The Department of Radiation Oncology at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Rutgers Cancer Institute is seeking applications for a physician-scientist faculty position. This is a tenure track position at the Assistant or Associate Professor level that requires excellence in clinical practice and demonstrated accomplishments in scientific research. In addition to education, clinical, and research responsibilities, this faculty position will collaborate closely with other Rutgers Cancer Institute programs, accessing state-of-the-art resources and integrated cancer care opportunities.

The Rutgers Cancer Institute oncology service line is the largest academic health care system in NJ with a service area covering nine counties and a population of five million people. The Institute is the only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in the state of NJ, and operates the recently completed Jack and Sheryl Morris Cancer Center- a 12 story, 520,000 square foot freestanding cancer hospital in New Brunswick, NJ. The department leads clinical and translational programs in MR-Linac based adaptive radiotherapy, IMRT/IGRT, SBRT, Brachytherapy, GKRS, Proton therapy, and Radiopharmaceutical therapy.

Apply Here: https://jobs.rutgers.edu/postings/258347

Requirements

Candidates must have and MD or DO degree, be board certified/eligible in Radiation Oncology, and be eligible for a NJ Medical License. Candidates should also possess a strong publication record and the capacity to obtain extramural research funding.  For more information about our department, please visit: https://sites.rutgers.edu/cinj-radiation-oncology/. For additional information or to apply please contact: cinjcareers@rutgers.edu.

by Peter Wardman, PhD, DSc

Chemical kinetics and radiobiology: time and space as pointers to mechanisms

Questions to assess whether the learning objectives have been met after studying the presentation

This funding opportunity aims to accomplish two major objectives:



To build a healthy human whole person physiome conceptual map to represent all physiological organ system functions and identify common data elements (CDEs) appropriate for each major physiological function.


To select and test existing datasets for the conceptual map and CDEs and build at least one prototype in silico model of whole person.


In addition, the Center will foster multidisciplinary collaboration and provide the logistical support infrastructure for the entire NIH Whole Person Initiative.



The application due date is November 1, 2024, by 5 p.m. local time of the applicant organization. Learn more about the NOFO and register for a Technical Assistance Webinar (July 30, 2024) and Networking Webinar (August 14, 2024).

Click here for the Collections

Click here for the Package Landing page. 

Click here for Quirks and Quarks with Bob McDonald

Once completed, please send the file to Erica Hand by email (erica@radres.org). 

You can also find more information here. 

Stanley B. Curtis

Dennis Leeper

We are pleased to announce a new training video, Intro to Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations, which is now live on the NASA Grants and Cooperative Agreements YouTube playlist.

This training explores the primary regulation that governs the award and administration of Federal grants and cooperative agreements, namely Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) or 2 CFR. In this video, viewers will be introduced to 2 CFR’s structure and gain a better understanding of how regulatory requirements impact grant and cooperative agreement applicants and recipients. This training is intended for individuals at any experience level and is designed to equip the viewer with the knowledge necessary to comply with government-wide and NASA-specific grant and cooperative agreement regulations.

When a Galapagos tortoise suffering from sarcoma needed help in 1983, zookeepers at the Staten Island Zoo called Mark Dewhirst, DVM, PhD, a young scientist at University of Arizona who had been conducting clinical trials on dogs using radiotherapy.

They were hoping radiotherapy might also help the tortoise — named Jalopy because he scooted around with the aid of a skateboard contraption after losing mobility from his many surgeries — so they shipped him Dewhirst’s way.  

Dewhirst’s ingenuity in rigging up a system to treat the 80-year-old tortoise, a species he’d never treated before, lengthened the tortoise’s life and made headlines.

The grandson of farmers and the son of a science professor at University of Arizona who studied parasites in cattle, Dewhirst said he grew up around animals, first in Kansas and then in Arizona. He seemed to be destined for veterinary medicine.

After earning an undergraduate degree in chemistry from University of Arizona and doctorates in veterinary medicine (1975) and radiation biology (1979) from Colorado State University, he joined the faculty at University of Arizona. His research career spanned more than three decades, most of them at Duke.

Come the end of the semester, Dewhirst — now vice director for basic science at Duke Cancer Institute and professor of radiation oncology, biomedical engineering and pathology — says he’s hanging up his lab coat.

The Dewhirst Lab, which focuses on the tumor microenvironment, specifically as it relates to tumor metabolism and hypoxia and ways to improve treatment modalities, including hyperthermia, is shutting down.

