resources.
VIEW POSITIONS

FOR MORE CAREER POSTINGS, VISIT:
academicjobs.org; findaphd.com; researchgate.net/jobs; nature.com ; Science Careers; careers.aapm.org; linkedin.com

Do you know of any career opportunities? Please share them with your SIT colleagues!

SIT Committee Contact Details

Dear SIT Members,

As we move into July, the SITC is thrilled to share exciting updates for the Radiation Research Society (RRS) Annual Meeting 2025! With the conference quickly approaching, we encourage all SIT members to finalize their abstract submissions (deadline: July 15) and take advantage of early registration (deadline: August 10).

This year’s SITC Workshop promises to be engaging and full of valuable takeaways. We’re featuring interactive sessions on building successful research collaborations, navigating the transition from PhD trainee to independent researcher, and our ever-popular Radiation Biology Jeopardy Game—a fun way to test your knowledge and connect with peers.

In addition, we’ll celebrate excellence with SIT awards, recognizing outstanding contributions from our community of students and postdocs.

Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks, and don’t forget to mark your calendars for these important deadlines. We look forward to seeing you at the conference and making this year’s SITC events the best yet!

Please note: Postdoctoral Opportunities – Carleton University’s Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology Lab, led by Dr. Paul Villeneuve, is hiring two Postdoctoral Fellows (Fall 2025 start). Projects focus on radiation health effects and wildfire smoke exposure. Salary: $65,000/year + benefits. Applications reviewed starting August 25, 2025. More info: carleton.ca/eoel or email paul.villeneuve@carleton.ca.

Warm regards,

Wuroud Alkhayyat, SITC Chair

SIT Topical Essay: Early Radiobiology Experiments: How We Learned About DNA Damage

The field of radiobiology was born out of curiosity and bold experimentation following the discovery of X-rays by Wilhelm Röntgen (1895) and radioactivity by Henri Becquerel and Marie and Pierre Curie (1896–1898). Early researchers were fascinated by the effects of radiation on living organisms, but without modern safety protocols, many unknowingly put themselves at risk. These pioneering studies laid the groundwork for our understanding of DNA damage and repair mechanisms, which remain central to both radiation therapy and cancer research.

One of the most significant milestones came from Hermann Muller in the 1920s, who demonstrated that X-rays could induce genetic mutations. His experiments with fruit flies proved that radiation directly impacts heredity, earning him the 1946 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. This discovery was pivotal in linking radiation exposure to mutagenesis and cancer risk.

By the mid-20th century, researchers like Douglas Lea helped quantify radiation’s effects at the cellular level, leading to the development of the target theory and our current models for DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and repair pathways. Studies following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki further highlighted the long-term health impacts of ionizing radiation, shaping today’s radiation protection standards.

These early discoveries not only revolutionized medicine—enabling advanced imaging and radiation therapy—but also sparked the development of dosimetry, radioprotective measures, and molecular tools to study DNA repair. Radiobiology continues to evolve, but its roots remind us of the courage and insight of the early scientists who laid its foundation.

SIT Feature of the Month

Cristina Totis

Hi SIT Members!

My name is Cristina Totis and I come from Italy, where I performed my Master’s degree in Biotechnology. During an internship, I discovered how fascinating the world of particle therapy is. So, I decided to move to Germany as a PhD student in Radiation Biology at the GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research. After my PhD, I joined Dr. Story’s lab at Mayo Clinic Florida as a research fellow, thrilled to be part of a clinic committed to having the first carbon ion radiotherapy center in the United States.

Our research aims at understanding the basic and translational advantages of carbon ion radiotherapy with a focus on pancreatic and head and neck cancers. I am honored to be part of the SIT Committee and join the RRS community. I am looking forward to meeting you all in the future!

Are you a Scholar In Training who would like to share their research in our next Newsletter? Please let us know!

Recent SIT Publications

Kunz LV, Schaefer R, Kacem H, Ollivier J, Togno M, Chappuis F, Weber D, Lomax A, Limoli CL, Psoroulas S, Vozenin M-C. Plasmid DNA Strand Breaks Are Dose Rate Independent at Clinically Relevant Proton Doses and Under Biological Conditions. Radiation Research 203 (4), 214-222, (27 February 2025) https://doi.org/10.1667/RADE-24-00118.1

Su T, Yu X, Hoseini-Ghahfarokhi M, Flint DB, Bright SJ, Antunes J, Martinus DKJ, Manandhar M, Kacem MB, Marinello PC, Pereira E, Chiu HS, Titt U, Grosshans DR, Schuemann J, Willers H, Paganetti H, Sumazin P, Sawakuchi GO. Differentiation stage predicts radiosensitivity in mesenchymal-like pancreatic cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2025 Apr 1:S0360-3016(25)00266-4. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2025.03.034. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40180058.

Soni, A., D. Beisser, E. Mladenov, M. Höller, I. Wohlers, V. Nikolov, S. Magin, T. Mussfeldt, L. Klein-Hitpass, M. N. Cornforth, B. D. Loucas, S. Rahmann and G. Iliakis (2025). "NGS Detects Extensive Genomic Alterations in Survivors of Irradiated Normal Human Fibroblast Cells." Radiat Res. 203:37-52

Anouk Sesink, Margaux Becerra, Jia-Ling Ruan, Sophie Leboucher, Maxime Dubail, Sophie Heinrich, Wael Jdey, Kristoffer Petersson, Charles Fouillade, Nathalie Berthault, Marie Dutreix, Pierre-Marie Girard, The AsiDNA™ decoy mimicking DSBs protects the normal tissue from radiation toxicity through a DNA-PK/p53/p21-dependent G1/S arrest, NAR Cancer, Volume 6, Issue 1, March 2024, zcae011, https://doi.org/10.1093/narcan/zcae011

Do you know of any SIT publications, or would you like to have your work featured? Let us know.

Funding Sources

RADIATION RESEARCH SOCIETY

Erica Hand, Association Manager

380 Ice Center Lane, Suite C | Bozeman, MT 59718

1.877.216.1919 | erica@radres.org

Facebook

SIT Group

YouTube

Flickr

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SIT Newsletter: May 2025

Tue, 20 May 2025 21:35:00 GMT

SCHOLAR IN TRAINING NEWSLETTER

SIT Home

Publications

Awards

Documents

Committee

Archive

Upcoming Conferences
and Workshops

RRS Virtual Course on
Adverse Outcome Pathways
Location: Online
Time: Anytime
More info

PTCOG 63
(Particle Therapy
Co-Operative Group)
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Time: June 2 - 7, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed
More info

BiGART 2025
(Biology Guided
Adaptive Radiotherapy)
Location: Aarhus, Denmark
Time: June 17 - 18, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed
More info

SNMMI 2025
Annual Meeting
(Society of Nuclear
Medicine and
Molecular Imaging)
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Time: June 21 - 24, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed
More info

AAPM 67th
Annual Meeting
(American Association of
Physicists in Medicine)
Location: Washington D.C., USA
Time: July 27 – 31, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed
More info

ISoRED 2025 Meeting
(International Society of Radiation Epidemiology and Dosimetry)
Location: Lyon, France
Time: September 9 - 11, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed
More info

ImmunoRad 2025
Location: Paris, France
Time: Sept. 17 - 19, 2025
Abstract submission deadline:
July 29, 2025
More info

Radiation Research Society
71^st Annual Meeting Meeting
Location: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Time: September 21 - 24, 2025
Late-Breaking Abstract
submission opens:
June 11, 2025
Late-Breaking Abstract
submission deadline:
July 7, 2025
More info

ASTRO 67th
Annual Meeting
(American SocieTy
for Radiotherapy
and Oncology)
Location: San Francisco, USA
Time: September 27 – October 1, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed
More info

ICRP 2025
8th International
Symposium of
Radiological Protection
(International Commission
on Radiological Protection)
Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE
Time: October 6 - 9, 2025
More info

NIH Office of
Intramural Training
and Education Seminars
(National Institute
of Health, USA)
Time: Varies, online
More Info

Stay tuned for more information!
Do you know of any
upcoming professional meetings?
Please let us know!

Career Opportunities

PhD Position
Radiobiology for proton therapy
Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark
More information and apply here

Postdoctoral Fellow
AI in Radiation Oncology
University of Maryland, Baltimore
More information and apply here

Postbaccalaureate/
Predoctoral/
Postdoctoral Research
Scientist
Radiation Epidemiology Branch
Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics
National Institutes of Health
More information and apply here

NEW! RRS CAREER CENTER!
View job postings, submit a resume and access career resources.
VIEW POSITIONS

FOR MORE CAREER POSTINGS, VISIT:
academicjobs.org; findaphd.com; researchgate.net/jobs; nature.com ; Science Careers; careers.aapm.org; linkedin.com

Do you know of any career opportunities? Please share them with your SIT colleagues!

SIT Committee Contact Details

Hello, Scholars In Training!

I hope you’re all doing well — and that you rocked the abstract submission deadline for the Radiation Research Society (RRS) 2025 Annual Meeting! As a reminder: registration is now open, and it’s officially time to plan your scientific getaway to sunny San Juan, Puerto Rico. Science + beach? Yes, please.

This month, we’re continuing to spotlight our new SIT Committee members — because networking is way more fun when you know who’s who.

And now, onto this month’s topic: microbes. Those tiny freeloaders living in and on us are quietly taking over radiation science while we were busy pipetting and Monte Carlo–simulating je ne sais quoi. Spoiler alert: they might be better at mastering radiation than we are.

Enjoy the read — and remember, it might be one small step for a man but one giant leap for a microbe!

SIT Topical Essay: Microbiome Research in Radiation Science: More Than a Gut Feeling

As Scholar in Training researchers, we are at the frontline of an ever-growing body of scientific knowledge. I don't know about you, but the STEM education I received already feels considerably different from what I continue to learn today. One of the most striking examples is the field of microbiology and the rising recognition of the microbiome’s role in human health and microecosystems. When I was completing my master’s degree (already 10 years ago!), the microbiome was barely mentioned in most life sciences curricula. By pure coincidence, I once gave a presentation for a scientific English class humorously titled "Gut Bacteria Control Us." At the time, the science itself was not the focus of the assignment, but I was so amazed by what I learned about the gut microbiota's impact that it left a lasting impression on me—a decade later, I still vividly remember it.

Today, the Microbial Kingdom is not only reshaping medicine and immunology but is increasingly colonizing the field of radiation research. In 2022, Drs. Blaser and Dominguez-Bello highlighted in their documentary The Invisible Extinction, how microbial diversity loss due to modern lifestyles may contribute to rising rates of chronic diseases like metabolic syndrome and diabetes—both prevalent in radiation-exposed populations. Their call for a “Microbiota Vault” to safeguard microbial biodiversity mirrors a key realization in radiation biology: safeguarding the microbiome may be key to mitigating radiation-induced health effects.

Growing evidence highlights that the microbiome is not just a passive casualty of radiation exposure but an active modulator of radiation outcomes, offering exciting new applications across biodosimetry, radioprotection, and personalized radiotherapy:

Microbiome matters in biodosimetry. Radiation reshapes microbial communities, but not always in predictable ways. While gut microbiota changes may reflect radiation exposure, skin microbiomes are shaped more by environment and geography. Future biodosimetry must account for both ecosystems to improve accuracy.

Microbes for natural radioprotection. Microbial melanins—complex biopolymers produced by fungi thriving in extreme radiation environments like Chernobyl and spaceflight—are emerging as promising natural radioprotectants. Melanized organisms such as Cladosporium sphaerospermum and Cryptococcus neoformans have shown survival advantages under intense radiation, suggesting potential applications for shielding biological systems, materials, and even astronauts. From fungi enduring Chernobyl to antioxidant-rich extremophiles, the microbial kingdom offers powerful templates for radioprotection. Harnessing microbial products like melanin could transform the future of biological and material shielding strategies.

Microbiome modulation as a radiomitigator. Whether in the gut or the skin, modulating the microbiome—through probiotics, prebiotics, or microbial transplantation—is increasingly recognized as a promising strategy to mitigate radiation toxicity. Observations from radiotherapy, findings from preclinical studies, and insights from extremophiles like Deinococcus radiodurans all point to the microbiome’s central role. Protecting and restoring microbial communities may be as critical as shielding physical tissues against radiation.

Prognostic markers of radiation exposure. Microbial signatures, including gut commensals like Lachnospiraceae and Firmicutes, may serve as predictive biomarkers for radiation toxicity and therapeutic responsiveness. These insights open exciting opportunities to personalize radiotherapy protocols based on individual microbiome profiles.

Altogether, these advances illustrate a paradigm shift: the microbiome is no longer viewed merely as collateral damage in radiation exposure, but as a strategic target to enhance biological resilience to radiation exposure.

To advance radiation science, we must look beyond human cells and recognize that our microbial allies may hold the key to resilience, recovery, and personalized protection.

Most importantly, understanding how microbial ecosystems influence radiation outcomes invites a new era of cross-disciplinary collaboration, offering novel strategies to protect human health in both clinical and extreme environments.

Géraldine Vitry, PhD.

SIT Feature of the Month

Géraldine Vitry

Hello SIT Members!

My name is Géraldine Vitry, and I am a postdoctoral researcher at Georgetown University working in radiation biology and space biosciences. My background is in cellular and molecular biology with a focus on cardiovascular physiology. With my team, we use metabolomic profiling to develop rapid, non-invasive methods to assess radiation exposure in accessible tissues and biofluids.

My current research focuses on identifying biomarkers of radiation exposure using skin as a non-invasive sensing platform. I am particularly interested in developing dermal biosensing methods to detect early molecular signs of radiation-induced cardiovascular injury. I investigate metabolomic signatures and molecular optical fingerprint to bridge radiobiology with real-time health monitoring—supporting applications in radiotherapy, emergency biodosimetry, and astronaut health.

In my free time, I like to do absolutely nothing — because boredom is a luxury.

I joined the SIT Committee very recently and I'm thrilled to collaborate with such an inspiring group of early-career scientists. Looking forward to a year of connection, discovery, and seeing you all at RadRes 2025 in Puerto Rico!

Are you a Scholar In Training who would like to share their research in our next Newsletter? Please let us know!

Recent SIT Publications

Do you know of any SIT publications, or would you like to have your work featured? Let us know.

Funding Sources

RADIATION RESEARCH SOCIETY

Erica Hand, Association Manager

380 Ice Center Lane, Suite C | Bozeman, MT 59718

1.877.216.1919 | erica@radres.org

Facebook

SIT Group

YouTube

Flickr

Click icon to connect!

SIT Newsletter: April 2025

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 18:22:00 GMT

SCHOLAR IN TRAINING NEWSLETTER

SIT Home

Publications

Awards

Documents

Committee

Archive

Upcoming Conferences
and Workshops

RRS Virtual Course on Adverse Outcome Pathways
Location: Online
Time: Anytime
More info

AACR
(American Association for Cancer Research)
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Time: April 25 - 30, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed
More info

ESTRO
(European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology)
Location: Vienna, Austria
Time: May 2 - 6, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed
More info

PTCOG 63
(Particle Therapy Co-Operative Group)
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Time: June 2 - 7, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed
More info

BiGART 2025
(Biology Guided Adaptive Radiotherapy)
Location: Aarhus, Denmark
Time: June 17 - 18, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed
More info

SNMMI 2025 Annual Meeting
(Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging)
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Time: June 21 - 24, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed
More info

AAPM 67th Annual Meeting
(American Association of Physicists in Medicine)
Location: Washington D.C., USA
Time: July 27 – 31, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed
More info

ISoRED 2025 Meeting
(International Society of Radiation Epidemiology and Dosimetry)
Location: Lyon, France
Time: September 9 - 11, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed
More info

ImmunoRad 2025
Location: Paris, France
Time: Sept. 17 - 19, 2025
Abstract submission deadline:
July 29, 2025
More info

Radiation Research Society
71^st Annual Meeting Meeting
Location: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Time: September 21 – 24, 2025
Registration Now Open
Abstract submission deadline:
April 28, 2025
More info

ASTRO 67th Annual Meeting
(American SocieTy for Radiotherapy and Oncology)
Location: San Francisco, USA
Time: September 27 – October 1, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed
More info

ICRP 2025 – 8th International Symposium of Radiological Protection
(International Commission on Radiological Protection)
Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE
Time: October 6 - 9, 2025
More info

NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education Seminars
(National Institute of Health, USA)
Time: Varies, online
More Info

Stay tuned for more information! Do you know of any upcoming professional meetings?
Please let us know!

Career Opportunities

PhD Position in Medical Physics
Temporal optimization of radiation therapy
University of Zurich, Switzerland
More information and apply here

PhD Position in Medical Physics
Statistical machine learning models of lymphatic cancer progression
University of Zurich, Switzerland
More information and apply here

PhD Position
Radiobiology for proton therapy
Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark
More information and apply here

Postdoctoral Fellow
AI in Radiation Oncology
University of Maryland, Baltimore
More information and apply here

Postbaccalaureate/Predoctoral/Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Radiation Epidemiology Branch
Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics
National Institutes of Health
More information and apply here

NEW! RRS CAREER CENTER!
View job postings, submit a resume and access career resources.
VIEW POSITIONS

FOR MORE CAREER POSTINGS, VISIT:
academicjobs.org; findaphd.com; researchgate.net/jobs; nature.com ; Science Careers; careers.aapm.org; linkedin.com

Do you know of any career opportunities? Please share them with your SIT colleagues!

SIT Committee Contact Details

Hello, Scholars In Training!

I hope everyone is feeling energized and inspired as spring rolls in! Before we dive into this month's topical essay, a few important reminders: Registration is now open for the Radiation Research Society (RRS) 2025 Annual Meeting, which will be held in beautiful San Juan, Puerto Rico. And don't forget—the abstract submission deadline is fast approaching on April 28. Don't miss the opportunity to share the exciting work you've been doing with our peers—your contributions will no doubt add significant value to the meeting lineup! The RRS also offers SIT Travel Awards to help cover some of the travel expenses and provide a boost to your CV. Be sure to check out the SIT Travel Award criteria for more details.

This month we will still be featuring our new SIT committee members, to introduce them to all SITs. Now, on to this month's topic: the kind of problem solving that rarely makes it into a methods section, but often shapes the science more than we expect. I hope you all enjoy it!

Poliana Marinello.
SIT Committee Member

SIT Topical Essay: Thinking Beyond the Beam: Creative Problem Solving in Radiation Science

Radiation research doesn’t always go according to plan. Maybe your colony assay keeps washing off mid-protocol, or unexpected noise creeps into your imaging data. Maybe your Monte Carlo simulation looks great—until you realize the phantom geometry was set incorrectly. Or perhaps you’ve spent weeks optimizing a model, only to discover that a small parameter buried deep in the documentation was throwing off your results. If any of this sounds familiar, you're in good company.

I’ve lost count of how many clonogenic assays and different strategies my colleagues and I tested before we were finally able to effectively irradiate cancer cells with alpha particles using a custom-built alpha irradiator. We had to navigate a long list of problem-solving challenges—from overcoming the extremely short range of alpha particles to figuring out how to get them to reach the nucleus of cancer cells that didn’t attach well to the dish surface. At times, the cells would grow in dense clusters, forming layers that completely blocked particle penetration.

Research is, by nature, a form of puzzle solving—but in those moments when the pieces refuse to fit, creative thinking becomes not just helpful, but essential—especially for scholars in training still building their scientific toolkit.

But creativity in research doesn’t always mean reinventing the wheel. Sometimes it’s as simple as reframing a question, asking a labmate for a fresh perspective, or pulling inspiration from a paper in a completely different field. Others have found unexpected success by building low-cost tools when equipment was out of reach, or by using simulations to test ideas before burning through precious beam time. These aren’t just workarounds—they’re skills that build scientific independence.

Of course, creative thinking thrives in environments that encourage it. Mentorship, lab culture, and even the way we talk about “failed” experiments can all influence whether trainees feel empowered to problem-solve or pressured to stick to the script. As a community, we can foster innovation by sharing not just results, but also the stories of how we got there—especially the messy, nonlinear ones.

So this month, as you navigate your own challenges at the bench, the beamline, or the keyboard, give yourself credit for the times you’ve thought beyond the beam. Problem solving isn’t just a soft skill—it’s part of the hard work that drives the field forward.

Poliana Marinello, PhD.

SIT Feature of the Month

Trevor Arino

Hello SIT Members!

My name is Trevor Arino, and I am a fourth-year PhD candidate at the University of California, Berkeley, conducting research at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. My major is nuclear engineering, with focuses on nuclear and chemical reactions and electron microscopy imaging techniques.

My research concentrates on radioactive contaminant biodistribution and chelation therapy in murine models. In this research, animals are pulmonary exposed to long-lived isotopes, e.g. plutonium-238, via the trachea. The goal of this research is to understand where these heavy, radioactive, metals will accumulate within the body when introduced into the lung, compared to traditional contamination pathways to better simulate a 'real-world' exposure event. After contamination, mice are given treatment using a chelating ligand, a molecule that forms two or more metal-ligand coordinate bonds, to promote excretion of the radiocontaminant. Radioactivity throughout the animal is monitored to assess treatment efficacy.

I'm incredibly honored to join the SIT Committee and to work with such dedicated and talented individuals within the Scholars-In-Training Interest Group. I look forward to an exciting year ahead and can’t wait to see you all at RadRes 2025 in Puerto Rico!

Are you a Scholar In Training who would like to share their research in our next Newsletter? Please let us know!

Recent SIT Publications

Do you know of any SIT publications, or would you like to have your work featured? Let us know.

Funding Sources

RADIATION RESEARCH SOCIETY

Erica Hand, Association Manager

380 Ice Center Lane, Suite C | Bozeman, MT 59718

1.877.216.1919 | erica@radres.org

Facebook

SIT Group

YouTube

Flickr

Click icon to connect!

SIT Newsletter: March 2025

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 22:57:00 GMT

SCHOLAR IN TRAINING NEWSLETTER

SIT Home

Publications

Awards

Documents

Committee

Archive

Upcoming Conferences
and Workshops

RRS Virtual Course on Adverse Outcome Pathways
Location: Online
Time: Anytime
More info

Radiation Research Society
Spring Workshop
Medical Countermeasure R&D in the Radiation Research Community
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Time: April 15 - 17, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed
More Info

AACR
(American Association for Cancer Research)
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Time: April 25 - 30, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed
More info

ESTRO
(European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology)
Location: Vienna, Austria
Time: May 2 - 6, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed
More info

PTCOG 63
(Particle Therapy Co-Operative Group)
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Time: June 2 - 7, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed
More info

BiGART 2025
(Biology Guided Adaptive Radiotherapy)
Location: Aarhus, Denmark
Time: June 17 - 18, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed
More info

SNMMI 2025 Annual Meeting
(Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging)
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Time: June 21 - 24, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed
More info

AAPM 67th Annual Meeting
(American Association of Physicists in Medicine)
Location: Washington D.C., USA
Time: July 27 – 31, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed
More info

ISoRED 2025 Meeting
(International Society of Radiation Epidemiology and Dosimetry)
Location: Lyon, France
Time: September 9 - 11, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed
More info

ImmunoRad 2025
Location: Paris, France
Time: Sept. 17 - 19, 2025
Abstract submission deadline:
July 29, 2025
More info

Radiation Research Society
71^st Annual Meeting Meeting
Location: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Time: September 21 – 24, 2025
Registration Now Open
Abstract submission deadline:
April 24, 2025
More info

ASTRO 67th Annual Meeting
(American SocieTy for Radiotherapy and Oncology)
Location: San Francisco, USA
Time: September 27 – October 1, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed
More info

ICRP 2025 – 8th International Symposium of Radiological Protection
(International Commission on Radiological Protection)
Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE
Time: October 6 - 9, 2025
More info

NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education Seminars
(National Institute of Health, USA)
Time: Varies, online
More Info

Stay tuned for more information! Do you know of any upcoming professional meetings?
Please let us know!

Career Opportunities

PhD Position in Medical Physics
Temporal optimization of radiation therapy
University of Zurich, Switzerland
More information and apply here

PhD Position in Medical Physics
Statistical machine learning models of lymphatic cancer progression
University of Zurich, Switzerland
More information and apply here

PhD Position
Radiobiology for proton therapy
Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark
More information and apply here

Postdoctoral Fellow
AI in Radiation Oncology
University of Maryland, Baltimore
More information and apply here

Postbaccalaureate/Predoctoral/Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Radiation Epidemiology Branch
Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics
National Institutes of Health
More information and apply here

NEW! RRS CAREER CENTER!
View job postings, submit a resume and access career resources.
VIEW POSITIONS

FOR MORE CAREER POSTINGS, VISIT:
academicjobs.org; findaphd.com; researchgate.net/jobs; nature.com ; Science Careers; careers.aapm.org; linkedin.com

Do you know of any career opportunities? Please share them with your SIT colleagues!

SIT Committee Contact Details

Hello, Scholars In Training!

In times of uncertainty, coming together as a scientific community is more important than ever. We’re excited to announce that abstract submission and registration for the Radiation Research Society (RRS) 2025 Annual Meeting—taking place this year in Puerto Rico, September 21-24—are now open! This is a unique opportunity to showcase your research, engage with peers, and be part of the collective effort to push our field ahead. Abstract submissions are due by April 24th, and we encourage you to consider submitting your work and joining us for what promises to be an inspiring event. Let’s keep moving forward—together.

Carlos Huesa-Berral, PhD.

SIT Topical Essay: Doing Research in Uncertain Times

Doing research has never been easy. Uncertainty has always been part of the job—whether it’s grant funding, experiments that don’t go as planned, or career paths that are anything but linear. But lately, that uncertainty feels heavier. It seems to go beyond science. The world feels unstable, and for many of us in academia and research, it’s hard not to feel the weight.

I’m not here to make a political point. That’s not my goal. What I want is to take a moment to reflect on what research truly means—to society, to patients, to families, and to us as individuals. Research advances society. It is one of the few forces that consistently pushes humanity forward. In the field I work in—cancer research—our efforts represent something even more immediate: hope. Hope for patients waiting for better treatments. Hope for futures that don’t yet exist. But there are people behind every discovery, dataset, lab bench or clinical study. People like you and me. Researchers who carry their own struggles and dreams. Researchers who get up each day, not for recognition or titles, but because we believe we can make a difference.

That belief is everything. It’s our reason. And we need to hold onto it tighter than ever.

We’re being asked to do more with less. We’re navigating job insecurity, funding instability, global tension, and burnout. Yet in the face of it all, we have a responsibility—not just to the scientific community, but to ourselves and those we serve—to keep going. To adapt, to grow, to diversify our approaches, and maybe even reinvent how we think about our work. But most importantly, we must not lose what makes research extraordinary: passion.

Passion is our fuel. Passion and purpose are what carry us through the long nights, the failed experiments, the rejection letters. They’re what bring us back to the bench, to the code, to the patients—again and again. These things are stronger than uncertainty. Stronger than setbacks. And they live in each of us, even when the road ahead isn’t clear.

You might be thinking, “It’s easy for you to say.” But honestly? I’m right there with you. I live in Boston. I’m a postdoc. I have a 14-month-old son. My wife and I face the same monthly financial challenges that so many young families do. My position is funded for the next three years—and after that? Who knows. But even in that uncertainty, my passion hasn’t wavered. I still believe in what we do. And I believe in you, too.

So to all the PhD students and postdocs out there: I see you. I know the sacrifices you’re making. I know the doubts that creep in. But what you’re doing matters—deeply. Keep pushing forward. Keep asking questions. Keep believing that your work, your voice, your perseverance can make a difference. Because it can. And it will.

We are researchers. We are dreamers. And we are builders of a better future—even when the present feels uncertain.

Carlos Huesa-Berral, PhD.

SIT Feature of the Month

Kathryn Brown

Hello SIT members!

My name is Kathryn Brown and I am a post-doctoral research fellow at Queen’s University Belfast. I work in translational radiobiology with a focus on cancer treatment and toxicity management. My research has always been focused on the radiation sciences with my graduate project using nanoparticles as radiosensitizers, my PhD training focusing on in vivo preclinical models of radiotherapy and treatment alignment using fiducials markers and my postdoctoral work in radiomics image analysis and most recently in photon FLASH radiotherapy.

The RadRes conferences have always been a highlight of the year (and not just because of the picturesque locations). I have been fortunate to have attended multiple RadRes conferences including Hawaii, Montreal and most recently last year’s meeting in Arizona. These meetings have been amazing experiences to learn more about the radiation sciences and engage with international leaders in the field of radiotherapy research.

I am excited and honoured to be joining the SIT committee and contributing to the growth of the society with a particular emphasis on new and exciting initiatives for SITs. I am looking forward to working alongside the other committee members and meeting you all in sunny Porto Rico at RadRes 2025.

Are you a Scholar In Training who would like to share their research in our next Newsletter? Please let us know!

Recent SIT Publications

DeCunha J.M, Newpower M, Mohan R.GPU-accelerated calculation of proton microdosimetric spectra as a function of target size, proton energy, and bounding volume size. Phys. Med. Biol. 2023; 68(16):165012.

Cartechini G, Fogazzi E, Hart S-D, Pellegri L, Vanstalle M, Marafini M and La Tessa C (2023), Loading the tumor with 31P, 63Cu and 89Y provides an in vivo prompt gamma-based range verification for therapeutic protons. Front. Phys. 11:1071981. doi: 10.3389/fphy.2023.1071981

Gawali B, Sridharan V, Krager KJ, Boerma M, Pawar SA. TLR4-A Pertinent Player in Radiation-Induced Heart Disease?. Genes (Basel). 2023 Apr 28;14(5). doi: 10.3390/genes14051002. Review. PubMed PMID: 37239362; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10218711.

Isaac Meyer, Nils Peters, Giulia Tamborino, Hoyeon Lee, Alejandro Bertolet, Bruce Faddegon, Matthew M. Mille, Choonsik Lee, Jan Schuemann, and Harald Paganetti. “A framework for in-field and out-of-field patient specific secondary cancer risk estimates from treatment plans using the TOPAS Monte Carlo system”. Physics in Medicine & Biology (2024). doi: https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6560/ad64b6.

Soni, A., D. Beisser, E. Mladenov, M. Höller, I. Wohlers, V. Nikolov, S. Magin, T. Mussfeldt, L. Klein-Hitpass, M. N. Cornforth, B. D. Loucas, S. Rahmann and G. Iliakis (2025). "NGS Detects Extensive Genomic Alterations in Survivors of Irradiated Normal Human Fibroblast Cells." Radiat Res. 203:37-52

Nemzow L, Boehringer T, Bacon B, Turner HC. Development of a human peripheral blood ex vivo model for rapid protein biomarker detection and applications to radiation biodosimetry. PLoS One. 2023;18(8):e0289634.

Garcia, D.A.; Jeans, E.B.; Morris, L.K.; Shiraishi, S.; Laughlin, B.S.; Rong, Y.; Rwigema, J.-C.M.; Foote, R.L.; Herman, M.G.; Qian, J. A Radiomics-Based Classifier for the Progression of Oropharyngeal Cancer Treated with Definitive Radiotherapy. Cancers 2023, 15, 3715. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15143715

Anouk Sesink, Margaux Becerra, Jia-Ling Ruan, Sophie Leboucher, Maxime Dubail, Sophie Heinrich, Wael Jdey, Kristoffer Petersson, Charles Fouillade, Nathalie Berthault, Marie Dutreix, Pierre-Marie Girard, The AsiDNA™ decoy mimicking DSBs protects the normal tissue from radiation toxicity through a DNA-PK/p53/p21-dependent G1/S arrest, NAR Cancer, Volume 6, Issue 1, March 2024, zcae011, https://doi.org/10.1093/narcan/zcae011

Sreetharan, S., Frelon, S., Horemans, N., Laloi, P., Salomaa, S., & Adam-Guillermin, C. (2023). Ionizing radiation exposure effects across multiple generations: evidence and lessons from non-human biota. International Journal of Radiation Biology, 1-18.

Do you know of any SIT publications, or would you like to have your work featured? Let us know.

Funding Sources

RADIATION RESEARCH SOCIETY

Erica Hand, Association Manager

380 Ice Center Lane, Suite C | Bozeman, MT 59718

1.877.216.1919 | erica@radres.org

Facebook

SIT Group

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SIT Newsletter: February 2025

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 16:14:00 GMT

SCHOLAR IN TRAINING NEWSLETTER

SIT Home

Publications

Awards

Documents

Committee

Archive

Upcoming Conferences
and Workshops

RRS Virtual Course on Adverse Outcome Pathways
Location: Online
Time: Anytime
More info

BIR Annual Radiotherapy & Oncology Meeting 2025
(British Institute of Radiology)
Location: London, United Kingdom
Time: March 6 - 7, 2025
More Info

Radiation Research Society
Spring Workshop
Medical Countermeasure R&D in the Radiation Research Community
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Time: April 15 - 17, 2025
Registration Now Open
More Info
Abstract submission deadline:
February 27, 2025 (Posters - Deadline Extended)
Submit Abstract

AACR
(American Association for Cancer Research)
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Time: April 25 - 30, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed
More info

ESTRO
(European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology)
Location: Vienna, Austria
Time: May 2 - 6, 2025
Abstract submission deadline:
March 19, 2025 (Late breaking)
More info

PTCOG 63
(Particle Therapy Co-Operative Group)
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Time: June 2 - 7, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed
More info

BiGART 2025
(Biology Guided Adaptive Radiotherapy)
Location: Aarhus, Denmark
Time: June 17 - 18, 2025
Abstract submission deadline:
March 10, 2025
More info

SNMMI 2025 Annual Meeting
(Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging)
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Time: June 21 - 24, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed
More info

AAPM 67th Annual Meeting
(American Association of Physicists in Medicine)
Location: Washington D.C., USA
Time: July 27 – 31, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed
More info

ISoRED 2025 Meeting
(International Society of Radiation Epidemiology and Dosimetry)
Location: Lyon, France
Time: September 9 - 11, 2025
Abstract submission deadline:
February 28, 2025
More info

ImmunoRad 2025
Location: Paris, France
Time: Sept. 17 - 19, 2025
Abstract submission deadline:
July 29, 2025
More info

Radiation Research Society
71^st Annual Meeting Meeting
Location: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Time: September 21 – 24, 2025

ASTRO 67th Annual Meeting
(American SocieTy for Radiotherapy and Oncology)
Location: San Francisco, USA
Time: September 27 – October 1, 2025
Abstract submission deadline:
February 25, 2025
More info

ICRP 2025 – 8th International Symposium of Radiological Protection
(International Commission on Radiological Protection)
Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE
Time: October 6 - 9, 2025
More info

NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education Seminars
(National Institute of Health, USA)
Time: Varies, online
More Info

Stay tuned for more information! Do you know of any upcoming professional meetings?
Please let us know!

Career Opportunities

PhD Position in Medical Physics
Temporal optimization of radiation therapy
University of Zurich, Switzerland
More information and apply here

PhD Position in Medical Physics
Statistical machine learning models of lymphatic cancer progression
University of Zurich, Switzerland
More information and apply here

PhD Position
Radiobiology for proton therapy
Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark
More information and apply here

Postdoctoral Fellow
AI in Radiation Oncology
University of Maryland, Baltimore
More information and apply here

Postbaccalaureate/Predoctoral/Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Radiation Epidemiology Branch
Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics
National Institutes of Health
More information and apply here

NEW! RRS CAREER CENTER!
View job postings, submit a resume and access career resources.
VIEW POSITIONS

FOR MORE CAREER POSTINGS, VISIT:
academicjobs.org; findaphd.com; researchgate.net/jobs; nature.com ; Science Careers; careers.aapm.org; linkedin.com

Do you know of any career opportunities? Please share them with your SIT colleagues!

SIT Committee Contact Details

Dear Scholars In Training,

I hope you all have enjoyed a wonderful and productive first month of 2025!

As Beth mentioned in the January newsletter, the SIT Committee has been hard at work preparing for the SIT Workshop in September, and one of our first tasks has been the initiation of three new members to our committee: Trevor Arino, Katheryn Brown, and Alexander Glasco. Each new member represents a different area of radiation research, and we look forward to the new ideas that they will bring to improving not only the SIT Workshop but also the SIT experience as a whole. Over the next few months, new members will be introducing themselves via the monthly newsletter. Please enjoy getting to know your SIT Committee members as we look forward to connecting with many of you all soon!

As always, if you have suggestions on how the SIT Committee can better serve the SIT community, please do not hesitate to contact any of us!

Thanks, and see y’all soon!
Sara

SIT Topical Essay: Data Management

Picture this - You are reviewing information from previously conducted experiments to better understand some portion of the study to improve your own research, but the information available in the publication is not enough to answer your questions, so you turn to other documentation of the previous experiments (i.e., archive data, logbooks, etc.). These are less organized and are missing some vital piece of information like the measurement units or even the entire data dictionary. While this might seem like an unlikely scenario for some of you, this is the exact situation that many researchers, myself included, have found ourselves trying to navigate.

So how can we prevent this? Simply by considering the important aspects of data management.

No matter your area of expertise, scientific research requires the generation, collection, analysis, and management of data. While most of us spend the bulk of our attention on the generation, collection, and analysis aspects, the data management portion is often overlooked, yet integral, part of the data lifecycle, and it is vital for enhancing both transparency and reproducibility of research. In the more recent decades, data management plans have become requirements for some grant applications as well.

Several frameworks exist for data management, but a commonly suggested framework is the Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) Guiding Principles for Data Management¹. More specifically, the considerations for data management under this framework are:

Findable – This essentially means ensuring that data or the historical information are stored in such a way that they can actually be found. The finable aspect of FAIR often refers to the metadata for digital data or information, specifically ensuring the meta data are complete and appropriately indexed.
Accessible – The accessibility of the data refers to the mechanism for obtaining the data or information. Are the data or information considered open access and available to anyone, or are there special considerations like data use agreements or Institutional Review Board (IRB) requirements that must be addressed before access is granted?
Interoperable – For interoperability, the data and its related documentation should be managed in such a way that the information can actually be understood or used by others. This could include such as saving the information in common formats (CSV, TXT, PDFs, etc.), or even simply ensuring the abbreviations are defined within a document.
Reusable - Reusability is about ensuring the data or information are appropriately captured. This could mean ensuring the data dictionaries completely describe all variables, their measurement units, or calculations for variable creation. For experimental data and information, this might mean capturing additional details about the experimental process.

Although this may seem daunting at first, data management does form an important aspect of your overall study plan, and it can be extremely helpful when revisiting even your own research.

Wilkinson, M., Dumontier, M., Aalbersberg, I. et al. The FAIR Guiding Principles for scientific data management and stewardship. Sci Data 3, 160018 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2016.18

SIT Feature of the Month

Alex Glasco

My name is Alex Glasco and I’m honored to be selected as a new member of the SIT Committee!

I’m a fifth-year PhD candidate in the lab of Dr. Gayle Woloschak at Northwestern University. My dissertation work is centered on the identification of miRNA and elemental biomarkers of leukemias developed after strontium-90 internalization. This work utilizes tissue samples from the Northwestern University Radiobiology Archive, which houses tissues and data for over 80,000 animals from historical US DoE-funded studies to assess the health effects of radionuclide exposure. It has been a major privilege to be involved in the revitalization of these materials! I also have had the incredible experience of mentoring an undergraduate student in her honors thesis work, where she is assessing changes in brain vascularization associated with low-dose exposure to strontium-90.

My first RadRes conference was ICRR 2023, for which Dr. Woloschak requested I pack a trench coat and fedora and asked if I was okay getting up on stage in front of a thousand people. That’s right, you may recognize me as Oppenheimer from ICRR 2023’s Painter Debate!

Are you a Scholar In Training who would like to share their research in our next Newsletter? Please let us know!

Recent SIT Publications

Do you know of any SIT publications, or would you like to have your work featured? Let us know.

Funding Sources

RADIATION RESEARCH SOCIETY

Erica Hand, Association Manager

380 Ice Center Lane, Suite C | Bozeman, MT 59718

1.877.216.1919 | erica@radres.org

Facebook

SIT Group

YouTube

Flickr

Click icon to connect!

SIT Newsletter: January 2025

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 19:57:00 GMT

SCHOLAR IN TRAINING NEWSLETTER

SIT Home

Publications

Awards

Documents

Committee

Archive

Upcoming Conferences
and Workshops

RRS Virtual Course on Adverse Outcome Pathways
Location: Online
Time: Anytime
More info

MMND-ITRO 2025
(Mini Micro Nano Disometry, with Innovation Technologies in Radiation Oncology)
Location: Sydney, Australia
Time: February 18 - 22, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed
More Info

BIR Annual Radiotherapy & Oncology Meeting 2025
(British Institute of Radiology)
Location: London, United Kingdom
Time: March 6 - 7, 2025
More Info

Radiation Research Society
Spring Workshop
Medical Countermeasure R&D in the Radiation Research Community
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Time: April 15 - 17, 2025
Registration Now Open
More Info
Abstract submission deadline:
February 15, 2025 (Posters)
Submit Abstract

AACR
(American Association for Cancer Research)
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Time: April 25 - 30, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed
More info

ESTRO
(European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology)
Location: Vienna, Austria
Time: May 2 - 6, 2025
Abstract submission deadline:
March 19, 2025 (Late breaking)
More info

PTCOG 63
(Particle Therapy Co-Operative Group)
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Time: June 2 - 7, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed
More info

BiGART 2025
(Biology Guided Adaptive Radiotherapy)
Location: Aarhus, Denmark
Time: June 17 - 18, 2025
Abstract submission deadline:
March 10, 2025
More info

SNMMI 2025 Annual Meeting
(Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging)
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Time: June 21 - 24, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed
More info

AAPM 67th Annual Meeting
(American Association of Physicists in Medicine)
Location: Washington D.C., USA
Time: July 27 – 31, 2025
Abstract submission: Closed
More info

ISoRED 2025 Meeting
(International Society of Radiation Epidemiology and Dosimetry)
Location: Lyon, France
Time: September 9 - 11, 2025
Abstract submission deadline:
February 28, 2025
More info

ImmunoRad 2025
Location: Paris, France
Time: Sept. 17 - 19, 2025
Abstract submission deadline:
July 29, 2025
More info

Radiation Research Society
71^st Annual Meeting Meeting
Location: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Time: September 21 – 24, 2025

ASTRO 67th Annual Meeting
(American SocieTy for Radiotherapy and Oncology)
Location: San Francisco, USA
Time: September 27 – October 1, 2025
Abstract submission deadline:
February 25, 2025
More info

ICRP 2025 – 8th International Symposium of Radiological Protection
(International Commission on Radiological Protection)
Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE
Time: October 6 - 9, 2025
More info

NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education Seminars
(National Institute of Health, USA)
Time: Varies, online
More Info

Stay tuned for more information! Do you know of any upcoming professional meetings?
Please let us know!