CONTINUE ARTICLE

Kurt G. Hofer (1939-2015)

Kurt G. Hofer, a radiation biologist and preeminent educator, unexpectedly but peacefully passed away on September 20, 2015, at the age of 76.
Kurt was born in Feldkirchen in Ka¨rnten, a town in the Austrian state of Carinthia, on March 2, 1939. He received his doctoral degree from the University of Vienna in 1965. In 1966, Kurt, accompanied by his wife Maria (Ridy) came to the United States to begin a postdoctoral fellowship at Tufts University Medical School. In 1970, he accepted a position as an Assistant Professor and worked as a radiation biologist in the Radiation Therapy Department at Ohio State University. A year later, Kurt moved to Tallahassee and joined the faculty of the Department of Biological Science at Florida State University, where he established himself as a Distinguished Professor and was eventually appointed as the Director of the University’s Institute of Molecular Biophysics. He remained at Florida State until his retirement in 2003.
Kurt’s research interests were diverse, but were often focused on the effects of nitroimidazoles on tumor cells, when combined with radiation and hyperthermia. However, one of Kurt’s greatest impacts in the field of radiobiology came from his pioneering work on Auger emitters, particularly 125I. Indeed, by characterizing the biological effects and toxicity of 125I decay and elegantly describing the localized damage to radiosensitive targets in cells mediated by 125I disintegration, Kurt firmly established a foundation for future Auger emitter research and its clinical utility. He also developed a novel in vivo cell survival assay, the 125I-iododeoxyuridine-prelabeling assay. Kurt perfected this assay to tease out not only the extent of cell death, but also the modes and time courses of cell death; the technique was especially valuable for elucidating how adjuvants such as hyperthermia or various drugs modify the radiation response of tumor cells when combined in various sequences. Kurt and Ridy worked side-by-side in his laboratory, and Kurt often reflected that much of the credit for his lab’s success was due to Ridy’s efforts. In addition to his efforts in the laboratory, Kurt contributed to the discipline by serving on the Board of Directors for the American Cancer Society, as a member of National Cancer Institute Study Sections, and as the Coordinator of the International Research Program in Biophysics of Radionuclides for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Besides being an internationally renowned scientist, Kurt had at least two minor claims to fame. ‘‘The Sound of Music,’’ one of the most commercially successful movies of all time, was filming on-location in the Austrian Alps in 1964, when Kurt was a university student in the area. Needing a little extra money, he jumped at the opportunity to play an extra in the film (he played one of the young German Wehrmacht soldiers that occupied Austria). Kurt was also interviewed for, and was prominently featured in Graham Farmelo’s 2009 biography of the 1933 Nobel Prize winner in physics, Paul Dirac, entitled, ‘‘The Strangest Man: The Hidden Life of Paul Dirac, Mystic of the Atom.’’ Dirac was a fellow faculty member of Kurt’s at Florida State, and lived in close proximity to the Hofers. Kurt and Ridy would visit Dirac on a weekly basis; early on in their friendship, Kurt helped Dirac diagnose a stomach ailment that plagued him and puzzled his physicians for nearly his whole life. The diagnosis helped to forge a special bond between Kurt and Dirac, who was known as a very private person. During one subsequent visit, Dirac surprisingly offered a rare glimpse of his childhood, which had been punctuated by frequent emotional abuse by his father. Such conversations provided keen insight into the outside forces that shaped Dirac’s personality and represented a key element of Farmelo’s biography.
That Kurt could relate to and befriend one of the greatest minds of the 20th Century was not surprising to anyone that knew him, as Kurt could relate to anyone! Kurt was a voracious reader and could carry on a conversation on virtually any subject. With his thick Austrian accent, he was a magnificent story-teller and excellent speaker. These talents helped Kurt to become an outstanding teacher. In fact, it was in the classroom, rather than the laboratory, that Kurt believed he probably had the greatest impact. Whether they were large introductory biology courses for non-majors or specialty courses in radiation biology for upper-level students, Kurt would fine-tune his lectures so that they were ‘‘digestible’’ by, and often entertaining for the target audience. Kurt’s dedication to teaching won him several teaching awards, including the President’s Teaching Award in 1980 and the University Distinguished Teaching Award in 1990. For his efforts in teaching, research and service, in 1994 he was named a Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor at Florida State University, the highest honor bestowed to a faculty member at the University. Kurt’s enthusiasm for teaching extended to the training of undergraduate and graduate students in his laboratory. He was very supportive of his students, encouraged their creativity, and excelled at keeping them focused while allowing them to be appropriately independent. Several of his students that continued on in the radiation sciences and had successful careers as scientists or physicians attribute their success to Kurt. Kurt kept in touch with many of the students that passed through his lab and took great pride in their achievements.
Kurt did not slow down much, if at all, after retiring. In addition to spending time with Ridy and his two daughters (Andrea and Marlise) as well as his many friends, Kurt turned his attention toward gardening, swimming and maintained a keen interest in nature. He also embarked on a second career in real estate, and not surprisingly, he was very successful at it, developing several properties on Cape San Blas, located along the Florida Panhandle’s Emerald Coast. However, Kurt leaves a lasting legacy in the many students whose careers he helped develop and the contributions they made or are yet to make.

Joseph R. Dynlacht
Linda Yasui
Martin Schneiderman
Ray Warters
Xiao Lin
Nahid Mivechi
Nanette Van Loon

The National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) is pleased to announce that Dr. Kathryn D. Held has been selected to serve as the Council’s next Executive Director and Chief Science Officer. 