Career Opportunities

PhD Position in Medical Physics
Temporal optimization of radiation therapy
University of Zurich, Switzerland
More information and apply here

PhD Position in Medical Physics
Statistical machine learning models of lymphatic cancer progression
University of Zurich, Switzerland
More information and apply here

Postdoctoral Fellow
Radiation Physics
MD Anderson, Houston, USA
More information and apply here

PhD Position
Radiobiology for proton therapy
Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark
More information and apply here

Postdoctoral Fellow
AI in Radiation Oncology
University of Maryland, Baltimore
More information and apply here

Postbaccalaureate/Predoctoral/Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Radiation Epidemiology Branch
Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics
National Institutes of Health
More information and apply here

NEW! RRS CAREER CENTER!
View job postings, submit a resume and access career resources.
VIEW POSITIONS

FOR MORE CAREER POSTINGS, VISIT:
academicjobs.org; findaphd.com; researchgate.net/jobs; nature.com ; Science Careers; careers.aapm.org; linkedin.com

Do you know of any career opportunities? Please share them with your SIT colleagues!

SIT Committee Contact Details

Dear Scholars In Training,

Happy new year! For all those who celebrate, we hope you had a joyful and relaxing holiday season, and found time to enjoy quality time with your loved ones or get some much-deserved rest.

As we step into 2025, I’m sure many of you are gearing up for exciting challenges and milestones ahead. Don’t forget to mark your calendar for this year’s RRS meeting to be held this September in beautiful Puerto Rico! The RRS SIT Committee will soon be hard at work planning another brilliant SIT Workshop, so stay tuned for details over the year.

For many, January is a time for reflection, and whether it feels like a fresh start, or perhaps a bit daunting shifting back into our routines, it can be the perfect opportunity to reflect and set intentions for the year ahead. This month’s essay is all about embracing the new year with purpose. Read ahead for some tips on how to set meaningful goals to help keep you balanced and inspired as we go into the new year.

Wishing you all the best,
Beth Rothwell

SIT Topical Essay: SIT Topical Essay: Setting New Year’s Resolutions in Research

As the calendar flips to 2025, many of us will be taking time to reflect on the year just gone and set our sights on a new year going forward.

The ‘New Year, New Me’ attitude often becomes prevalent on social media—whether in the form of a boomer relative sharing minion memes on Facebook, or an old school friend setting their 2025 influencer goals on Instagram. We’ve all been there: starting on 1st January, we’re suddenly going to start running five times a week, and swear off biscuits and sweets forever. But of course, by February that’s long-forgotten, and we’re back to the status quo.

Maybe we’re moved past unrealistic resolutions, focusing instead on small changes and building sustainable habits—like running once a week, or only getting the biscuit tin out after meals. Maybe we’re embracing broader intentions, like living more sustainably, or embracing more joy. Or maybe we’re done with New Year’s resolutions altogether, and are more than content to continue just as we are.

But what about in our careers? Is goal-setting still worth it? Well, research says—yes! According to Goal Setting Theory¹, setting meaningful and challenging goals can significantly improve motivation and performance in students, employees and researchers alike.

Maybe your goal this year is clear: publishing a paper, presenting at a conference, finishing your PhD, or landing a new job. Maybe you want to learn a new skill, like a new coding language or lab technique. Maybe you want to engage more in public outreach or champion diversity in your field. Or maybe you’re adopting a new mindset—saying yes to more opportunities, or maybe learning to start saying no!

But sticking to goals isn’t always easy. A study from the Fisher College of Business found that only 9% of people keep up their resolutions, with 23% quitting by the end of the first week, and 43% by the end of January². So how do we make our goals stick?

Goal Setting Theory suggests that the key to success is being specific and challenging with your goals, and getting regular feedback. Here are some tips to make your goals more effective:

Root Resolutions in Your Values: Don’t just set any generic goal, but take time to reflect on what truly matters to you and align your intentions with those values.
Be Specific: The more specific your goal, the more achievable it will feel. Instead of "read more papers," try "read one paper per week".
Focus on the Journey: Rather than focusing solely on the end result, embrace the process of growth, and celebrate small wins along the way.
Break Goals into Manageable Steps: Large goals can feel overwhelming (especially in research!), so divide them into small, actionable tasks that feel more achievable.
Write Them Down: According to research, writing your goals makes you up to 42% more likely to achieve them³.
Build Accountability Structures: Share your goals with a mentor, peer group, or friends to help keep you on track.
Perseverance Over Perfection: Don’t let perfectionism get in the way—slip-ups are inevitable, the important thing is to get back on it.
Allow for Flexibility: Life happens—experiments don’t work out, co-authors are slow to respond, papers get delayed. Make sure your goals are adaptable and reassess when needed.

And finally, the golden rule of resolutions: balance. We all want to achieve big things, but we must remember to take care of ourselves along the way.

So here’s to 2025: the year we aim high but stay grounded, hustle hard but rest harder, and set goals that inspire growth without adding unnecessary pressure. Let’s make it a great one!

Ye Cui. Goal-Setting Theory. Chapter in “Theoretical Models for Teaching and Research” by Joy Egbert and Mary Roe (2020).
Fisher College of Business, Ohio State University. (2023). Why Most New Year's Resolutions Fail.
G. Matthews. The Impact of Commitment, Accountability, and Written Goals on Goal Achievement (2007). Dominican University of California, Psychology Faculty Presentations

SIT Feature of the Month

Nicolò Cogno

Hi everyone,

My name is Nicolò Cogno, and I’m a post-doctoral fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School with a focus on outcome modeling. My research centers on radiation-induced brain injuries, though during my PhD, I developed a microscopic model of radiation-induced lung fibrosis. To better understand how normal tissue responds to radiation damage, I use computational tools to simulate biological responses. I hope this work will provide valuable insights into patient outcomes for both conventional and proton therapies.

In my free time, I enjoy running and have a passion for endurance sports of all kinds!

I first attended the RRS annual meeting in 2024, where I felt honored to connect with passionate experts in the field. The experience was truly inspiring, and I’m excited to once again engage in discussions about the latest advancements in radiation research.

Are you a Scholar In Training who would like to share their research in our next Newsletter? Please let us know!

Recent SIT Publications

García-Cardosa M, Meiriño R, Calvo FA, Antolín E, Aguilar B, Vidorreta M, Cuevas R, Barbés B, Huesa-Berral C, Azcona JD, Burguete J. FLIP: a novel method for patient-specific dose quantification in circulating blood in large vessels during proton or photon external beam radiotherapy treatments. Phys Med Biol. 2024; 69(22). https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6560/AD8EA5

Pirkkanen J, Laframboise T, Peterson J, Labelle A, Mahoney F, Lapointe M, Mendonca MS, Tai TC, Lees SJ, Tharmalingam S, Boreham DR, Thome C. The Role of Natural Background Radiation in Maintaining Genomic Stability in the CGL1 Human Hybrid Model System. Radiat Res. 2024 Oct 1; 202(4):617–625. doi: https://doi.org/10.1667/RADE-23-00243.1

Rothwell B, Bertolet A, Schuemann J. Proton FLASH-arc therapy (PFAT): A feasibility study for meeting FLASH dose-rate requirements in the clinic. Radiother Oncol. 2025 Jan;202:110623. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radonc.2024.110623

Parisi G, Magrin G, Verona C, Verona-Rinati G, Barna S, Meouchi C, Romano F, Schettino G. On the microdosimetric characterisation of the radiation quality of a carbon-ion beam and the effect of the target volume thickness. Phys Med Biol. 2024; 69, 245003. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6560/ad965e

Bright SJ, Manandhar M, Flint DB, Kolachina R, Ben Kacem M, Martinus DK, Turner BX, Qureshi I, McFadden CH, Marinello PC, Shaitelman SF, Sawakuchi GO. ATR inhibition radiosensitizes cells through augmented DNA damage and G2 cell cycle arrest abrogation. JCI Insight. 2024 Oct 8;9(19):e179599. https://doi.org/10.1172/jci.insight.179599

Do you know of any SIT publications, or would you like to have your work featured? Let us know.

Funding Sources

RADIATION RESEARCH SOCIETY

Erica Hand, Association Manager

380 Ice Center Lane, Suite C | Bozeman, MT 59718

1.877.216.1919 | erica@radres.org

Facebook

SIT Group

YouTube

Flickr

Click icon to connect!

SIT Newsletter: December 2024

Wed, 18 Dec 2024 18:20:00 GMT

SCHOLAR IN TRAINING NEWSLETTER

SIT Home

Publications

Awards

Documents

Committee

Archive

Upcoming Conferences
and Workshops

Radiation Research Society
Spring Workshop
Medical Countermeasure R&D in the Radiation Research Community
Location:
San Antonio, Texas
Time: April 15 - 17, 2025
Registration Opening January 2025

AACR
(American Association for Cancer Research)
Location:
Chicago, Illinois
Time: April 25 - 30, 2025
Abstract submission deadline:
November 26, 2024

ESTRO
Location:
Vienna, Austria
Time: May 2 - 6, 2025
Abstract submission deadline:
November 20, 2024

PTCOG
Location:
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Time: June 2 - 7, 2025
Abstract submission deadline:
December 18, 2024

SNMMI
Location:
New Orleans, Louisiana
Time: June 21 - 24, 2025

AAPM
Location:
Washington D.C.
Time: July 27 – 31, 2025

Radiation Research Society
71^st Annual Meeting Meeting
Location:
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Time: Sept. 21 – 24, 2025

NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education Seminars
Time: Varies, online
More Info

Stay tuned for more information! Do you know of any upcoming professional meetings?
Please let us know!

Career Opportunities

PhD Position
Radiobiology for proton therapy
Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark
More information and apply here

Postdoctoral Fellow
AI in Radiation Oncology
University of Maryland, Baltimore
More information and apply here

Postdoctoral Fellow
A postdoc position in radiation-induced normal tissue injury is open at Duke University under Dr. Chang-Lung. If you are interested please submit your CV, a cover letter outlining your interest in the position, research experience, and contact information for at least two references to Dr. Chang-Lung Lee at chang-lung.lee@duke.edu.

Postbaccalaureate/Predoctoral/Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Radiation Epidemiology Branch
Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics
National Institutes of Health
More information and apply here

NEW! RRS CAREER CENTER!
View job postings, submit a resume and access career resources.
VIEW POSITIONS

FOR MORE CAREER POSTINGS, VISIT:
academicjobs.org; findaphd.com; researchgate.net/jobs; nature.com ; Science Careers; careers.aapm.org; linkedin.com

Do you know of any career opportunities? Please share them with your SIT colleagues!

SIT Committee Contact Details

Wuroud Al-Khayyat, PhD Candidate
Radiation Biology
walkhayyat@laurentian.ca

Giorgio Cartechini, PhD
Physics
giorgio.cartechini@unitn.it

Sara Howard, MPH
Epidemiology
showar37@vols.utk.edu

Carlos Huesa-Berral, PhD
Physics
chuesaberral@mgh.harvard.edu

Poliana Marinello, PhD
Radiation Biology
pcmarinello@mdanderson.org

Marta Missiaggia, PhD
Physics
marta.missiaggia@unitn.it

Gabriele Parisi
Physics
g.parisi@surrey.ac.uk

Beth Rothwell, PhD
Physics
brothwell1@mgh.harvard.edu

Victoria Valvo, PhD Candidate
Radiation Biology/Oncology
vvalvo@umich.edu

Contact the SIT Committee here!

Dear Scholars-in-Training Members,

As we wrap up 2024, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to each of you for your dedication, collaboration, and contributions throughout the year. Your efforts have strengthened our community and advanced the field of radiation research in meaningful ways. Looking ahead, we are thrilled to announce the leadership for the 2025 term: Wuroud Alkhayyat will serve as Chair of SITC, and Bethany Rothwell will take on the role of Vice Chair of SITC. Their vision and leadership will undoubtedly guide us through an exciting year of progress and innovation.

We also look forward to building on our successes in 2025 with engaging conferences, impactful research initiatives, and greater opportunities for collaboration. Stay tuned for updates in the new year as we set the stage for another productive season.

Thank you for being an integral part of the RRS community. Wishing you a joyful holiday season and a wonderful start to 2025!

SIT Topical Essay: The Integration between Artificial Intelligence and Radiation Applications

The Future of Radiation Research and Clinical Treatment

Radiation research and clinical treatment have long been pillars of modern medicine, revolutionizing cancer therapies, imaging techniques, and biomedical innovation. As we look toward the future, advancements in technology, precision medicine, and multidisciplinary research are driving a transformative era in radiation science, promising greater effectiveness, safety, and personalization for patients worldwide.

One of the most promising developments is the advancement of precision radiation therapy. Innovations such as proton beam therapy and carbon ion therapy allow for more targeted delivery of radiation, minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissues while maximizing therapeutic effects on tumors. Technologies like adaptive radiotherapy, which dynamically adjusts treatment in real-time based on changes in the tumor or patient anatomy, are rapidly evolving to enhance treatment precision and outcomes. These tools are made possible through improved imaging, including AI-enhanced imaging systems that detect minute changes in tumors with unprecedented accuracy.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning are revolutionizing radiation oncology. From optimizing treatment plans to predicting patient responses, AI algorithms analyze vast datasets to provide tailored, evidence-based care. AI-driven models can identify patterns in patient outcomes and treatment responses, enabling clinicians to make informed decisions and offer personalized treatment strategies. This shift toward precision medicine is poised to improve survival rates, reduce side effects, and address individual patient needs.

Meanwhile, advancements in radiobiology are deepening our understanding of how radiation interacts with cancer cells and the immune system. Combining radiation with immunotherapy—an approach known as radioimmunotherapy—has shown immense potential. Radiation not only targets tumors but can also stimulate an anti-tumor immune response, creating synergies with immunotherapeutic agents to enhance treatment efficacy. Researchers are also exploring low-dose radiation for inflammatory and non-cancer conditions, expanding its clinical applications.

In parallel, the development of next-generation radioprotectors and radiosensitizers will play a crucial role in the future of clinical treatment. Radioprotectors aim to shield normal tissues from radiation damage, while radiosensitizers enhance the tumor’s sensitivity to radiation. Such innovations will enable higher doses of radiation to be delivered safely, potentially improving cure rates for hard-to-treat cancers.

Furthermore, research into space radiation and its biological effects is shedding light on long-term radiation exposure. With humanity’s growing ambitions for space exploration, findings in this area will not only protect astronauts but may also offer insights into radiation damage and repair mechanisms applicable to clinical oncology.

The future of radiation research will rely heavily on multidisciplinary collaboration. Physicists, biologists, oncologists, and data scientists must work together to leverage advanced technologies and translate laboratory findings into clinical practice. Access and equity will remain critical considerations—ensuring these groundbreaking treatments are available globally, not just in well-resourced centers.

In conclusion, the future of radiation research and clinical treatment is defined by technological innovation, precision medicine, and integrated approaches to cancer care. By pushing the boundaries of what is possible through AI, adaptive technologies, and enhanced biological understanding, the field is on track to deliver safer, more effective, and personalized treatments. This progress represents not only hope for patients but a significant step forward in the fight against cancer and other diseases.

SIT Feature of the Month

Cameron Hourtovenko

My name is Cameron Hourtovenko, and I am thrilled to be a part of the Radiation Research Society as a Junior SIT member, which I joined in the summer of 2024. This past September, I had the incredible opportunity to attend the 70th Annual RADRES International Meeting in Tucson, Arizona, where I presented a poster on my undergraduate research. The SIT workshop during the conference was especially informative, and I’m already looking forward to learning even more at the next event.

I am currently in the second year of my Master’s program in Biology at Laurentian University, where my research focuses on studying the effects of high-dose gestational radiation exposure during pregnancy on fetal brain development. My academic journey began with an undergraduate degree in Biomedical Biology and a minor in Experimental Psychology, which sparked my deep curiosity for neuroscience. Through my work, I find immense joy in exploring the genetic and histological aspects of the developing brain.

Looking ahead, I plan to pursue a medical career at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. I’m eager to apply the skills and knowledge I’ve gained from my research to make a meaningful impact on patient care and outcomes. Being part of the Radiation Research Society has been a rewarding experience, and I’m excited to continue contributing to this vibrant community.

Are you a Scholar In Training who would like to share their research in our next Newsletter? Please let us know!

Recent SIT Publications

* denotes equal authorship contribution

Bright SJ, Manandhar M, Flint DB, Kolachina R, Ben Kacem M, Martinus DK, Turner BX, Qureshi I, McFadden CH, Marinello PC, Shaitelman SF, Sawakuchi GO. MATR inhibition radiosensitizes cells through augmented DNA damage and G2 cell cycle arrest abrogation. JCI Insight. 2024 Oct 8;9(19):e179599. doi:10.1172/jci.insight.179599

Isaac Meyer, Nils Peters, Giulia Tamborino, Hoyeon Lee, Alejandro Bertolet, Bruce Faddegon, Matthew M. Mille, Choonsik Lee, Jan Schuemann, and Harald Paganetti. “A framework for in-field and out-of-field patient specific secondary cancer risk estimates from treatment plans using the TOPAS Monte Carlo system”. Physics in Medicine & Biology (2024). doi:https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6560/ad64b6

Bobic M*, Huesa-Berral C*, Terry JF, Kunz L, Schuemann J, Fisher DR, Maitz CA, Bertolet A. Monte Carlo dosimetric analyses on the use of(90)Y-IsoPet intratumoral therapy in canine subjects. Phys Med Biol. 2024; 69(16). https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6560/ad67a4

Missiaggia, Marta. "On the radiation quality characterization in radiation therapy: from linear energy transfer to experimental microdosimetry." The European Physical Journal Plus 139.7 (2024): 625. https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-024-05318-5

Alexander D. Glasco, Lori A. Snyder, Tatjana Panesku, Sara C. Howard, David A. Hooper, Ashley P. Golden, Gayle E. Woloschak (2024). Revisiting the historic strontium-90 ingestion beagle study conducted at the University of California Davis: opportunity in archival materials. Radiation Research. 202(2): 289-208. doi: https://doi.org/10.1667/RADE-24-000022.1

Do you know of any SIT publications, or would you like to have your work featured? Let us know.

Funding Sources

RADIATION RESEARCH SOCIETY

Erica Hand, Association Manager

380 Ice Center Lane, Suite C | Bozeman, MT 59718

1.877.216.1919 | erica@radres.org

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SIT Newsletter: November 2024

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 19:40:00 GMT

SCHOLAR IN TRAINING NEWSLETTER

SIT Home

Publications

Awards

Documents

Committee

Archive

Upcoming Conferences
and Workshops

AACR
(American Association for Cancer Research)
Location:
Chicago, Illinois
Time: April 25 - 30, 2025
Abstract submission deadline:
November 26, 2024

ESTRO
Location:
Vienna, Austria
Time: May 2 - 6, 2025
Abstract submission deadline:
November 20, 2024

PTCOG
Location:
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Time: June 2 - 7, 2025
Abstract submission deadline:
December 18, 2024

SNMMI
Location:
New Orleans, Louisiana
Time: June 21 - 24, 2025

AAPM
Location:
Washington D.C.
Time: July 27 – 31, 2025

Radiation Research Society
71^st Annual Meeting Meeting
Location:
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Time: Sept. 21 – 24, 2025

NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education Seminars
Time: Varies, online
More Info

Stay tuned for more information! Do you know of any upcoming professional meetings?
Please let us know!

Career Opportunities

PhD Position
Radiobiology for proton therapy
Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark
More information and apply here

Postbaccalaureate/Predoctoral/Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Radiation Epidemiology Branch
Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics
National Institutes of Health
More information and apply here

NEW! RRS CAREER CENTER!
View job postings, submit a resume and access career resources.
VIEW POSITIONS

FOR MORE CAREER POSTINGS, VISIT:
academicjobs.org; findaphd.com; researchgate.net/jobs; nature.com ; Science Careers; careers.aapm.org; linkedin.com

Do you know of any career opportunities? Please share them with your SIT colleagues!

SIT Committee Contact Details

Wuroud Al-Khayyat, PhD Candidate
Radiation Biology
walkhayyat@laurentian.ca

Giorgio Cartechini, PhD
Physics
giorgio.cartechini@unitn.it

Sara Howard, MPH
Epidemiology
showar37@vols.utk.edu

Carlos Huesa-Berral, PhD
Physics
chuesaberral@mgh.harvard.edu

Poliana Marinello, PhD
Radiation Biology
pcmarinello@mdanderson.org

Marta Missiaggia, PhD
Physics
marta.missiaggia@unitn.it

Gabriele Parisi
Physics
g.parisi@surrey.ac.uk

Lauren Pedersen, PhD
Radiation Biology /
Cardio-oncology
plauren@wustl.edu

Beth Rothwell, PhD
Physics
brothwell1@mgh.harvard.edu

Victoria Valvo, PhD Candidate
Radiation Biology/Oncology
vvalvo@umich.edu

Contact the SIT Committee here!

Dear Scholars in Training,

Fall's vibrant colors and crisp air offer a moment to reflect as the year winds down. Highlighting the theme of "Mental Health at Work" that is especially relevant for professionals in high-demand fields like radiation research. This year, I was pleasantly surprised to see mental health featured as a topic at several conferences, indicating the growing recognition of its importance among researchers. As we reflect on our achievements and challenges, it is essential to integrate mental health awareness into our goal-setting process. Moreover, our topical essay aims to explore the importance of mental health for Radiation Researchers and how it can help us to better navigate the demands of our work and cultivate a more supportive and productive research community.

We are excited to announce that the SIT committee is now accepting applications for new members! The application is a CV and statement of interest (Times New Roman 12-font one page) describing what values you would bring to the Scholar-in-Training Committee. Please send this to walkhayyat@laurentian.ca. Application deadline is December the 20th 2024.

Poliana Marinello.
SIT Committee Member

SIT Topical Essay: The Importance of Mental Health for Radiation Researchers

The Importance of Mental Health in Research

Research in specialized fields like radiation science can create a high-pressure environment. The pursuit of groundbreaking discoveries, coupled with the challenges of securing funding and meeting deadlines, often compels us to work excessive hours in an endless effort to stay on top of our responsibilities. However, this relentless pace can take a significant toll on our mental well-being.

Neglecting to give our bodies and minds the rest they need, combined with the pressure to achieve personal goals, can lead to frustration and a sense of unfulfillment. Questions such as "Did I make the right choice?" or "Do I truly enjoy this?" may arise, prompting many to consider abandoning their field altogether. I do not doubt that this has happened to several talented scientists, but the real issue is not a lack of passion—it is the imbalance between work and life.

I have been asking myself where all of this came from, and it seems that the pervasive "work while others sleep" mentality has seeped into research culture, glorifying overwork at the expense of mental health. This mindset not only normalizes burnout but also hinders creativity and innovation. Research flourishes when we prioritize balance and self-care; by valuing our mental well-being, we can create a more sustainable academic environment that fosters meaningful contributions to our fields.

Fortunately, the reality seems to be shifting as more research institutes are adopting initiatives to prioritize mental health and well-being, such as webinars, workshops focused on stress management, burnout prevention, wellness programs, peer support programs, and increased publications discussing this topic. Hopefully, these initiatives will help decrease the stigma surrounding mental health issues and encourage researchers to openly discuss their struggles and seek support.

Reflection: Assessing the Past Year

As the year draws to a close, reflecting on our personal and professional growth, maintaining a healthy work-life balance, and the evolution of our mental health practices can help us recognize patterns in our work habits and emotional health, and identifying which strategies have been effective to help us incorporate best practices into our goals for next year.

Let us harness the energy of this transformative season to prioritize our mental health, nurture our well-being, and set meaningful goals that will guide us toward a more balanced and fulfilling research experience!

SIT Feature of the Month

Marco Tulio Reis

I’m Marco Tulio Reis, a third-year PhD student at Rice University and MD Anderson Cancer Center, specializing in Biochemistry and Cell Biology. With a background in Biotechnology—an innovative and emerging major in Brazil—I relocated to the U.S. to pursue my goals and immerse myself in the most impactful, translational research. My thesis focuses on combining alpha DaRT radiation with immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) and a DNA repair inhibitor (ATRi) to treat pancreatic cancer, one of the most challenging cancers.

I am passionate about learning and developing projects that can change lives. As I continue to advance my research, I am excited to engage with leaders across industries and healthcare settings to expand my expertise and contribute to translating scientific discoveries into life-saving therapies. This is what guides me.

Attending the Radiation Research Society's 2024 Annual Meeting was particularly inspiring. Connecting with leading scientists and learning about the latest advancements in the field strengthened my determination to make a difference.

Are you a Scholar In Training who would like to share their research in our next Newsletter? Please let us know!

Recent SIT Publications

Do you know of any SIT publications, or would you like to have your work featured? Let us know.

Funding Sources

RADIATION RESEARCH SOCIETY

Erica Hand, Association Manager

380 Ice Center Lane, Suite C | Bozeman, MT 59718

1.877.216.1919 | erica@radres.org

Facebook

SIT Group

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SIT Newsletter: October 2024

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 21:06:00 GMT

SCHOLAR IN TRAINING NEWSLETTER

SIT Home

Publications

Awards

Documents

Committee

Archive

Upcoming Conferences
and Workshops

2024 IEEE NSS MIC RTSD
Location:
Tampa, FL, USA
Time: Oct. 26 - Nov. 2, 2024
More Info

ESTRO
Location:
Vienna, Austria
Time: May 2 - 6, 2025
Abstract submission deadline:
November 20, 2024

PTCOG
Location:
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Time: June 2 - 7, 2025
Abstract submission deadline:
December 18, 2024

SNMMI
Location:
New Orleans, Louisiana
Time: June 21 - 24, 2025

AAPM
Location:
Washington D.C.
Time: July 27 – 31, 2025

Radiation Research Society
71^st Annual Meeting Meeting
Location:
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Time: Sept. 21 – 24, 2025

NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education Seminars
Time: Varies, online
More Info

Stay tuned for more information! Do you know of any upcoming professional meetings?
Please let us know!

Career Opportunities

SIT Committee Contact Details

Wuroud Al-Khayyat, PhD Candidate
Radiation Biology
walkhayyat@laurentian.ca

Giorgio Cartechini, PhD
Physics
giorgio.cartechini@unitn.it

Sara Howard, MPH
Epidemiology
showar37@vols.utk.edu

Carlos Huesa-Berral, PhD
Physics
chuesaberral@mgh.harvard.edu

Poliana Marinello, PhD
Radiation Biology
pcmarinello@mdanderson.org

Marta Missiaggia, PhD
Physics
marta.missiaggia@unitn.it

Gabriele Parisi
Physics
g.parisi@surrey.ac.uk

Lauren Pedersen, PhD
Radiation Biology /
Cardio-oncology
plauren@wustl.edu

Beth Rothwell, PhD
Physics
brothwell1@mgh.harvard.edu

Victoria Valvo, PhD Candidate
Radiation Biology/Oncology
vvalvo@umich.edu

Contact the SIT Committee here!

Dear Scholars in Training,

As we recover from the emotional hangover of an incredible RRS Annual Meeting, we can't help but reminisce about our time in Tucson. It was a memorable experience in a unique setting, where cutting-edge science took center stage. We had the opportunity to navigate deep into scientific discussions, network with peers, and enjoy the beauty of the surroundings. Whether it was soaking up knowledge or relaxing by the pool with a margarita, the conference offered the perfect balance between science and fun.

There was plenty of laughter, dancing, and even karaoke! But now that we've had time to reflect, it's clear that many of us are in a transitional phase, whether moving into new roles or embarking on fresh challenges. We addressed this in our workshop, where we aimed to give you valuable insights into the academic world and beyond. We were lucky to hear testimonials from established researchers who all emphasized one universal truth in academia: writing grants is essential.

That brings us to this month's topical essay, which we hope will inspire and motivate you as you begin developing your own research projects.

Carlos Huesa-Berral.
SIT Committee Member

SIT Topical Essay: Embracing the challenge to write your first grant

There is always a first time for everything, and writing grants is not an exception. In my case, that moment came exactly one year ago. I still remember the feeling when my supervisor invited me to participate. It was a mix of insecurity, stress, and uncertainty. Insecurity, because I questioned whether my proposal was a long shot. Stress, because there is a hard deadline. And uncertainty because the waiting period for a decision after submitting seems endless. While all these feelings are very real, I want to share with you why, in the end, I actually enjoyed the experience of writing my first grant, which I still do not know if it will be awarded.

You have probably heard people say that writing grants is not the same as doing science. I respectfully disagree. Writing a grant forces you to step back and truly understand the bigger picture of your research. You start to see how your work can make a broader impact and fit into a larger scientific context. In doing so, you begin generating new ideas, sometimes even drawing from fields outside your own expertise. It is this cross-disciplinary approach that broadens your perspective and enhances your knowledge.

Furthermore, writing grants often increases your visibility in the academic community. As you seek collaborators or ask for recommendation letters, you expand your network, which can be invaluable for your career. It is also an opportunity to learn the ins and outs of how research projects come together—the administrative processes, the paperwork, and the little details that make a grant proposal complete.

Throughout this process, your supervisor(s)’s guidance is essential. They can help ensure your project is feasible, offer examples of successful proposals, and guide you in assembling a team of collaborators. A grant is composed of many parts and aligning them cohesively is key to creating a smooth, compelling narrative.

One of the most important tips I can offer is to carefully read the grant instructions. You would be surprised how many people overlook this step! However, understanding what the reviewers expect will help you organize your proposal and ensure all aspects are properly addressed.

Writing a grant can feel like a roller coaster ride—there are ups and downs. But if you’re committed to staying in academia, it is a vital learning process. The key is persistence. As inscribed on Philippe Chatrier Court at Roland Garros: Victory Belongs to the Most Tenacious. So, don’t give up, and keep pushing forward!

SIT Feature of the Month

Shiyi Liu

Hi SIT members! My name is Shiyi Liu and I am a second-year PhD student from the Medical Physics Graduate program at the University of Miami. I finished my bachelor’s degree in Physics and Master’s degree in Medical Physics. Now I am working with Dr. La Tessa from the Radiation Oncology Department at the University of Miami. Currently we are researching normal tissue complications after proton therapy of brain tumors.

It is my honor to join the RRS community as a SIT member. I am looking forward to meeting you in the future!

Are you a Scholar In Training who would like to share their research in our next Newsletter? Please let us know!

Recent SIT Publications

* denotes equal authorship contribution

Bobic M*, Huesa-Berral C*, Terry JF, Kunz L, Schuemann J, Fisher DR, Maitz CA, Bertolet A. Monte Carlo dosimetric analyses on the use of(90)Y-IsoPet intratumoral therapy in canine subjects. Phys Med Biol. 2024; 69(16). https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6560/ad67a4

Missiaggia, Marta. "On the radiation quality characterization in radiation therapy: from linear energy transfer to experimental microdosimetry." The European Physical Journal Plus 139.7 (2024): 625. https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-024-05318-5

Alexander D. Glasco, Lori A. Snyder, Tatjana Panesku, Sara C. Howard, David A. Hooper, Ashley P. Golden, Gayle E. Woloschak (2024). Revisiting the historic strontium-90 ingestion beagle study conducted at the University of California Davis: opportunity in archival materials. Radiation Research. 202(2): 289-208. doi: https://doi.org/10.1667/RADE-24-000022.1

Isaac Meyer, Nils Peters, Giulia Tamborino, Hoyeon Lee, Alejandro Bertolet, Bruce Faddegon, Matthew M. Mille, Choonsik Lee, Jan Schuemann, and Harald Paganetti. “A framework for in-field and out-of-field patient specific secondary cancer risk estimates from treatment plans using the TOPAS Monte Carlo system”. Physics in Medicine & Biology (2024). doi: https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6560/ad64b6

Cartechini G, Fogazzi E, Hart S-D, Pellegri L, Vanstalle M, Marafini M and La Tessa C (2023), Loading the tumor with ³¹P, ⁶³Cu and ⁸⁹Y provides an in vivo prompt gamma-based range verification for therapeutic protons. Front. Phys. 11:1071981. doi: 10.3389/fphy.2023.1071981

Do you know of any SIT publications, or would you like to have your work featured? Let us know.

Funding Sources

RADIATION RESEARCH SOCIETY

Erica Hand, Association Manager

380 Ice Center Lane, Suite C | Bozeman, MT 59718

1.877.216.1919 | erica@radres.org

Facebook

SIT Group

YouTube

Flickr

Click icon to connect!

SIT Newsletter: August 2024

Tue, 27 Aug 2024 18:27:00 GMT

SCHOLAR IN TRAINING NEWSLETTER

SIT Home

Publications

Awards

Documents

Committee

Archive

Upcoming Conferences
and Workshops

70th Annual Radiation Research Society Meeting
Location:
The Westin La Paloma
Tucson, Arizona
Time: Sept. 15 - 18, 2024
Registration Now Open
More Info

2nd Edition: International School on Innovative Radiotherapy Techniques
Location:
University of Pavia, Italy
Time: Sept. 16 - 20, 2024
Registration Now Open
More Info

9th International Symposium on Space Radiation Research and Particle Radiotherapy
Location: Suzhou, China
Time: Sept. 22 - 24, 2024
Registration Now Open
More Info

ASTRO
Location:
Washington DC, USA (and online)
Time: Sept. 29 - Oct. 2, 2024
More Info

7th ESTRO Physics Workshop 2024: Science in Development
Location:Kracow, Poland
Time: Oct. 18 - 19, 2024
Application Deadline: July 31, 2024
More Info

2024 IEEE NSS MIC RTSD
Location:
Tampa, FL, USA
Time: Oct. 26 - Nov. 2, 2024
More Info

NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education Seminars
Time: Varies, online
More Info

Stay tuned for more information! Do you know of any upcoming professional meetings?
Please let us know!

Career Opportunities

SIT Committee Contact Details

Wuroud Al-Khayyat, PhD Candidate
Radiation Biology
walkhayyat@laurentian.ca

Giorgio Cartechini, PhD
Physics
giorgio.cartechini@unitn.it

Sara Howard, MPH
Epidemiology
showar37@vols.utk.edu

Carlos Huesa-Berral, PhD
Physics
chuesaberral@mgh.harvard.edu

Poliana Marinello, PhD
Radiation Biology
pcmarinello@mdanderson.org

Marta Missiaggia, PhD
Physics
marta.missiaggia@unitn.it

Gabriele Parisi
Physics
g.parisi@surrey.ac.uk

Lauren Pedersen, PhD
Radiation Biology /
Cardio-oncology
plauren@wustl.edu

Beth Rothwell, PhD
Physics
brothwell1@mgh.harvard.edu

Victoria Valvo, PhD Candidate
Radiation Biology/Oncology
vvalvo@umich.edu

Contact the SIT Committee here!

Dear Scholars in Training,

We are about one month away from coming together for the 2024 SIT Workshop and Annual Conference! The SIT-C is excited to bring you a packed Workshop, with topics ranging from open science to perspectives on starting your own lab. While we certainly hope that these sessions are engaging and informative, our bigger wish for attendees is that you have the opportunity to NETWORK with one another - exchange ideas, make connections, and forge new professional relationships! I’m sure that you hear about NETWORKING all the time - from mentors, colleagues, and friends - but how can networking benefit you and how do you go about it? That’s the focus of this month’s topical essay! Read on and see if you can implement some of the following tips, tricks, and advice to benefit your professional development in Tucson!

See you soon,
Lauren

SIT Topical Essay: The Science of Networking

Networking can take many forms but is broadly defined as the systematic establishment and use of internal and external links between people, teams, or organizations in order to improve performance (1). Professional networking, specifically, can be thought of as the development and maintenance of relationships with others who have the potential to assist in the domains of work or career (2). The foundation of networking as we know it today is the social capital theory, or the idea that one can accumulate resources or accomplish a pursuit based on leveraging relationships (3). Benefits of networking can include increased access to resources, easier flow of knowledge, and the opportunity for interactive learning (1). For professional networking, these benefits may look like increased access to job opportunities, more access to mentors, easier ability to learn job-specific skills, and the opportunity to engage with others who work in your field. Proficiency at networking has been shown to influence objective forms of career success (i.e. salary, job performance) as well as subjective forms of career success (i.e. job satisfaction, professional visibility) (4).

What techniques or strategies can you use to network? While this answer may vary depending on what your professional goal is and in what setting the networking is occurring, the following are helpful tools to consider:

Do your research: Identify what resources will allow you to reach your professional goal and create a list of individuals or organizations that may be able to help.
Create an elevator pitch: Prepare a 30 second summary that describes your professional experience and goals. Use this to start conversations or relate to others.
Try informational interviewing: Ask others about their own professional experiences and see where the conversation leads.
Always follow-up: Keeping in touch with a new professional contact can help maintain that relationship.
Networking can also be about helping others: Offering your expertise or assistance can help connect you to other professionals.

The upcoming RRS Annual Conference is a great place to put these tools to use! Whether it is at the SIT Workshop, Mentor Luncheon, or in between sessions, connect with your fellow radiation researchers to help move both your goals and theirs forward.

References:

Networks of Innovation (2003), OECD
Forrett Ml & Dougherty TW. Networking behaviors and career outcomes: differences for men and women? Journal of Organizational behavior (2004). 25: 419-437.
Tymon WG. Social capital in the success of knowledge workers. Career Development International (2003). 8(1): 12-20.
Wolff Hg, Moser K. Effects of networking on career success: a longitudinal study. Journal of APplied Psychology (2009). 94(1): 196-206

SIT Feature of the Month

Marlene Campos Guerrero

Hello SIT members!

My name is Marlene Campos Guerrero, I am a 5th year PhD candidate in the Radiation Oncology Department at Washington University in St. Louis. I am a first-generation Latina from Kansas City, MO and earned my B.S. in Microbiology from Kansas State University. My journey into cancer research with my fascination of oncolytic-viruses, particularly HPV’s association to cervical cancer. Currently, I am investigating the invasion and metastasis of cervical cancer in Dr. Stephanie Markovina’s lab.

This year, I am excited to attend my first RRS meeting, where I will present several posters from our lab. Beyond research, I am deeply passionate about science communication and outreach. My goal is to bridge the gap between the scientific community and the public, making science accessible and engaging for everyone.

I look forward to you all soon in Tucson!
Marlene

Are you a Scholar In Training who would like to share their research in our next Newsletter? Please let us know!

Recent SIT Publications

Isaac Meyer, Nils Peters, Giulia Tamborino, Hoyeon Lee, Alejandro Bertolet, Bruce Faddegon, Matthew M. Mille, Choonsik Lee, Jan Schuemann, and Harald Paganetti. “A framework for in-field and out-of-field patient specific secondary cancer risk estimates from treatment plans using the TOPAS Monte Carlo system”. Physics in Medicine & Biology (2024). doi: https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6560/ad64b6

Cartechini G, Fogazzi E, Hart S-D, Pellegri L, Vanstalle M, Marafini M and La Tessa C (2023), Loading the tumor with 31P, 63Cu and 89Y provides an in vivo prompt gamma-based range verification for therapeutic protons. Front. Phys. 11:1071981. doi: 10.3389/fphy.2023.1071981

Alexander D. Glasco, Lori A. Snyder, Tatjana Panesku, Sara C. Howard, David A. Hooper, Ashley P. Golden, Gayle E. Woloschak (2024). Revisiting the historic strontium-90 ingestion beagle study conducted at the University of California Davis: opportunity in archival materials. Radiation Research. 202(2): 289-208. doi: https://doi.org/10.1667/RADE-24-000022.1

Gawali B, Sridharan V, Krager KJ, Boerma M, Pawar SA. TLR4-A Pertinent Player in Radiation-Induced Heart Disease?. Genes (Basel). 2023 Apr 28;14(5). doi: 10.3390/genes14051002. Review. PubMed PMID: 37239362; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10218711.

Garcia, D.A.; Jeans, E.B.; Morris, L.K.; Shiraishi, S.; Laughlin, B.S.; Rong, Y.; Rwigema, J.-C.M.; Foote, R.L.; Herman, M.G.; Qian, J. A Radiomics-Based Classifier for the Progression of Oropharyngeal Cancer Treated with Definitive Radiotherapy. Cancers 2023, 15, 3715. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15143715

Do you know of any SIT publications, or would you like to have your work featured? Let us know.

Funding Sources

Graduate Funding Opportunities Database
Application Deadline: Varies
More Info

Postdoctoral Funding Opportunities Database
Application Deadline: Varies
More Info

Burroughs Wellcome Awards
Application Deadline: TBD
More Info

UK Research and Innovation Funding
Application Deadline: Varies
More info (UK based)

Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung/Foundation
Application Deadline: Open
More Info

Antibodies Travel Grants Program
Application Deadline: Quarterly
More Info

ASTRO Funding Opportunities
ASTRO funds research in radiation biology, cancer biology and radiation physics. Funding opportunities are available for junior faculty and residents.
More Info

Proposal Central
Database of foundation, non-profits and organizations grants.
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DAAD Funding Opportunities
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) funds study and research visits to universities and non-university research institutions in Germany.
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Do you know of any other funding sources? Please let us know!

RADIATION RESEARCH SOCIETY

Erica Hand, Association Manager

380 Ice Center Lane, Suite C | Bozeman, MT 59718

1.877.216.1919 | erica@radres.org

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SIT Newsletter: July 2024

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 20:07:00 GMT

SCHOLAR IN TRAINING NEWSLETTER

SIT Home

Publications

Awards

Documents

Committee

Archive

Upcoming Conferences
and Workshops

Career Opportunities

SIT Committee Contact Details

Wuroud Al-Khayyat, PhD Candidate
Radiation Biology
walkhayyat@laurentian.ca

Giorgio Cartechini, PhD
Physics
giorgio.cartechini@unitn.it

Sara Howard, MPH
Epidemiology
showar37@vols.utk.edu

Carlos Huesa-Berral, PhD
Physics
chuesaberral@mgh.harvard.edu

Poliana Marinello, PhD
Radiation Biology
pcmarinello@mdanderson.org

Marta Missiaggia, PhD
Physics
marta.missiaggia@unitn.it

Gabriele Parisi
Physics
g.parisi@surrey.ac.uk

Lauren Pedersen, PhD
Radiation Biology /
Cardio-oncology
plauren@wustl.edu

Beth Rothwell, PhD
Physics
brothwell1@mgh.harvard.edu

Victoria Valvo, PhD Candidate
Radiation Biology/Oncology
vvalvo@umich.edu

Contact the SIT Committee here!

Dear Scholars in Training,

Summer has certainly arrived in the northern hemisphere with record highs, heat waves, sunshine, and in my little corner of the world, a whole lot of humidity. As for our colleges in the southern hemisphere, I hope they are faring much better during their winter than my hair is in this summer humidity. Whether you are battling winter cold or enjoying the heat of summer, we are swiftly approaching a very important time of year for our society - the annual conference. If you have never attended, I highly encourage you to consider it. The annual conference is an enriching experience that not only allows you to listen and participate in fascinating discussions about topics in your given field, but it also provides a great opportunity for you to experience the radiation research occurring in other disciplines.