Dr. Held was first elected to the Council in 2006 and served on the NCRP Board of Directors from 2008 to 2014. She was Vice President from 2011 to 2016 and is currently Co-Chair of Program Area Committee 1 on Basic Criteria, Epidemiology, Radiobiology, and Risk. She also served as Chair of the Program Committee for the 2011 Annual Meeting on “Scientific and Policy Challenges of Particle Radiations in Medical Therapy and Space Missions.” Dr. Held was a member of Scientific Committee (SC) 1-22 on Radiation Protection for Astronauts in Short-Term Missions and Phase I of SC 1-24 on Radiation Exposures in Space and the Potential of Central Nervous System Effects and an advisor to several NCRP committees.

Dr. Held is an Associate Radiation Biologist in the Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology (Radiation Biology) at Harvard Medical School (HMS). At MGH, Dr. Held leads a team that is involved in research on molecular mechanisms for the induction of bystander effects by high energy particles in cells and tissues, characterization of charged particle beam induced DNA damage responses and cell killing, development of a cancer screening platform for personalized radiation medicine, and mechanisms for regulation of DNA damage response by cell-cell communication. Dr. Held also teaches radiation biology to radiation oncology medical and physics residents and graduate students at MGH/HMS and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Dr. Held earned her PhD in biology from the University of Texas, Austin. She has served on review panels for numerous federal agencies including the National Institutes of Health, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the U.S. Army Medical Research and Material Command programs and other organizations such as the Radiological Society of North America. She is on the Editorial Boards of Radiation Research and the International Journal of Radiation Biology, and has served on committees for the National Academy of Science/National Research Council, NASA, and the American Society of Radiation Oncology. She is a past President of the Radiation Research Society.

Dr. Held will replace the current Executive Director, Dr. David A. Smith, in July.

We are pleased to announce the 42nd Conference of the European Radiation Research Society, to be held at the Royal Tropical Institute in Amsterdam from Sunday the 4th to Thursday the 8th of September 2016.

Please find the full program at www.ERR2016.nl . The program covers topics from DNA damage response toradiation protection & accidents and features plenary lectures from Stephen Jackson  and other renowned scientists.

We encourage you to profit from the early registration fee of 450EUR until June the 1st. Please consult our website (www.ERR2016.nl) for registration and abstract submission information. Note that your registration is only valid after receipt of the registration fee. The conference dinner will take place in the “Westerliefde” (www.westerliefde.nl ). Please indicate on your conference registration whether you would like to attend the conference dinner for an additional cost of 50EUR.

We hope to be able to select 24 high quality abstracts for oral presentation as proffered papers. Abstract submission for poster and oral conference presentations closes the 1st of June!

Accommodation reservations are possible; however, limited in number. The Amsterdam Tropen Hotel can still be booked through the Dutch Society for Radiobiology by downloading the form ‘Reservations form VU AMC’ from our website and following the instructions on the form.

We are planning to organize a 5K fun run in the Amsterdam forest and hope for your enthusiasm to support this initiative. Stay tuned by adding our website to your homepage!

With your contributions we hope to realize an inspiring conference with excellent networking opportunities by welcoming many participants from Europe and all over the world. Therefore we kindly ask you for your cooperation to share this ERRS conference announcement with radiation research interested scientists in your country or professional network.

With best regards,

Rob Coppes, NVRB president

On behalf of the 42nd ERRS scientific program committee and the Dutch Society for Radiobiology, ERRS 2016 host.

Contact: Nicolaas Franken, secretary/treasurer NVRB, www.NVRB.org
Laboratory for Experimental Oncology and Radiobiology
Dept Radiotherapy
Academic Medical Centre
University of Amsterdam
The Netherlands

• Main issues relevant to the clinical uses of particle beam radiotherapy that can be efficiently
  addressed in pre-clinical studies;
• Types of research that might be designed to address such issues;
• Particle beam species and properties that are most needed or required or desirable;
• Estimated needs for particle beam time for potential preclinical research;
• Optimal infrastructure of such a facility; and/or
• Any additional issues relevant to this RFI that are not specifically mentioned above

How to Submit a Response
Responses to the RFI will be accepted until March 1, 2016. All comments must be submitted to:
capalaj@mail.nih.gov.

No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in responses.
Responses will be compiled and shared internally within the NCI and/or with working groups
convened by the NCI, as appropriate. The compiled information may also appear in public reports and
may inform the development of a research-support initiative(s) at an undetermined time in the future.

We look forward to your input. We also hope that you will share this document with your colleagues.
Important Note: This RFI is for planning purposes only and should not be construed as a solicitation
or as an obligation on the part of the Federal Government and the NCI. The NCI does not intend to
make any research awards on the basis of responses to this RFI or to otherwise pay for the preparation
of any information submitted, or for the Government's use of such information.

Inquiries
Please direct all inquiries to:
Jacek Capala, Ph.D.
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Telephone: 240-276-5690
Email: capalaj@mail.nih.gov