As SITs, we are afforded the opportunity to host our own workshop in conjunction with the conference. This year’s workshop will be held on September 14th and will feature a variety of sessions including a DEI session with Downwinders of the Atomic Bomb Testing, Sponsorship at All Career Stages, Government Career Panel, and interactive session on the ‘Research Pitch’ as well as many other opportunities! The workshop is open to all SITs, so we look forward to seeing you all there!

All the best,
Sara Howard

SIT Topical Essay: Institutional Review Boards

The Institutional Review Board (IRB)... When I first started in research, my perception of obtaining IRB approval was some herculean task that hopefully would result in being allowed to do the actual research, after sufficient suffering of course. In reality, IRBs and their processes are in place to ensure ethical oversight of research involving human subjects, which includes biospecimens and their data in the United States (1). Although the regulations change from country to country, the general tenets of the IRB are still the same: ethical protection of human subjects during research. Historically, the concept of the ethical oversight of research was not really in place until post-World War once many of the atrocities committed in the name of science were discovered during the Nuremberg Trials (2). Still, even post-World War II, many unethical experiments occurred including the infamous Tuskegee Study, the Stanford Prison Experiment, and the Fernald State School Experiments to name a few from the United States. With growing concern about research practices in the United States, the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research created the Belmont Report in 1974 which underpinned the current IRB regulations (2). These tenets are respect for persons, beneficence, and justices. The Belmont report provides more in depth information, but essentially research should respect an individual's autonomy, protect vulnerable populations, maximize the benefits to the human subjects while minimizing the potential harm, and ensure fair distribution of risk and benefits of research (3).

So now that we know what IRBs are and the concepts that underpin them, let’s discuss some tips for successfully obtaining approval. Harvard’s School of Public Health released a pretty nice list that includes the following:

Describe the entirety of your research.
Be realistic when estimating study population information like enrollment size, vulnerable population, possible harms, etc.
Use lay language in the protocol - not every reviewer is an expert in your field.
Think about recruitment process.
Think about the consent process (4).

For the full list of tips from Harvard, check out the list here. From my own personal experience, I would like to add that engaging the IRB early in the process is often to your benefit. Even if you are not ready to submit a full protocol, many boards have administrative teams that are available and willing to answer any questions. Personally, I have found that the more engagement I have with the IRB staff before submitting my protocol, the smoother the review process often goes as we are able to resolve many concerns before the final review.

All the best,
Sara Howard

Resources:

45 CFR 46. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-A/part-46
Moon, M.R. (2009) The history and role of Institutional Review Boards: A useful tension, Journal of Ethics | American Medical Association. Available at: https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/history-and-role-institutional-review-boards-useful-tension/2009-04
The Belmont Report: Ethical Principles and Guidelines for the Protection of Human Subjects of Research. The National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research, April 18, 1979
Tips and tricks for a successful IRB submission and review process (2024) Office of Regulatory Affairs and Research Compliance. Available at: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/regulatory-affairs-and-research-compliance/tips-and-tricks-for-a-successful-irb-submission-and-review-process/

SIT REDI Topic: Warmup for the DEI Session RRS Annual Meeting in Tuscan: Downwinders

The REDI section this month serves as a warm-up for our upcoming SIT workshop organized at RRS in Tucson, Arizona. We will host a dedicated session on a special topic that bridges the fields of radiation and DEI: “Downwinders of Atomic Bomb Testing in the American Southwest.”

The REDI word of the month is “Downwinders.” As usual in this column, let’s start with the definition. Downwinders are individuals who live downwind of the Nevada Test Site and were exposed to radioactive contamination or nuclear fallout from atmospheric or underground nuclear weapons testing and nuclear accidents [1]. The Nevada Test Site is a desert area in Nevada used by the United States during the Cold War for nuclear weapons testing. The United States conducted more than 200 atmospheric nuclear weapons development tests there. During these years, the demand for uranium grew as the U.S. worked on developing atomic bombs, and a large portion of this uranium came from places like the Navajo Nation, where people worked tirelessly in the mines without fully understanding the risks involved [2].

As a result of these activities, diseases such as heart disease, leukemia, and other cancers emerged in families with no prior history of such illnesses. Lawsuits were filed against the United States, alleging a failure to warn about known radiation hazards, but the appellate courts dismissed these cases. In response, Congress established a program to provide partial restitution to individuals who developed serious illnesses after presumed exposure to radiation from atmospheric nuclear tests or employment in the uranium industry. The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) was enacted on October 5, 1990, and its coverage was expanded on July 10, 2000 [2].

However, according to Matthew Capalby of Downwinders of Mojave County interviewed by Arizona Horizon [3], RECA fell short of helping everyone affected. It did not cover all areas where people got sick, nor did it provide sufficient support to those most in need.

In the DEI session organized at the RRS annual meeting in Tucson, you will delve into this topic with two downwinders from Arizona: Cullin Pattillo and Matt Capalby. You will learn more about their personal stories, how radiation research has impacted downwinder communities and the current status of the Downwinders community and government actions. Additionally, Dr. Antone (Tony) Brooks, an RRS member, will join us virtually to discuss a similar situation in Washington State at the Hanford Site.

If you would like to learn more about downwinders, please attend the SIT workshop at the upcoming RRS meeting in Tucson or write to us, and we will be happy to provide you with additional material on this topic.

Best regards,
Giorgio Cartechini

Resources:

SIT Feature of the Month

Laurine Schnelzauer
Hello SIT members! My name is Laurine Schnelzauer, I am a first year PhD student in the Radiation Oncology department at the University of Miami, USA.

I am originally from France but I moved to the US after getting my Master in Subatomic Physics to start my PhD in Dr La Tessa’s lab. My research is focused on investigating the incidence of side effects in radiotherapy and proton therapy for head and neck cancer patients, and specifically to relate them to dosimetric and radiation quality parameters. I recently started using machine learning tools for my research and I am excited for the new possibilities that they offer. I initially did not envision a career in medical physics, I found this field a bit ‘by chance’ after an internship, and I was hooked! I love that I can do physics and still contribute to treating cancer and having a real impact on patients.

I will attend my first RRS meeting this year in Tucson, and I am really excited to have an opportunity to present my research and meet other people who share my interest in radiation therapy. See you there!

Are you a Scholar In Training who would like to share their research in our next Newsletter? Please let us know!

Recent SIT Publications

Gawali B, Sridharan V, Krager KJ, Boerma M, Pawar SA. TLR4-A Pertinent Player in Radiation-Induced Heart Disease?. Genes (Basel). 2023 Apr 28;14(5). doi: 10.3390/genes14051002. Review. PubMed PMID: 37239362; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10218711.

Garcia, D.A.; Jeans, E.B.; Morris, L.K.; Shiraishi, S.; Laughlin, B.S.; Rong, Y.; Rwigema, J.-C.M.; Foote, R.L.; Herman, M.G.; Qian, J. A Radiomics-Based Classifier for the Progression of Oropharyngeal Cancer Treated with Definitive Radiotherapy. Cancers 2023, 15, 3715. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15143715

DeCunha JM, Newpower M, Mohan R. GPU-accelerated calculation of proton microdosimetric spectra as a function of target size, proton energy, and bounding volume size. Phys. Med. Biol. 2023;68:165012.

Nemzow L, Boehringer T, Bacon B, Turner HC. Development of a human peripheral blood ex vivo model for rapid protein biomarker detection and applications to radiation biodosimetry. PLoS One. 2023;18(8):e0289634.

Sreetharan, S., Frelon, S., Horemans, N., Laloi, P., Salomaa, S., & Adam-Guillermin, C. (2023). Ionizing radiation exposure effects across multiple generations: evidence and lessons from non-human biota. International Journal of Radiation Biology, 1-18.

Anouk Sesink, Margaux Becerra, Jia-Ling Ruan, Sophie Leboucher, Maxime Dubail, Sophie Heinrich, Wael Jdey, Kristoffer Petersson, Charles Fouillade, Nathalie Berthault, Marie Dutreix, Pierre-Marie Girard, The AsiDNA™ decoy mimicking DSBs protects the normal tissue from radiation toxicity through a DNA-PK/p53/p21-dependent G1/S arrest, NAR Cancer, Volume 6, Issue 1, March 2024, zcae011, https://doi.org/10.1093/narcan/zcae011

Do you know of any SIT publications, or would you like to have your work featured? Let us know.

Funding Sources

Graduate Funding Opportunities Database
Application Deadline: Varies
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Postdoctoral Funding Opportunities Database
Application Deadline: Varies
More Info

Burroughs Wellcome Awards
Application Deadline: TBD
More Info

UK Research and Innovation Funding
Application Deadline: Varies
More info (UK based)

Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung/Foundation
Application Deadline: Open
More Info

Antibodies Travel Grants Program
Application Deadline: Quarterly
More Info

ASTRO Funding Opportunities
ASTRO funds research in radiation biology, cancer biology and radiation physics. Funding opportunities are available for junior faculty and residents.
More Info

Proposal Central
Database of foundation, non-profits and organizations grants.
More Info

DAAD Funding Opportunities
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) funds study and research visits to universities and non-university research institutions in Germany.
More Info

Do you know of any other funding sources? Please let us know!

RADIATION RESEARCH SOCIETY

Erica Hand, Association Manager

380 Ice Center Lane, Suite C | Bozeman, MT 59718

1.877.216.1919 | erica@radres.org

Facebook

SIT Group

YouTube

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SIT Newsletter: June 2024

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 22:24:00 GMT

SCHOLAR IN TRAINING NEWSLETTER

SIT Home

Publications

Awards

Documents

Committee

Archive

Upcoming Conferences
and Workshops

ICCR
Location:
Lyon, France
Time: July 8-11, 2024
More Info

9th Biennial RITN Workshop
Location: Virginia, USA
Time: July 9-10, 2024
More Info

66th AAPM Annual Meeting and Exhibition
Location: Los Angeles, USA
Time: July 21-24, 2024
More Info

70th Annual Radiation Research Society Meeting
Location:
The Westin La Paloma
Tucson, Arizona
Time: Sept. 15-18, 2024
Registration Now Open
More Info

2nd Edition: International School on Innovative Radiotherapy Techniques
Location:
University of Pavia
Italy
Time: Sept. 16-20, 2024
Registration Now Open
More Info

ASTRO
Location:
Washington DC, USA (and online)
Time: Sept. 29 - Oct. 2, 2024
More Info

2024 IEEE NSS MIC RTSD
Location:
Tampa, FL, USA
Time: Oct. 26 - Nov. 2, 2024
More Info

NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education Seminars
Time: Varies, online
More Info

Stay tuned for more information! Do you know of any upcoming professional meetings?
Please let us know!

Career Opportunities

SIT Committee Contact Details

Wuroud Al-Khayyat, PhD Candidate
Radiation Biology
walkhayyat@laurentian.ca

Giorgio Cartechini, PhD
Physics
giorgio.cartechini@unitn.it

Sara Howard, MPH
Epidemiology
showar37@vols.utk.edu

Carlos Huesa-Berral, PhD
Physics
chuesaberral@mgh.harvard.edu

Poliana Marinello, PhD
Radiation Biology
pcmarinello@mdanderson.org

Marta Missiaggia, PhD
Physics
marta.missiaggia@unitn.it

Gabriele Parisi
Physics
g.parisi@surrey.ac.uk

Lauren Pedersen, PhD
Radiation Biology /
Cardio-oncology
plauren@wustl.edu

Beth Rothwell, PhD
Physics
brothwell1@mgh.harvard.edu

Victoria Valvo, PhD Candidate
Radiation Biology/Oncology
vvalvo@umich.edu

Contact the SIT Committee here!

Dear Scholars In Training,

Hello! Happy June! June is by far the best month of the year (in my humble opinion)! Not only is it the official start of summer in the United States (happening this year on Thursday June 20th at 4:50pm EST) but it is also LGBTQIA+ Pride Month! Here’s a quick queer history lesson for you!

June was established as Pride Month after the Stonewall riots in 1969. During the 1960s, many LGBTQIA+ people began gathering at gay bars and clubs, as a place of refuge where they could exist in their truest form. However at the time it was illegal to serve LGBTQIA+ persons, so LGBTQIA+ serving establishments were heavily penalized and shut down by the New York State Liquor Authority. In 1966 these regulations were overturned allowing LGBTQIA+ people to legally be served alcohol. However, any perceived gay activity was still illegal so many LGBTQIA+ serving establishments continued to be harrassed by police with police raids becoming an almost constant event. In the early morning of June 28th, 1969 the New York State Police raided Stonewall Inn in which they arrested 13 people. Unlike all the raids that had taken place up until this point, rather than disperse, the bar patrons and neighborhood residents stayed outside of the bar and tensions continued to rise. Finally, as an officer forced a lesbian patron into a police van, he hit her over the head. This incited the onlooking angry crowd to act. What began as a crowd throwing a couple of pennies and bottles at the police, was soon a full-blown riot involving hundreds of people. After the Stonewall riot on June 28th, protests of thousands of people continued in the area for five days. On the one year anniversary of the riots, thousands of people marched from the Stonewall Inn to Central Park, in America’s first gay pride parade screaming at the top of their lungs the chant: “Say it loud, gay is proud”. And thus, June was henceforth considered LGBTQIA+ Pride Month. On behalf of the SIT-C, I would like to wish each and every one of you a very happy and safe Pride Month!

(If you want to learn more about the Stonewall riots check out this article)

Now, on to the business. Travel awards and poster/presenter notifications for the annual RRS conference have begun to be sent out! You should expect more communication in the coming weeks. If you have not received notification by July 22nd, please reach out to Erica Hand (erica@radres.org). We look forward to hearing and reading about your research this September. Just a reminder that late breaking abstract submissions will be accepted from June 4th until July 1st. Notifications regarding acceptance of late breaking abstracts will be sent by July 18th and anyone presenting a poster must register for the conference by July 22nd.

In this month’s installment, I combined our topical essay with our SIT REDI section once again to provide an essay discussing the disparities that exist in radiation research. Due to systemic discrimination and structural inequalities, scientific discoveries across all fields of radiation are being made using mainly white male data and model systems, resulting in advances that only benefit that population. It has become increasingly evident that diverse individual characteristics including sex and race have significant impacts on response to radiation, and our understanding of them is limited due to a lack of data and models. This is an issue I personally am very passionate about and hope to spark some motivation in each of you to care about as well!

Say it loud, gay is proud,
Victoria Valvo

SIT Topical Essay presented by SIT-REDI: "Disparities in Radiation Research"

We live in an exciting era of science, in which discoveries are being made at lightning speed. Radiation research has been fundamental in making advancements across many fields including oncology, physics, epidemiology and space radiobiology. However the grim truth is that these advancements have not benefited everyone equally. Due to longstanding structural and systemic inequalities within the United States, certain groups of the population shoulder a disproportionate burden of underrepresentation. Lack of diversity in research models has resulted in radiation advancements that primarily benefit white males. This issue is present in all fields of radiation research, and we have a responsibility to make diversity and inclusion a top priority in our research. In this essay, I will share information about the lack of representation in research, how this lack of representation has impacted different radiation research fields, and what we can do to begin addressing this problem.

Biological research ranging from basic biology (DNA repair, molecular biology) to oncology and therapeutic development depend on the use of human derived cell lines. Use of these cell lines is fundamental in expanding our understanding of radiobiology. A recent publication from Cell, showed that 92% of human derived cell lines used in biological research are from people of European descent (2), despite the fact that only 16% of the world’s population is of european descent (3). Similar statistics highlighting these extreme disparities have been published in genetic research where 80% of all genome-wide association studies are from participants with European ancestry (3). This extreme lack of diversity in the model systems used for radiation research has far reaching consequences. For example, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) methods within biomedical research relies on input data from experiments on human derived cell lines, which can result in AI predictions being skewed based on lack of ancestral diversity in input data. On a more basic level, the discoveries made with these human derived cell lines could be unique to individuals with European ancestry, meaning their biological significance would mean nothing to a vast majority of people. Therefore it is essential that we diversify the model systems used within radiation research to include cell lines from individuals of various underrepresented populations to ensure that our scientific findings are robust and translatable to a majority of the population.

It is becoming increasingly obvious that factors such as racial or ethnic background and sex have profound effects on cellular biology and response to stressors, including radiation. Recent publications show that acute radiation-related toxicities and response to radiation are dependent on individual characteristics including race and gender (4,5). These studies highlight that characteristics of patients can have drastic effects on how they respond to radiation treatment. However an analysis of over 121 clinical trials of radiation therapy (including trials for proton therapy) showed significant differences in the racial composition of radiation therapy clinical trials when compared to the US census, showing a heavy bias towards caucasian participants (84.8% of radiation clinical trial participants identified as caucasian) (6). Despite clinical trial data clearly not representing the general population, clinical trial data influences how radiation therapy and radiopharmaceuticals are used to treat the general public. This is a major issue that requires immediate attention from the radiation research community. Potential interventions that have been shown to improve the representation of underrepresented groups within clinical trials include implementing navigator/coaching approaches to help individuals understand clinical trial enrollment and adherence to treatment, interventions focused on addressing educational and trust barriers, and increasing cultural competence of clinical providers (7). In order to ensure that clinical radiation benefits are not limited to a subset of our population, it is essential that we address this large disparity in clinical trial participation.

In the context of environmental exposures to low dose radiation by occupation and geographical location, there has been long standing systemic discrimination which has led to extreme disparities in our current understanding of how radiation exposure from the environment impacts individuals in underrepresented minority groups. Studies show that as recently as 1999, there is a significant difference in detectable radiation dose and monitoring for occupational radiation exposure due to job segregation based on race and gender (8). Not only were women and people of color consistently put into workplace environments that had significantly increased hazardous conditions and the highest rates of radiation exposures, often dose histories were intentionally not made, making occupational compensation impossible for these workers (8). This has additionally impacted our ability to retrospectively study the impacts of occupational radiation exposure on women and people of color. Additionally, large cohort studies which are used by epidemiologists to draw conclusions on radiation exposure risk to the general population do not accurately represent the general population. For example, the Pooled Uranium Miners (PUMA) cohort intentionally did not include women from the Czech, French and US populations and only very small numbers of women are included from the German and Canadian cohorts, with a total of only 3% of individuals included in the study being female (9). The International Nuclear Workers Study (INWORKS) cohort is slightly more inclusive with about 20% of the US workers, 9% of the UK workers, and 13% of the French workers being female (10). As of 2022 women accounted for 46.38% of the labor force in the US, 47.86% of the labor force in the UK, and 48.8% of the labor force in France (11). Both the PUMA and INWORKS studies (and other large cohort studies) are used to increase our understanding of radiation exposure and adverse outcomes (such as cancer) as well as to make decisions for radiation protection and countermeasures. This research impacts all individuals in the general public however it is based on data from primarily caucasian men. Although we can not change the discriminatory workplace practices that took place throughout the history of the US, we can advocate for improved data collection and expanding these cohorts to include women and people of color who worked or lived in areas which are at risk for radiation exposure.

These disparities unfortunately are not limited to Earth radiation science. A recent publication suggests that residual radiation risks differ based on an individual's race and/or gender based on the NSCR-2022 model risk estimates (12). This publication incorporates data from the Lifetime Surveillance of Astronaut Health, which only has 16% female participants and no information regarding racial demographics as of December 31st 2023 (13). This highlights an extreme underrepresentation of many different populations existing within the main database used for health related effects of space radiation. Drawing conclusions for the general population based on this dataset is dangerous and will inevitably lead to space radiation discoveries which are only relevant to white male individuals. Additionally as leisure space travel becomes more accessible, a much more diverse set of individuals will be participating in space travel and it is essential that we understand how their biology might react differently to space radiation.

We can not change the past and undo the years of systemic discrimination and structural inequalities, but we can advocate for better scientific standards now and in the future. Our gross lack of understanding of the biological differences between people of different sex, race, ethnicity, culture, geographical location, sexual orientation, ability status, and any other form of diversity has led to continuous scientific discoveries that only benefit a small percentage of our population. What we can do is advocate for new model systems and data collection that accurately represents how diverse our population is. This is an issue that we need to begin talking about and inciting others to care about. The best science is science that benefits all people, no matter what they look like.

Say it loud, gay is proud,
Victoria Valvo

Resources:

AACR Cancer Disparities Progress Report 2022: Achieving the Bold Vision of Health Equity for Racial and Ethnic Minorities and Other Underserved Populations
Zaaijer, S., Capes-Davis, A. Ancestry matters: Building inclusivity into preclinical study design. Cell 184,10 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2021.03.041
Genetics for all. Nat Genet 51, 579 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-019-0394-y
Cheunkarndee, T. et al. Racial Disparities in Acute Radiation-Related Toxicities among Patients Diagnosed with Head and Neck Cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol 114,3 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrobp.2022.07.1315
De Courcy, L., Bezak, E., Marcu, L.G. Gender-dependent radiotherapy: The next step in personalised medicine? Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 147 (2020). http://doi.org/10.1016/j.critrevonc.2020.102881
Bero, E.H., et al. Abstract 204. Presented at: American Society for Radiation Oncology Annual Meeting; Oct. 25-28, 2020 https://www.healio.com/news/hematology-oncology/20201030/
racial-minority-groups-underrepresented-in-radiation-therapy-clinical-trials
Nouvini, R., et al. Interventions to increase racial and ethnic minority accrual into cancer clinical trials: A systemic review. Cancer 128, 21 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.34454
Angelon-Gaetz, K. A., Richardson, D. B., Wing, S. Inequalities in the nuclear ages: Impact of race and gender on radiation exposure at the Savannah river site (1951-1999). New Solut 20, 2 (2010). https://doi.org/10.2190/ns.20.2.e
Rage, E., et al. PUMA: Pooled Uranium Miners Analysis: Cohort profile. Occup Environ Med 77,3 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2019-105981
Hamra, G.B., et al. Cohort profile: The International Nuclear Workers Study (INWORKS). Int J Epidemiol 45,3 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyv122
Countries Ranked by Percentage of the Workforce Who Are Women. Qualtrics, September 6, 2023. https://www.qualtrics.com/blog/countries-ranked-by-
female-workforce/#:~:text=The%20world%20average%20for
%20women,out%20of%20the%20180%20countries
Cucinotta, F.A., Saganti, P.B. Residual radiation risk disparities across sex and race or ethnic groups for lifetime never-smokers on lunar missions. Life Sci Space Res 40 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lssr.2023.09.001
The Lifetime Surveillance of Astronaut Health Newsletter April 2024, Volume 29 Issue 1. https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/lsah-newsletter-april2024-vol29-issue1.pdf?emrc=7271fb

RadBuds: The new and improved version

Hello Potential Mentees!

Some of you may be familiar with one of our newer initiatives within the community known as RadBuds! If you have participated before you may know that the program needed a bit of a facelift. Well here we are now post botox injections ready to blow you away. Please read below the short explanation of RadBuds and what we are working to change. If you are interested in participating in the next round of mentor/mentee matching please email radbuds2022@gmail.com.

RadBuds is a mentoring program that the SIT Committee has developed in partnership with the ECI (early career investigators) Committee. The intention of the program is to match up ECIs and SITs in mentor/mentee pairs that will meet for about one year, in which they can meet occasionally to provide feedback and guidance. This is a great opportunity for ECIs to develop their mentorship skills, and a great chance for SITs to gain additional mentors within the radiation research community. This is a completely optional opportunity, but we think it will be well worth your time. The general timeline is as follows: collect applications end of summer 2024, mentor/mentee matches made fall 2024, orientation winter 2024, mentor/mentee matches begin January 2025 and continue until December 2025.

What does this facelift include to make the RadBuds program even better than before? I am so glad you asked. First and foremost the application process will be revamped to ask additional questions regarding what exactly you are hoping to get out of your mentorship relationship. There will be an orientation meeting where the expectations are explained to both SITs and ECIs so that everyone is on the same page. Additionally, we are creating a RadBuds toolkit that will help facilitate meeting conversation topics. We hope that these additions will make RadBuds an amazing and rewarding experience for everyone involved. Also, if you have additional suggestions for the program please email radbuds2022@gmail.com.

SIT Feature of the Month

Hi there SIT members!

My name is Victoria Valvo, I am currently a PhD student at the University of Michigan in the USA (and, as you know by now, the author of this month’s SIT Newsletter!)! I am working on getting my PhD in Cancer Biology and my dual Master’s degree in Bioinformatics. My lab is situated within the Radiation Oncology Department at the University of Michigan Medical School. Our lab focuses on developing novel treatment regimens for enhancing the effects of radiation, both through radiosensitization and more recently through enhancing radiation-induced immune effects. My current research is focused on developing the preclinical justification for a clinical trial in pancreatic cancer combining radiation and DNA damage response inhibitors with immunotherapy!

Last year I attended ICRR in Montreal which was my first RRS conference! My mentor has been a part of this community for years and I was eager to get involved. I had such an amazing time at the conference, especially the extra day before the conference just for SITs. I met some great people and learned a lot about research that I had no idea was going on in the field. The RRS community was so welcoming and accepting. I can definitely see myself being a part of this community for many years to come! After such a wonderful time in Montreal I decided to apply to be a part of the SIT committee and was accepted late last year! I look forward to getting to know more of you and working with the rest of the committee to make the conference a success this year!

Are you a Scholar In Training who would like to share their research in our next Newsletter? Please let us know!

Recent SIT Publications

Milder CM, Borrego D, Preston DL, Villoing D, Kwon TE, Miller DL, et al. "Occupational radiation dose trends in U.S. radiologic technologists assisting with fluoroscopically-guided interventional procedures, 1980-2020." J Vasc Interv Radiol. 2024 Apr 9. Online ahead of print. DOI: 10.1016/j.jvir.2024.03.032

Yeji Ko, Sara C. Howard, Ashley P. Golden, Benjamin French. 2024. "Adjustment for duration of employment in occupational epidemiology." Annuals of Epidemiology 15;94:33-41. DOI:10.1016/j.annepidem.2024.04.006

Jameus, Alexandra, Jessica Dougherty, Ramya Narendrula, Daniela Levert, Manon Valiquette, Jake Pirkkanen, Christine Lalonde, Patrice Bonin, Jeffrey D. Gagnon, Vasu D. Appanna, and et al. 2024. "Acute Impacts of Ionizing Radiation Exposure on the Gastrointestinal Tract and Gut Microbiome in Mice" International Journal of Molecular Sciences 25, no. 6: 3339. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25063339

Gopika SenthilKumar, Aronne M Schottstaedt, Lindsay Peterson, Lauren N. Pedersen, Christopher R. Chitamber, Alexis Vistocky, Anjishnu Banerjee, John M. Longo, Tracy Kelly, Adam Currey, Melinda R. Stolley, Carmen Bergom. Stay on Track: A Pilot Randomized Control Trial on Feasibility of a Diet and Exercise Intervention in Patients with Breast Cancer Receiving Radiation Therapy. Cancer Res Commun 2024. doi: 10.1158/2767-9764.CRC-23-0148

G. Cartechini; M. Missiaggia; E. Scifoni; C. La Tessa; F. G. Cordoni "Integrating microdosimetric in vitro RBE models for particle therapy into TOPAS MC using the MicrOdosimetry-based modeliNg for RBE ASsessment (MONAS) tool" Phys. Med. Biol. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6560/ad1d66

Do you know of any SIT publications, or would you like to have your work featured? Let us know.

Funding Sources

Graduate Funding Opportunities Database
Application Deadline: Varies
More Info

Postdoctoral Funding Opportunities Database
Application Deadline: Varies
More Info

Burroughs Wellcome Awards
Application Deadline: TBD
More Info

UK Research and Innovation Funding
Application Deadline: Varies
More Info

Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung/Foundation
Application Deadline: Open
More Info

Antibodies Travel Grants Program
Application Deadline: Quarterly
More Info

ASTRO Funding Opportunities
ASTRO funds research in radiation biology, cancer biology and radiation physics. Funding opportunities are available for junior faculty and residents.
More Info

Proposal Central
Database of foundation, non-profits and organizations grants.
More Info

DAAD Funding Opportunities
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) funds study and research visits to universities and non-university research institutions in Germany.
More Info

Do you know of any other funding sources? Please let us know!

RADIATION RESEARCH SOCIETY

Erica Hand, Association Manager

380 Ice Center Lane, Suite C | Bozeman, MT 59718

1.877.216.1919 | erica@radres.org

Facebook

SIT Group

YouTube

Flickr

Click icon to connect!

SIT Newsletter: May 2024

Fri, 24 May 2024 19:23:00 GMT

SCHOLAR IN TRAINING NEWSLETTER

SIT Home

Publications

Awards

Documents

Committee

Archive

Upcoming Conferences
and Workshops

PTCOG 62
Location: National Cancer Center, Singapore
Time: June 10-15, 2024
More Info

9th Biennial RITN Workshop
Location: Virginia, USA
Time: July 9-10, 2024
More Info

66th AAPM Annual Meeting and Exhibition
Location: Los Angeles, USA
Time: July 21-24, 2024
More Info

70th Annual Radiation Research Society Meeting
Location:
The Westin La Paloma
Tucson, Arizona
Time: Sept. 15-18, 2024
Registration Now Open
More Info

ASTRO
Location:
Washington DC, USA (and online)
Time: Sept. 29 - Oct. 2, 2024
More Info

ICCR
Location:
Lyon, France
Time: July 8-11, 2024
More Info

2024 IEEE NSS MIC RTSD
Location:
Tampa, FL, USA
Time: Oct. 26 - Nov. 2, 2024
More Info

NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education Seminars
Time: Varies, online
More Info

Stay tuned for more information! Do you know of any upcoming professional meetings?
Please let us know!

Career Opportunities

SIT Committee Contact Details

Wuroud Al-Khayyat, PhD Candidate
Radiation Biology
walkhayyat@laurentian.ca

Giorgio Cartechini, PhD
Physics
giorgio.cartechini@unitn.it

Sara Howard, MPH
Epidemiology
showar37@vols.utk.edu

Carlos Huesa-Berral, PhD
Physics
chuesaberral@mgh.harvard.edu

Poliana Marinello, PhD
Radiation Biology
pcmarinello@mdanderson.org

Marta Missiaggia, PhD
Physics
marta.missiaggia@unitn.it

Gabriele Parisi
Physics
g.parisi@surrey.ac.uk

Lauren Pedersen, PhD
Radiation Biology /
Cardio-oncology
plauren@wustl.edu

Beth Rothwell, PhD
Physics
brothwell1@mgh.harvard.edu

Victoria Valvo, PhD Candidate
Radiation Biology/Oncology
vvalvo@umich.edu

Contact the SIT Committee here!

Dear Scholars In Training,

Another month, another newsletter! With the spring struggling to come out (at least here in Europe) this May be the time we finally start BBQ without our coat on. Don’t forget to leave your socks at home on May 8, the No-Socks day. Get your feathers ready for May 14, the Dance-like-a-Chicken day and Werewolves beware, board-game night on Thursday 23 May when the moon will be at its beauti-full.

As April marked Celebrate Diversity Month, let’s all keep on celebrating diversity in May as well and never stop! Let’s never forget for a moment how wonderful and empowering it is to be different and to be unique. To be the same as all others I’d personally rather be a spoon, at least I’d be useful. Let’s be human, let’s be different!

I hope the topical essay of this newsletter will be as enjoyable as the previous essays. I wanted to share a couple of thoughts and readings about a topic which I reckon particularly “dear” in our SIT career stage: stress.

SIT Topical Essay: "Is it me or is it stress? What anxiety!"

I successfully defended my PhD in October last year. Six months later here I am looking for a postdoc. Another. I have not even realised I moved to another country and I found myself seeking a new solution. A good solution…publish publish publish! I don’t think I am speaking for myself: this is STRESSFUL! All jobs are, sooner or later. But I thought the combination of a PhD and the years to come (if the path is research) were particularly stressful. Hence I did the only natural thing a young researcher spending the time of my life on PubMed would do: a bit of research!

According to nothing less than Nature [1], PhD students are worryingly stressed. According to the results of two different surveys carried out independently, the percentage of PhD students reporting marked levels of anxiety and stress is much higher than in the general population. Interestingly enough, even though more than 35% of the PhDs interviewed had sought professional help for anxiety and depression related to their PhD, 71% of them still reported being broadly satisfied by their PhD experience. Where do such anxiety and stress come from?

Two articles from Nature and The Guardian [1, 2] tried to answer this question. On one side many respondent PhDs reported being bullied and/or experiencing toxic behaviours, harassment, exploitation and discrimination, indicating a huge problem in the research environment from the social and human perspectives. To aggravate this, poor management and wrongheaded hierarchy, in which superiors can seem to do no wrong and subordinates feel powerless to complain, too often make the “Boogeyman” mentor. As Dr Deepti Gurdasani from Queen Mary, University of London said to The Guardian [2]: "Good management and mentoring are not valued and contribute little to career progression but stepping on others to move ahead ends up being rewarded.” On the other hand, the origin of such anxiety and stress seems heavily linked to the current research system and its career perspectives. Career success is increasingly gauged by a spectrum of indexes including publications, citations, successful research grants and contributions to conferences, which do not always reflect the real research skills and attitude of a researcher. Targeting for funding, impact and publications also leads to loss of scientific freedom and autonomy to discover and invent, which is one of the bright sides of research.

Besides, early-career jobs after the PhD tend to be highly precarious, intensifying the pressure to secure grants and mass-produce publications.

Stress and anxiety are a serious issue. As well explained by the Harvard Medical School [3], they can trigger a cascade of hormones that produce serious physiological changes. Stress reactions evolved as a survival mechanism, allowing mammals to quickly react to life-threatening situations. Despite being a fundamental mechanism, particularly during human ancestral times, it is now becoming a double-edge sword. The body indeed can overreact to stressors that are not life-threatening, such as work pressure. The consequences of repeatedly activated responses to stress could be devastating. As pointed out by Yaribeygi et al. [4] severe and prolonged stress can lead to many disorders affecting the brain, the cardiovascular system, the immune system and the gastro-intestinal apparatus. For instance, functional and structural changes of the brain, particularly of the hippocampus, might lead to atrophy and neurogenesis disorders, reversible reduction of memory and mood-based cognitive disorders, for which a physiologic relationship with stress was found. A positive association of chronic stress was also found with cardiovascular diseases such as cardiac arrhythmias and with substantial modification of the heart rate and blood pressure increasing the risk of thrombosis, ischemia, myocardial infarction. The bilateral interaction between nutrition and stress is also to be mentioned as it could play a relevant role in nutritional disorders.

Hence, stress and anxiety are not to be overlooked. The article from Harvard Medical School [3] lists some techniques to counteract stress which includes:

eliciting the relaxation response by practising deep abdominal breathing, visualisation of tranquil scenes, repetitive prayer, yoga, and tai-chi;
Seeking social support from family, friends, co-workers and companions;
Physical activities and sports.

To talk about the benefits of even a simple walk in the park is Dr. Erin Gibbons [5], whose article I strongly suggest reading. Erin found exceptional benefits practising “meditative walks”, which helped to clear her mind and light up new ideas and solutions to problems. Studies have found that walking significantly enhances creativity, improves memory recall and promotes neural network plasticity!

To conclude this topical essay, I want to get back to the start. Personal actions to face stress and anxiety are fundamental but the real change will happen when actions will be taken to change the research system and solve the problem at the start. As Dr. Karen Stroobants said to The Guardian [2] “To achieve the full potential of research, we will need well-rested researchers from diverse backgrounds, a focus on collaboration over competition, and incentive structures that promote integrity and open research practices.”. Quoting [1]: “The research community needs to be protecting and empowering the next generation of researchers”...us!

My warmest wishes,
Gabriele Parisi

Resources:

SIT Engagement - Call for Ideas

Recently, RRS SITs have expressed enthusiasm to the SIT-C about organizing social/community-building events outside of our annual SIT Workshop and Meeting. We at the SIT-C love getting this feedback because, as described by Gabriele above, social interaction and strengthening SIT community bonds can help us de-stress, connect, and learn from one another!

So, as we brainstorm ways to bring SIT engagement to the next level, we again want to hear from YOU! Take this brief survey to help us gauge interest and/or email rrs.sit.committee@gmail.com to submit your ideas for potential virtual events or social opportunities that you would like to participate in…think: virtual game nights, topical discussion sessions, you name it! And, keep a close eye over the next year for announcements related to SIT engagement events.

SIT Feature of the Month

Hi SIT members!

My name is Marco Battestini and I’m from Italy. I’m a 3rd year Ph.D. student in physics at the University of Trento, working on FLASH radiotherapy in the Bio-Medical Radiation physics (BiMeR) research group. This is a multidisciplinary group between the Trento Institute for Fundamental Physics and Applications (TIFPA), a research center of the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), the University of Trento and the Trento Proton Therapy Center, with international collaborations such as with the GSI (Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ions Research) and the Radiation Oncology Department of the University of Miami. In particular, I’m focusing on understanding the biological mechanism behind the FLASH effect and optimizing the physical parameters for proton FLASH therapy. I also have the honor of being a member of the Operative Group of the PTCOG-ECR (Particle Therapy Co-Operative Group - Early Career Researcher) Subcommittee. Outside of the university, I enjoy reading and watching films. I also love football and photography.

Are you a Scholar In Training who would like to share their research in our next Newsletter? Please let us know!

Recent SIT Publications

Yeji Ko, Sara C. Howard, Ashley P. Golden, Benjamin French. 2024. "Adjustment for duration of employment in occupational epidemiology." Annuals of Epidemiology 15;94:33-41. DOI:10.1016/j.annepidem.2024.04.006

Jameus, Alexandra, Jessica Dougherty, Ramya Narendrula, Daniela Levert, Manon Valiquette, Jake Pirkkanen, Christine Lalonde, Patrice Bonin, Jeffrey D. Gagnon, Vasu D. Appanna, and et al. 2024. "Acute Impacts of Ionizing Radiation Exposure on the Gastrointestinal Tract and Gut Microbiome in Mice" International Journal of Molecular Sciences 25, no. 6: 3339. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25063339

Gopika SenthilKumar, Aronne M Schottstaedt, Lindsay Peterson, Lauren N. Pedersen, Christopher R. Chitamber, Alexis Vistocky, Anjishnu Banerjee, John M. Longo, Tracy Kelly, Adam Currey, Melinda R. Stolley, Carmen Bergom. Stay on Track: A Pilot Randomized Control Trial on Feasibility of a Diet and Exercise Intervention in Patients with Breast Cancer Receiving Radiation Therapy. Cancer Res Commun 2024. doi: 10.1158/2767-9764.CRC-23-0148

G. Cartechini; M. Missiaggia; E. Scifoni; C. La Tessa; F. G. Cordoni "Integrating microdosimetric in vitro RBE models for particle therapy into TOPAS MC using the MicrOdosimetry-based modeliNg for RBE ASsessment (MONAS) tool" Phys. Med. Biol. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6560/ad1d66

Do you know of any SIT publications, or would you like to have your work featured? Let us know.

Funding Sources

Graduate Funding Opportunities Database
Application Deadline: Varies
More Info

Postdoctoral Funding Opportunities Database
Application Deadline: Varies
More Info

Burroughs Wellcome Awards
Application Deadline: TBD
More Info

Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung/Foundation
Application Deadline: Open
More Info

Antibodies Travel Grants Program
Application Deadline: Quarterly
More Info

ASTRO Funding Opportunities
ASTRO funds research in radiation biology, cancer biology and radiation physics. Funding opportunities are available for junior faculty and residents.
More Info

Proposal Central
Database of foundation, non-profits and organizations grants.
More Info

DAAD Funding Opportunities
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) funds study and research visits to universities and non-university research institutions in Germany.
More Info

Do you know of any other funding sources? Please let us know!

RADIATION RESEARCH SOCIETY

Erica Hand, Association Manager

380 Ice Center Lane, Suite C | Bozeman, MT 59718

1.877.216.1919 | erica@radres.org

Facebook

SIT Group

YouTube

Flickr

Click icon to connect!

SIT Newsletter: April 2024

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 23:45:00 GMT

SCHOLAR IN TRAINING NEWSLETTER

SIT Home

Publications

Awards

Documents

Committee

Archive

Upcoming Conferences
and Workshops

ESTRO
Location: Glasgow, United Kingdom
Time: May 3-7, 2024
More Info

PTCOG 62
Location: National Cancer Center, Singapore
Time: June 10-15, 2024
More Info

9th Biennial RITN Workshop
Location: Virginia, USA
Time: July 9-10, 2024
More Info

66th AAPM Annual Meeting and Exhibition
Location: Los Angeles, USA
Time: July 21-24, 2024
More Info

70th Annual Radiation Research Society Meeting
Location:
The Westin La Paloma
Tucson, Arizona
Time: Sept. 15-18, 2024
Registration Now Open
More Info

ASTRO
Location:
Washington DC, USA (and online)
Time: Sept. 29 - Oct. 2, 2024
More Info

ICCR
Location:
Lyon, France
Time: July 8-11, 2024
More Info

2024 IEEE NSS MIC RTSD
Location:
Tampa, FL, USA
Time: Oct. 26 - Nov. 2, 2024
More Info

NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education Seminars
Time: Varies, online
More Info

Stay tuned for more information! Do you know of any upcoming professional meetings?
Please let us know!

Career Opportunities

PhD Position
Radiobiology for proton therapy
Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark
More information and apply here

Postdoctoral Fellow Proposal
Head and neck radiotherapy dose painting
Léon Berard Center, France
More information and apply here

Postbaccalaureate/Predoctoral/Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Radiation Epidemiology Branch
Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics
National Institutes of Health
More information and apply here

NEW! RRS CAREER CENTER!
View job postings, submit a resume and access career resources.
VIEW POSITIONS

FOR MORE CAREER POSTINGS, VISIT:
academicjobs.org; findaphd.com; researchgate.net/jobs; nature.com ; Science Careers; careers.aapm.org; linkedin.com

Do you know of any career opportunities? Please share them with your SIT colleagues!

SIT Committee Contact Details

Wuroud Al-Khayyat, PhD Candidate
Radiation Biology
walkhayyat@laurentian.ca

Giorgio Cartechini, PhD
Physics
giorgio.cartechini@unitn.it

Sara Howard, MPH
Epidemiology
showar37@vols.utk.edu

Carlos Huesa-Berral, PhD
Physics
chuesaberral@mgh.harvard.edu

Poliana Marinello, PhD
Radiation Biology
pcmarinello@mdanderson.org

Marta Missiaggia, PhD
Physics
marta.missiaggia@unitn.it

Gabriele Parisi
Physics
g.parisi@surrey.ac.uk

Lauren Pedersen, PhD
Radiation Biology /
Cardio-oncology
plauren@wustl.edu

Beth Rothwell, PhD
Physics
brothwell1@mgh.harvard.edu

Victoria Valvo, PhD Candidate
Radiation Biology/Oncology
vvalvo@umich.edu

Contact the SIT Committee here!

Dear Scholars In Training,

Welcome back to our newsletter! April marks Celebrate Diversity Month, a time dedicated to recognizing and embracing the increasing multiculturalism within global societies. It is important to understand and navigate diversity wisely, striving for a more inclusive world.

In this newsletter, we are continuing our column on topical essays. This topical essay is particularly special as it is combined with our SIT REDI section. Last month, we delved into modern methods of science communication to deliver our research effectively. This time, we are exploring a topic closely linked to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI): the use of color in scientific papers. Color is a powerful tool for conveying messages, and when used incorrectly, it can perpetuate disparities and reinforce gender stereotypes. If you're curious about this topic, read our SIT topical essay and REDI section!

Best,
Giorgio Cartechini

SIT Topical Essay presented by SIT-REDI: "The Significance of Colors in Science Communication"

Images are among the most powerful tools for delivering messages across various fields. In scientific papers, images effectively illustrate data or key results of our research.

One of the most impactful aspects of images lies in their use of color, which transforms information into meaning. Nonetheless, it's widely recognized that individuals do not universally perceive colors in the same way. This discrepancy can stem from either psychological variances or physical problems in the cone cells in the retina, responsible for color vision.

Color blindness, or color vision deficiency (CVD), affects a significant portion of the population, with approximately 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women experiencing some form of color vision deficiency. The two most common types, Protanopia and Deuteranopia, are red-green color vision defects caused by the absence of red or green retinal photoreceptors, respectively.

Consequently, selecting colors suitable for color-blind readers not only improves accessibility but also exemplifies good graphic design practice. An example of an erroneous color scheme employing red-green coding is found in immunofluorescent images within the life sciences (Figure 1). These types of images using red and green colors are impossible to decode for people with CVD. Utilizing modern image processing tools, including AI-based solutions, enables the adjustment of colors to enhance visibility contrast for color-blind individuals by substituting red with magenta or green with turquoise.

Below, I reported a few easy steps on how to implement and evaluate your color palette to enhance accessibility for color-blind individuals:

Avoid rainbow color maps like 'jet'; instead, utilize more color-blind-friendly colormaps such as 'Viridis,'. Several coding languages like R or Python have packages and libraries with color-blind-friendly palettes (refer to Figure 2 and Resources).
Utilize CVD simulators like Colorblindor ( https://www.color-blindness.com/ ), or Color Oracle ( https://colororacle.org/ ) to assess your images.
Augment image legibility by employing alternate coding schemes alongside colors, such as shapes, sizes, or ordering.

Additionally, adopting stereotypical gender colors, such as pink and blue, to denote differences between men and women can distort the intended message. In Western culture, these colors often carry gender stereotype connotations. An interesting approach to overcoming such stereotypes is given by The Telegraph, which employs purple for women and green for men (check it out here). According to Fraser Lyness, Director of Graphic Journalism at The Telegraph, purple attracts more attention than green against a white background, accentuating women's data relative to men's (more information about this can be found here).

After researching this topic, I realized that none of my images were color-blind-friendly, and changed all the color palettes in my paper draft. I believe that this small change can make a huge difference in making our scientific work more inclusive and accessible to everyone. I hope this essay will help choose color palettes for your images in the future.

If you have any suggestions on how to implement color-blind-friendly and gender-neutral palettes or if you want to share your experience on this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Figure 1: Image taken from https://doi.org/10.1038/nmeth.1618
Figure 2: Image taken from https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-19160-7

All the best,
Giorgio Cartechini

Resources:

Wong, B. Points of view: Color blindness. Nat Methods 8, 441 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmeth.1618
Crameri, F., Shephard, G.E. & Heron, P.J. The misuse of color in science communication. Nat Commun 11, 5444 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-19160-7
Color blindness, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_blindness#Types
Open Source colormaps from Crameri et al.: https://zenodo.org/records/8409685
R packages: https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/colorBlindness/vignettes/colorBlindness.html
Python library: https://pypi.org/project/colorblind/
Matlab Perceptually uniform colormaps: https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/51986-perceptually-uniform-colormaps
An alternative to pink & blue: Colors for gender data, Lisa Charlotte Muth, Datawrapper: https://blog.datawrapper.de/gendercolor/#fn1

SIT Feature of the Month

Hiya, fellow SIT members!

I am Ricardo Sainz (follow me @Radiactive_Ric), a Higher Scientific Officer and PhD student at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in London, UK. Here's a fun fact about me. I love drawing and painting, especially urban landscapes. When I was a kid, I thought I would be an architect. Now, I use my creative side for science illustrations/schematics in my presentations and publications.

I did my BSc in Biochemistry at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. During my undergrad, I applied to different travel bursaries, with many rejections along the way. Luckily, I ended up doing a summer research project at University College London, a semester abroad at Calgary University (Canada), and my final year at the University of Oxford researching Down Syndrome Leukaemia. At this point, I knew I wanted to continue in cancer research. I got into Imperial College London to do a Master’s in Cancer Biology. I did two rotations, one in a lab working on Multiple Myeloma and protein metabolism. Because of COVID, my second rotation became a bioinformatics project focused on analysing metabolomics datasets from Mesothelioma patients. During my time at Imperial, I attended one talk from Prof Gerry Thomas about her work as the director of the Chernobyl Tissue Bank, igniting my curiosity towards ionising radiation. I decided to do a second Master’s, but now in Radiation Biology (Oxford University). Oxford is famous for its intense and short terms of 8 weeks. During my first week, I had 12 lectures about radiation physics. All those mathematical equations seemed like Greek to me. I fell in love with radiation again once I moved to the lectures about the tumour microenvironment, hypoxia, and the immune system. After the taught component, I joined Prof Ester Hammond’s lab, where I worked on manipulating the antioxidant response to radiosensitise prostate cancer cell lines under radiobiological hypoxia.

I then applied to the ICR for a Scientific Officer job in the newly established “Radiation-enhanced Immunotherapy group” led by Dr Erik Wennerberg. At the time, Erik just moved from his postdoc in Prof Sandra Demaria’s lab in New York. Last year, I started my PhD in the same lab. I am looking at the metabolic effects produced by radiotherapy. Tumours produce lots of nasty metabolites that dampen the anti-tumour immune response. Understanding how different fractionations and radiation doses are modifying the immune cells’ metabolism is not known. Yet, how new technologies like FLASH RT, heavy ions, and microbeams are sculping the tumour microenvironment is a mystery.

Last year, the ICRR in Montréal was my first RRS meeting. I was extremely fortunate to be awarded the 2023 Nic McNally Radiobiology Travel Prize from the British Institute of Radiology. It was great to meet such a fantastic group of researchers from all over the world. I felt welcome almost immediately by the SITs. I cannot believe we managed to create a research proposal in hours. Thanks to this grant, I will travel to Oxford to test the effect of electrons FLASH RT (in Dr Kristoffer Petersson’s lab) on the metabolism of immune cells.

Are you a Scholar In Training who would like to share their research in our next Newsletter? Please let us know!

Recent SIT Publications

Jameus, Alexandra, Jessica Dougherty, Ramya Narendrula, Daniela Levert, Manon Valiquette, Jake Pirkkanen, Christine Lalonde, Patrice Bonin, Jeffrey D. Gagnon, Vasu D. Appanna, and et al. 2024. "Acute Impacts of Ionizing Radiation Exposure on the Gastrointestinal Tract and Gut Microbiome in Mice" International Journal of Molecular Sciences 25, no. 6: 3339. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25063339

Gopika SenthilKumar, Aronne M Schottstaedt, Lindsay Peterson, Lauren N. Pedersen, Christopher R. Chitamber, Alexis Vistocky, Anjishnu Banerjee, John M. Longo, Tracy Kelly, Adam Currey, Melinda R. Stolley, Carmen Bergom. Stay on Track: A Pilot Randomized Control Trial on Feasibility of a Diet and Exercise Intervention in Patients with Breast Cancer Receiving Radiation Therapy. Cancer Res Commun 2024. doi: 10.1158/2767-9764.CRC-23-0148

G. Cartechini; M. Missiaggia; E. Scifoni; C. La Tessa; F. G. Cordoni "Integrating microdosimetric in vitro RBE models for particle therapy into TOPAS MC using the MicrOdosimetry-based modeliNg for RBE ASsessment (MONAS) tool" Phys. Med. Biol. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6560/ad1d66

Battestini, M., Missiaggia, M., Attili, A., Tommasino, F., La Tessa, C., Cordoni, F. G., & Scifoni, E. (2023). “Across the stages: a multiscale extension of the generalized stochastic microdosimetric model (MS-GSM 2) to include the ultra-high dose rate (UHDR)”. Frontiers in Physics, 11, 1274064. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphy.2023.1274064

M. Missiaggia, F. G. Cordoni; E. Scifoni; C. La Tessa. "Cell Survival Computation via the Generalized Stochastic Microdosimetric Model (GSM²); Part II: Numerical Results." Radiat Res. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1667/RADE-22-00025.1.S1

Do you know of any SIT publications, or would you like to have your work featured? Let us know.

Funding Sources

Graduate Funding Opportunities Database
Application Deadline: Varies
More Info

Postdoctoral Funding Opportunities Database
Application Deadline: Varies
More Info

Burroughs Wellcome Awards
Application Deadline: TBD
More Info

Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung/Foundation
Application Deadline: Open
More Info

Antibodies Travel Grants Program
Application Deadline: Quarterly
More Info

ASTRO Funding Opportunities
ASTRO funds research in radiation biology, cancer biology and radiation physics. Funding opportunities are available for junior faculty and residents.
More Info

Proposal Central
Database of foundation, non-profits and organizations grants.
More Info

DAAD Funding Opportunities
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) funds study and research visits to universities and non-university research institutions in Germany.
More Info

Do you know of any other funding sources? Please let us know!

RADIATION RESEARCH SOCIETY

Audrey Rinehart, Association Manager

380 Ice Center Lane, Suite C | Bozeman, MT 59718

1.877.216.1919 | audrey@radres.org

Facebook

SIT Group

YouTube

Flickr

Click icon to connect!

SIT Newsletter: March 2024

Tue, 26 Mar 2024 19:24:00 GMT

SCHOLAR IN TRAINING NEWSLETTER

SIT Home

Publications

Awards

Documents

Committee

Archive

Upcoming Conferences
and Workshops

Career Opportunities

PhD Position
Radiobiology for proton therapy
Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark
More information and apply here

Postdoctoral Fellow Proposal
Head and neck radiotherapy dose painting
Léon Berard Center, France
More information and apply here

Postdoctoral Fellow
AI in Radiation Oncology
University of Maryland, Baltimore
More information and apply here

Postbaccalaureate/Predoctoral/Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Radiation Epidemiology Branch
Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics
National Institutes of Health
More information and apply here

NEW! RRS CAREER CENTER!
View job postings, submit a resume and access career resources.
VIEW POSITIONS

FOR MORE CAREER POSTINGS, VISIT:
academicjobs.org; findaphd.com; researchgate.net/jobs; nature.com ; Science Careers; careers.aapm.org; linkedin.com

Do you know of any career opportunities? Please share them with your SIT colleagues!

SIT Committee Contact Details

Wuroud Al-Khayyat, PhD Candidate
Radiation Biology
walkhayyat@laurentian.ca

Giorgio Cartechini, PhD
Physics
giorgio.cartechini@unitn.it

Sara Howard, MPH
Epidemiology
showar37@vols.utk.edu

Carlos Huesa-Berral, PhD
Physics
chuesaberral@mgh.harvard.edu

Poliana Marinello, PhD
Radiation Biology
pcmarinello@mdanderson.org

Marta Missiaggia, PhD
Physics
marta.missiaggia@unitn.it

Gabriele Parisi
Physics
g.parisi@surrey.ac.uk

Lauren Pedersen, PhD
Radiation Biology /
Cardio-oncology
plauren@wustl.edu

Beth Rothwell, PhD
Physics
brothwell1@mgh.harvard.edu

Victoria Valvo, PhD Candidate
Radiation Biology/Oncology
vvalvo@umich.edu

Contact the SIT Committee here!

Dear Scholars In Training,

Wishing you all a very happy March! This month marks the opening of registration and abstract submission for the RRS 2024 Annual Meeting in Tucson, Arizona (15th-18th September). We encourage all SITs to submit your work before the 17th April deadline, and don't forget to check the Call for Abstracts for details about the SIT Travel Award. Our annual SIT Workshop will also be taking place on 14th September - this will be a fantastic event designed especially for SITs, so mark your calendars now and keep an eye out for further details in the meeting program.

March also marks the celebration of Women’s History Month – a time to honour and recognise the invaluable contributions of women to all aspects of life. This year we’re embracing the theme of “women who advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion” with a special feature on the Rad Women in Science in our DEI section below.

Continuing on with our newest newsletter feature – a short topical essay on a selected topic. I was intrigued by last month’s discussion of the reproducibility crisis (make sure you go and check it out!), particularly the things we can do as scientists to improve reproducibility in the future. It got me thinking about science communication: are there better ways for us to communicate our research than the current standard?

SIT Topical Essay - “Re-thinking the Scientific Paper?”

The scientific paper is a cornerstone of modern science. For centuries, it’s been our go-to format, offering a structured approach to presenting research findings – a few introductory paragraphs to set the scene, description of the methods used (maybe with a diagram or two), results summarised in a handful of figures and tables, and a discussion of its importance to round it off.

Yet with the advent of the internet, should we expect a more seismic shift in scientific reporting than merely the transition of pen and paper to PDF? Can a traditional static document always capture the richness and volume of modern data and its analyses, and remain accessible for our large multidisciplinary scientific community?

While a 10-20 page PDF summarising our study will always have its place, perhaps we should be open to exploring other ways to communicate our scientific findings.

Imagine platforms that could offer:

Videos or animations to help explain key scientific concepts, or links to existing content, that improve engagement with a more diverse audience.
Virtual tours of experimental set-ups, time-lapses of lab-based procedures, or Jupyter Notebooks demonstrating coding processes that bring experimental methods to life.
Dynamic and interactive plots that enable users to directly engage with data – zoom in on points, adjust axes or units, show data in different ways, or directly compare with other data or models.
Real-time data logging for ongoing studies, allowing data to be shared as they unfold.
Annotation and commenting features that let researchers collaborate directly within the platform.
Version control and revision history that makes science more dynamic, while ensuring transparency and accountability.
Customisable dashboards that let users tailor presentation to their own research needs and preferences, promoting accessibility and inclusivity.

Studies have shown that interactive tools and animations can offer substantial improvements in learning and reduction of cognitive overload compared to static content. And as we saw last month, the reproducibility crisis is huge – giving researchers more interaction with methods and data can help to tackle this, making science more open, collaborative and accessible.

While no one should expect scientists to have a second degree in media creation, as we enter the era of AI, tools for content generation are becoming more widespread and accessible. Perhaps journals could develop their own platforms to encourage more creative science communication. For us scholars in training, maybe this is something to think about for the future.

If you have a suggestion for a future topic, please don’t hesitate to reach out – we'd love to hear from you!

All the best,
Beth Rothwell

SIT Radiation Researchers for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI)

The REDI section of this month celebrates Women's History Month. Women's History Month is an annual event observed in March in the United States since 1987. It acknowledges women's contributions to history, culture, and society. Additionally, International Women's Day is celebrated globally on March 8th, and it marks the first time that women's economic, political, and social achievements were celebrated on a global level.

In this section, we have a conversation with Dr. Julie K. Schwarz, former president of the Radiation Research Society and current president of the RAD Women in Science. The RAD Women initiative aims to promote women's scientific success, facilitate professional networking, and foster leadership development through RRS.

Hi Julie, thank you for dedicating your time to this interview. The strategies of RAD Women in Science involve highlighting women in radiation science through online resources and in-person events. Could you please provide more insight into the aim of the RAD Women in Science initiative and the resources available?

"The mission of RAD Women is to promote women's scientific success, professional networking and leadership development. RRS has a long legacy of women leaders and role models in all 5 pillars of the radiation sciences and we intend to share this knowledge and experience through the fabric of our organization.

Strategies include:

Providing a dedicated online resource to highlight scientific success of women in the radiation sciences
In person multidisciplinary networking events
1:1 mentorship for leadership development and support through all stages of career development
Bringing these concepts home to your own academic center to grow and sustain the RAD women's network"

Can you tell us more about the origins of RAD Women in Science? Do you believe that since its beginning, there has been a noticeable shift in the radiation research community, such as increased awareness regarding gender equality issues in science?

"RRS actually has a long and successful history of female leaders including 7 past presidents (Drs. Travis, Woloschak, Wallace, Held, Williams, Amundsen and myself) and multiple members of the Governing Council. The RAD Women initiative has been in place within RRS for some time with the goal of increasing women in leadership positions and visibility as speakers at the Annual Meeting."

How has the shift in awareness impacted women's approach to joining the RAD Woman initiative?

"Increasing the presence of women as leaders and as invited speakers has increased awareness of gender equity issues within our Society. Together with work done by the READI task force and SIT REDI, which has included some fantastic focused sessions at our Annual Meetings since 2020, we are now well poised to improve even more."

What are the primary challenges that RAD Women aims to address over the next years?

"The impact of the COVID pandemic especially on young women trainees and faculty members inspired us to reinvigorate RAD Women now with goals of not only increasing visibility of women in our Society but also emphasizing the potential power of female professional networking, mentorship and leadership development. This will include in person and virtual opportunities for mentorship, sponsorship and community building."

Are there any plans for RAD Women to host in-person events during the upcoming RRS annual meeting in Tucson?

"Yes! A RAD Women breakfast is planned for Wednesday Sept 18th 7-8 am. I encourage all to join us and bring your ideas for RAD Women 2024!"

Could you give any suggestions for anyone interested in bringing RAD Woman strategies to their academic center to foster the growth and sustainability of the RAD Women's network?

"We started a RAD Women focus group amongst our clinicians in the radiation oncology department at Wash U just a few years ago as we returned to in-person. We started out just getting together for dinner 2-3 times a year. What worked best for us was choosing a week night and visiting restaurants we wanted to try out in our community that were centrally located, as our doctors serve 8 different locations in Missouri and Illinois. These dinners are great and I always come away from them so incredibly inspired by my colleagues and what they are doing. We surveyed the group for ideas for new get togethers, and most recently a group of us went to the Beyonce concert which was a great show and super fun! I am excited to see what the group chooses next."

SIT Feature of the Month

Hello SIT members,

I am Poliana Marinello, Instructor at the Experimental Radiation Oncology Division at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, USA. I was born in Brazil, so was my almost 4-year-old daughter, Antonella. Although her arrival brought unparalleled joy to our family, it also marked a significant chapter in my life. Balancing the joy of parenthood with the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic, which coincided with her birth during my post-doc, presented unique challenges. I am sure this was the reality of several other women researchers.

To date, my career as a researcher has been mainly focused on studying and developing strategies to improve the effectiveness of cancer treatment. I did my PhD in Experimental Pathology at the State University of Londrina, Brazil. I proposed an oxidative stress-based mechanism to partially explain doxorubicin-driven chemoresistance and demonstrated metformin’s ability to prevent the cellular adaptation related with acquired chemoresistance in cancer cells. I also worked on research projects investigating the role of oxidative stress on cancer progression, and how oxidative stress modulation could improve therapeutic outcomes.

I started working in the radiobiology field after moving to the USA with my family, in December of 2021, to start as a research scientist at MD Anderson. Currently, my research focuses on using radiation therapy (mainly with alpha particles) in combination with inhibition of DNA repair pathways to amplify the effect of immune checkpoint blockade for antitumor immunity.

My first time attending a RRS conference was last year, when I went to the ICRR, held in Montreal, and had such a great experience that motivated me to apply for joining the SIT committee. Fortunately, I was accepted and started as a member in January this year. I am so excited to get more involved with the RRS and to work together with the committee to help in the conference this year. I am sure it will be a success again!

Are you a Scholar In Training who would like to share their research in our next Newsletter? Please let us know!

Recent SIT Publications

G. Cartechini; M. Missiaggia; E. Scifoni; C. La Tessa; F. G. Cordoni "Integrating microdosimetric in vitro RBE models for particle therapy into TOPAS MC using the MicrOdosimetry-based modeliNg for RBE ASsessment (MONAS) tool" Phys. Med. Biol. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6560/ad1d66

Battestini, M., Missiaggia, M., Attili, A., Tommasino, F., La Tessa, C., Cordoni, F. G., & Scifoni, E. (2023). “Across the stages: a multiscale extension of the generalized stochastic microdosimetric model (MS-GSM 2) to include the ultra-high dose rate (UHDR)”. Frontiers in Physics, 11, 1274064. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphy.2023.1274064

M. Missiaggia, F. G. Cordoni; E. Scifoni; C. La Tessa. "Cell Survival Computation via the Generalized Stochastic Microdosimetric Model (GSM²); Part II: Numerical Results." Radiat Res. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1667/RADE-22-00025.1.S1

Huesa-Berral, C., Withrow, J.D., Dawson, R.J., Beekman, C., Bolch, W.E., Paganetti, H., Wehrenberg-Klee, E. and Bertolet, A. "MIDOS: a novel stochastic model towards a treatment planning system for microsphere dosimetry in liver tumors." Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-023-06567-9

Wuroud Al-khayyat, Jake Pirkkanen, Jessica Dougherty, Taylor Laframboise, Noah Dickinson, Neelam Khaper, Simon J. Lees, Marc S. Mendonca, Douglas R. Boreham, Tze Chun Tai, Christopher Thome, Sujeenthar Tharmalingam. "Overexpression of FRA1 (FOSL1) Leads to Global Transcriptional Perturbations, Reduced Cellular Adhesion and Altered Cell Cycle Progression." Cells 12, no. 19: 2344. 2023. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12192344

Do you know of any SIT publications, or would you like to have your work featured? Let us know.

Funding Sources

Graduate Funding Opportunities Database
Application Deadline: Varies
More Info

Postdoctoral Funding Opportunities Database
Application Deadline: Varies
More Info

Burroughs Wellcome Awards
Application Deadline: TBD
More Info

Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung/Foundation
Application Deadline: Open
More Info

Antibodies Travel Grants Program
Application Deadline: Quarterly
More Info

ASTRO Funding Opportunities
ASTRO funds research in radiation biology, cancer biology and radiation physics. Funding opportunities are available for junior faculty and residents.
More Info

Proposal Central
Database of foundation, non-profits and organizations grants.
More Info

DAAD Funding Opportunities
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) funds study and research visits to universities and non-university research institutions in Germany.
More Info

Do you know of any other funding sources? Please let us know!

RADIATION RESEARCH SOCIETY

Audrey Rinehart, Association Manager

380 Ice Center Lane, Suite C | Bozeman, MT 59718

1.877.216.1919 | audrey@radres.org

Facebook

SIT Group

YouTube

Flickr

Click icon to connect!

SIT Newsletter: February 2024

Tue, 27 Feb 2024 16:07:00 GMT

SCHOLAR IN TRAINING NEWSLETTER

SIT Home

Publications

Awards

Documents

Committee

Archive

Upcoming Conferences
and Workshops

ESTRO
Location: Glasgow, United Kingdom
Time: May 3-7, 2024
More Info

PTCOG 62
Location: National Cancer Center, Singapore
Time: June 10-15, 2024
More Info

70th Annual Radiation Research Society Meeting
Location:
The Westin La Paloma
Tucson, Arizona
Time: Sept. 15-18, 2024 Registration Opens:
March 11, 2024

NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education Seminars
Time: Varies, online
More Info

Stay tuned for more information! Do you know of any upcoming professional meetings?
Please let us know!

Career Opportunities

Postdoctoral Research Associate
Radiation Oncology
University of VA, Charlottesville, Virginia
More information and apply here

Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Radiation Epidemiology Branch
Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics
National Institutes of Health
More information and apply here

NEW! RRS CAREER CENTER!
View job postings, submit a resume and access career resources.
VIEW POSITIONS

FOR MORE CAREER POSTINGS, VISIT:
academicjobs.org; findaphd.com; researchgate.net/jobs; nature.com ; Science Careers; careers.aapm.org; linkedin.com

Do you know of any career opportunities? Please share them with your SIT colleagues!

SIT Committee Contact Details

Wuroud Al-Khayyat, PhD Candidate
Radiation Biology
walkhayyat@laurentian.ca

Giorgio Cartechini, PhD
Physics
giorgio.cartechini@unitn.it

Sara Howard, MPH
Epidemiology
showar37@vols.utk.edu

Carlos Huesa-Berral, PhD
Physics
chuesaberral@mgh.harvard.edu

Poliana Marinello, PhD
Radiation Biology
pcmarinello@mdanderson.org

Marta Missiaggia, PhD
Physics
marta.missiaggia@unitn.it

Gabriele Parisi
Physics
g.parisi@surrey.ac.uk

Lauren Pedersen, PhD
Radiation Biology /
Cardio-oncology
plauren@wustl.edu

Beth Rothwell, PhD
Physics
brothwell1@mgh.harvard.edu

Victoria Valvo, PhD Candidate
Radiation Biology/Oncology
vvalvo@umich.edu

Contact the SIT Committee here!

Hi, Fellow Radiation Researchers,

I hope this newsletter finds you well.

Beginning this month, we are excited to introduce a new feature to our newsletter – an essay on a selected topic. Our inaugural piece delves into the critical subject of the reproducibility crisis in research. I encourage you to take a moment to explore it; I hope you'll find it engaging.

Additionally, we welcome your input and suggestions for future topics. If there's a specific area within the realms of research and the researcher's life that you're keen on, please don't hesitate to reach out to any member of the committee.

SIT Topical Essay - “The Reproducibility Crisis”

Let's break down the numbers to understand the magnitude of this issue:

Low Reproducibility Rates: Numerous studies across various scientific disciplines have reported alarmingly low reproducibility rates. Here are some findings derived from Nature's survey of 1,576 researchers who participated in a brief online questionnaire on research reproducibility: over 70% of researchers have attempted but struggled to replicate experiments conducted by their peers, and more than half have encountered difficulties reproducing their own experiments (which came as a surprise to me!). The data also uncover somewhat conflicting attitudes regarding reproducibility. While 52% of respondents acknowledge a significant 'crisis' of reproducibility, less than 31% believe that the inability to reproduce published results likely indicates an error, and the majority express continued trust in the published literature;
Financial Implications: The cost of irreproducible research is substantial. The same Nature survey indicated that failed attempts to reproduce research cost the biomedical industry alone more than $28 billion annually;
Time Investment: Researchers invest considerable time attempting to reproduce and validate existing studies, time that could be better spent advancing new discoveries. This not only hinders scientific progress but also impacts career trajectories.

So, what can we do as scientists to help improve the situation for the future? Let’s say you are doing your best in acquiring data.It may be in good faith, but there is more you should think about. First things, write down everything, every detail of the experiments that will let other researchers know without any doubt how to reproduce your experiment. If you are also analyzing the data, here are some other general suggestions that I found:

Open Data Practices: Data science encourages the adoption of open data practices, ensuring that datasets are made publicly available. This transparency allows others to scrutinize, replicate, and build upon existing findings.
Reproducible Analysis: With tools like Jupyter Notebooks and Markdown, you can create interactive and reproducible analyses. This not only facilitates peer review but also empowers fellow researchers to verify and reproduce results.
Version Control: Platforms like GitHub enable version control, tracking changes to code and data over time. This ensures a clear record of the research process, making it easier for others to understand and reproduce experiments.

As we navigate the ever-evolving landscape of scientific research, let us embrace the principles of data science to enhance the rigor and reliability of our work. By fostering a culture of openness, collaboration, and reproducibility, we can contribute to a more robust scientific ecosystem. Together, let us work towards a future where the reproducibility crisis becomes a relic of the past.

I hope you find the topic as interesting and relevant as I do and that there will be more opportunities to talk about it. In the meantime, take a look here if you want to go deeper: https://www.nature.com/articles/533452a, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Replication_crisis

Best,

Marta Missiaggia

SIT Radiation Researchers for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI)

This month, we deviate from the REDI column's 'DEI Word of the Month' to celebrate 'Black History Month.' Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated February as Black History Month. European countries like the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Holland have chosen October as their official month.

Black History Month, also recognized as African American History Month, traces its origins to the efforts of Dr. Carter G. Woodson, a pioneering Harvard-trained African American historian, and Jesse E. Moorland, a prominent minister. In 1926, they established the second week of February as "Negro History Week" to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, a key figure in the anti-slavery movement. This week was dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the contributions of African Americans to American history, addressing the strong underrepresentation of African Americans in historical narratives [1,2].

In keeping with Dr. Woodson's mission, this month, we highlight an exceptional African American researcher and member of the Radiation Research Society: Dr. Antiño Allen. Dr. Allen is Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, the Associate Dean of pipeline and career development, and the Associate Director of diversity initiatives at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. His research extensively investigates the effects of inflammation and oxidative stress on neuronal anatomy and cognitive function following exposure to X-rays, heavy ion irradiation, or traumatic brain injury. Recently awarded the Michael Fry Research Award by the Radiation Research Society, an acknowledgment that highlights junior scientists who have made extraordinary contributions to the field of radiation research. However, his true passion lies in fostering a research and science community comprising talented individuals who may not always have opportunities to pursue their interests in innovation and discovery. Heading the Summer Research Institute (SRI), a program overseen by the UAMS Division for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Dr. Allen guides underserved high school juniors, seniors, and college students, offering practical laboratory and science experiences for those interested in pursuing careers in research and healthcare [3]. Dr. Allen is also a principal investigator for a NIGMS funded T32 designed to increase the number of students from underrepresented groups graduating with doctorates in biomedical sciences [4].

SIT Feature of the Month

Ber-In "Thomas" Lee is a Veterinary Radiation Oncologist and a Ph.D. candidate in the Cell and Molecular Biology graduate program at Colorado State University (CSU). He currently works in Dr. Keara Boss’ lab and focuses on radioimmunotherapy in different head and neck cancer models, including the canine spontaneous sinonasal carcinoma model. He received his DVM and finished a rotating internship and a Veterinary Medical Oncology residency at National Taiwan University. He stayed and served as a clinical instructor in Medical Oncology for two more years before joining CSU as a Veterinary Radiation Oncology resident. Inspired by the amazing research and mentorship at CSU, he decided to pursue a Doctorate degree with Dr. Boss. His dream career is to become a clinician scientist and he will join the Vet School at the University of Pennsylvania as an Assistant Professor in Radiation Oncology this August to continue his passionate pursuit in research, clinics, and teaching.

Are you a Scholar In Training who would like to share their research in our next Newsletter? Please let us know!

Recent SIT Publications

M. Missiaggia, F. G. Cordoni; E. Scifoni; C. La Tessa. "Cell Survival Computation via the Generalized Stochastic Microdosimetric Model (GSM²); Part II: Numerical Results." Radiat Res. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1667/RADE-22-00025.1.S1

G. Cartechini; M. Missiaggia; E. Scifoni; C. La Tessa; F. G. Cordoni "Integrating microdosimetric in vitro RBE models for particle therapy into TOPAS MC using the MicrOdosimetry-based modeliNg for RBE ASsessment (MONAS) tool" Phys. Med. Biol. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6560/ad1d66

Huesa-Berral, C., Withrow, J.D., Dawson, R.J., Beekman, C., Bolch, W.E., Paganetti, H., Wehrenberg-Klee, E. and Bertolet, A. "MIDOS: a novel stochastic model towards a treatment planning system for microsphere dosimetry in liver tumors." Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-023-06567-9

Wuroud Al-khayyat, Jake Pirkkanen, Jessica Dougherty, Taylor Laframboise, Noah Dickinson, Neelam Khaper, Simon J. Lees, Marc S. Mendonca, Douglas R. Boreham, Tze Chun Tai, Christopher Thome, Sujeenthar Tharmalingam. "Overexpression of FRA1 (FOSL1) Leads to Global Transcriptional Perturbations, Reduced Cellular Adhesion and Altered Cell Cycle Progression." Cells 12, no. 19: 2344. 2023. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12192344

DeCunha JM, Newpower M, Mohan R. "GPU-accelerated calculation of proton microdosimetric spectra as a function of target size, proton energy, and bounding volume size." Phys. Med. Biol. 2023;68:165012.

Do you know of any SIT publications, or would you like to have your work featured? Let us know.

Funding Sources

Graduate Funding Opportunities Database
Application Deadline: Varies
More Info

Postdoctoral Funding Opportunities Database
Application Deadline: Varies
More Info

Burroughs Wellcome Awards
Application Deadline: TBD
More Info

Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung/Foundation
Application Deadline: Open
More Info

Antibodies Travel Grants Program
Application Deadline: Quarterly
More Info

ASTRO Funding Opportunities
ASTRO funds research in radiation biology, cancer biology and radiation physics. Funding opportunities are available for junior faculty and residents.
More Info

Proposal Central
Database of foundation, non-profits and organizations grants.
More Info

DAAD Funding Opportunities
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) funds study and research visits to universities and non-university research institutions in Germany.
More Info

Do you know of any other funding sources? Please let us know!

RADIATION RESEARCH SOCIETY

Erica Hand, Association Manager

380 Ice Center Lane, Suite C | Bozeman, MT 59718

1.877.216.1919 | erica@radres.org

Facebook

SIT Group

YouTube

Flickr

Click icon to connect!

SIT Newsletter: January 2024

Thu, 25 Jan 2024 17:53:00 GMT

SCHOLAR IN TRAINING NEWSLETTER

SIT Home

Publications

Awards

Documents

Committee

Archive

Upcoming Conferences
and Workshops

ESTRO
Location: Glasgow, United Kingdom
Time: May 3-7, 2024
More Info

PTCOG 62
Location: National Cancer Center, Singapore
Time: June 10-15, 2024
More Info

70th Annual Radiation Research Society Meeting
Location:
The Westin La Paloma
Tucson, Arizona
Time: Sept. 15-18, 2024 Registration Opens:
March 4, 2024

NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education Seminars
Time: Varies, online
More Info

Stay tuned for more information! Do you know of any upcoming professional meetings?
Please let us know!

Career Opportunities

Postdoctoral Fellow
AI and mathematical modeling in radiotherapy
University of Trento, Italy
Contact information:
Dr. Francesco Giuseppe Cordoni
More information and apply write to francesco.cordoni@unitn.it

Postdoctoral Research Associate
Radiation Oncology
University of VA, Charlottesville, Virginia
More information and apply here

Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Radiation Epidemiology Branch
Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics
National Institutes of Health
More information and apply here

NEW! RRS CAREER CENTER!
View job postings, submit a resume and access career resources.
VIEW POSITIONS

FOR MORE CAREER POSTINGS, VISIT:
academicjobs.org; findaphd.com; researchgate.net/jobs; nature.com ; Science Careers; careers.aapm.org; linkedin.com

Do you know of any career opportunities? Please share them with your SIT colleagues!

SIT Committee Contact Details

Wuroud Al-Khayyat, PhD Candidate
Radiation Biology
walkhayyat@laurentian.ca

Giorgio Cartechini, PhD
Physics
giorgio.cartechini@unitn.it

Sara Howard, MPH
Epidemiology
showar37@vols.utk.edu

Carlos Huesa-Berral, PhD
Physics
chuesaberral@mgh.harvard.edu

Poliana Marinello, PhD
Radiation Biology
pcmarinello@mdanderson.org

Marta Missiaggia, PhD
Physics
marta.missiaggia@unitn.it

Gabriele Parisi
Physics
g.parisi@surrey.ac.uk

Lauren Pedersen, PhD
Radiation Biology /
Cardio-oncology
plauren@wustl.edu

Beth Rothwell, PhD
Physics
brothwell1@mgh.harvard.edu

Victoria Valvo, PhD Candidate
Radiation Biology/Oncology
vvalvo@umich.edu

Contact the SIT Committee here!

Dear Scholars in Training,

Happy New Year to you all! We hope that you had a great time visiting family and friends or just enjoying some quiet time. Personally, I enjoyed some time with family, watching Home Alone (many times) and playing with my cats.

The SIT Committee would like to extend a warm welcome to Dr. Lauren Pedersen as our new Chair for the 2024 year. Dr. Pedersen brings a wealth of experience and expertise in leadership to the SIT community at RadRes. In addition, we are excited to introduce three new remarkable members who have joined our team: Carlos Huesa-Berral, Poliana Marinello and Victoria Valvo. Each of them brings a unique set of skills and perspectives that will undoubtedly contribute to the success of our team. We also would like to express our sincere gratitude to our previous group members for their outstanding contributions and dedicated work, thank you Christian Cooper and Cato Milder.

As we are just starting this term, the SIT-C is working hard to once again plan and organize educational, engaging and enjoyable workshops, symposiums, plenary sessions and much more! Please stay tuned to the upcoming newsletter as they will contain some important dates and activities associated with our future conference in Tucson.

As we are just starting this term, the SIT-C is working hard to once again plan and organize educational, engaging and enjoyable workshops, symposiums, plenary sessions and much more! Please stay tuned to the upcoming newsletter as they will contain some important dates and activities associated with our future conference in Tucson.

Yours sincerely,
Wuroud Alkhayyat
Vice-Chair 2024

SIT Radiation Researchers for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI)

DEI word of the month: DIVERSITY

After a brief pause in our December newsletter, we're delighted to resume our "DEI Word of the Month" column! This month, we will explain a keyword in the DEI glossary: Diversity.

Let’s start with the definition. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “diversity” is defined as “the practice or quality of including or involving people from a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds and of different genders, sexual orientations, etc.” [1]. Consequently, diversity should not be perceived merely as a condition or label for a group of underrepresented individuals; instead, it should be viewed as a positive action that seeks to include them in the community, avoiding discrimination or isolation.

In a world that requires unique perspectives and experiences to build on successful strategies and innovations, diversity within a group is not just a requirement, rather it is an essential factor of strength, continuity, and achievement. Numerous studies have shown that productivity improves in diverse environments [2-3]. A diverse workforce brings numerous advantages, including a broader talent pool, enhanced employee trust and engagement, fresh perspectives, and profits. Diversity is particularly crucial in appointing leadership positions. As reported by Hewlett et al., “without diverse leadership, women are 20% less likely than straight white men to win endorsement for their ideas; people of color are 24% less likely and LGBTs are 21% less likely” [4].

Many organizations are already adopting diversity as a core strategy. An exemplary case is Intel, the chip maker company, which, in 2016, took a concrete step to enhance its workforce's diversity. Intel invested a $300 million fund to improve workforce diversity, attract more women and minorities to the technology field, and make the industry more welcoming to them. Intel justified this move, citing concrete financial returns [5].

Diversity promotes a multicultural ideology, where racial differences are acknowledged and leveraged to stimulate innovation and growth, in contrast to a color-blind approach (as discussed in the November DEI word of the month [6]).

In conclusion, diversity is not just a requirement for a workplace or a group, but it is a powerful asset that generates innovations, inclusivity, and development. When we account for diversity at different levels, we indeed unlock a strong full potential that not only fosters a dynamic workplace but also functions as a model for a successful example.

Yours,
SIT-REDI

References:

Oxford University Press (2021) Oxford English Dictionary. https://www.oed.com/
Servaes S, Choudhury P, Parikh AK. What is diversity? Pediatr Radiol. 2022 Aug;52(9):1708-1710
Gomez LE, Bernet P. Diversity improves performance and outcomes. J Natl Med Assoc. 2019;111:383–392.
Hewlett S, Marshall M, Sherbin L. How diversity can drive innovation. Harv Bus Rev. 2013;91:30–31
Wingfield, N. (Jan 06 2015). Intel Allocates $300 Million for Workplace Diversity. New York Times Company. ProQuest. 2 Sep. 2018
RRS-SIT newsletter
https://www.radres.org/news/658421/SIT-Newsletter-November-2023.htm

SIT Feature of the Month

Harrison graduated from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2021, majoring in Biology and minoring in Chemistry. After graduation, he entered a biotech startup in Boston, where he worked as an organic chemist and process engineer. After reading The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer, Harrison rediscovers his calling in pushing the boundaries of discovery in cancer research. After a year, he returned to North Carolina to follow his passion at Reitman Lab in the Radiation Oncology Department at Duke University. Outside of the sciences, Harrison is a local DJ in Durham performing under "Mitochondria." He plans on entering medical school in the near future.

Are you a Scholar In Training who would like to share their research in our next Newsletter? Please let us know!

Recent SIT Publications

M. Missiaggia, F. G. Cordoni; E. Scifoni; C. La Tessa. "Cell Survival Computation via the Generalized Stochastic Microdosimetric Model (GSM²); Part II: Numerical Results." Radiat Res. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1667/RADE-22-00025.1.S1

Huesa-Berral, C., Withrow, J.D., Dawson, R.J., Beekman, C., Bolch, W.E., Paganetti, H., Wehrenberg-Klee, E. and Bertolet, A. "MIDOS: a novel stochastic model towards a treatment planning system for microsphere dosimetry in liver tumors." Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-023-06567-9

Wuroud Al-khayyat, Jake Pirkkanen, Jessica Dougherty, Taylor Laframboise, Noah Dickinson, Neelam Khaper, Simon J. Lees, Marc S. Mendonca, Douglas R. Boreham, Tze Chun Tai, Christopher Thome, Sujeenthar Tharmalingam. "Overexpression of FRA1 (FOSL1) Leads to Global Transcriptional Perturbations, Reduced Cellular Adhesion and Altered Cell Cycle Progression." Cells 12, no. 19: 2344. 2023. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12192344

DeCunha JM, Newpower M, Mohan R. "GPU-accelerated calculation of proton microdosimetric spectra as a function of target size, proton energy, and bounding volume size." Phys. Med. Biol. 2023;68:165012.

Garcia DA; Jeans, E.B.; Morris, L.K.; Shiraishi, S.; Laughlin, B.S.; Rong, Y.; Rwigema, J.-C.M.; Foote, R.L.; Herman, M.G.; Qian, J. "A Radiomics-Based Classifier for the Progression of Oropharyngeal Cancer Treated with Definitive Radiotherapy." Cancers 2023, 15, 3715. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15143715

Do you know of any SIT publications, or would you like to have your work featured? Let us know.

Funding Sources

Graduate Funding Opportunities Database
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Postdoctoral Funding Opportunities Database
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Burroughs Wellcome Awards
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Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung/Foundation
Application Deadline: Open
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Antibodies Travel Grants Program
Application Deadline: Quarterly
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ASTRO Funding Opportunities
ASTRO funds research in radiation biology, cancer biology and radiation physics. Funding opportunities are available for junior faculty and residents.
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Proposal Central
Database of foundation, non-profits and organizations grants.
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DAAD Funding Opportunities
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) funds study and research visits to universities and non-university research institutions in Germany.
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Do you know of any other funding sources? Please let us know!

RADIATION RESEARCH SOCIETY

Audrey Rinehart, Association Manager

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1.877.216.1919 | audrey@radres.org

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