Presentation: AI driven Ultrapersonalization of Cancer care: Technology and Data Needs
Presenter: Dr. Arnold Pompoš, Ph.D., Associate Vice Chair, Strategic Initiatives and Capital Investments , Professor, Division of Medical Physics and Engineering
Arnold Pompoš, Ph.D., is a professor of physics and serves as the Associate Vice Chair for Strategic Initiatives in the Department of Radiation Oncology at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, USA. Dr. Pompoš earned his M.S. in high-energy physics from Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, in 1995 and his Ph.D. in high-energy physics from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, USA, in 2002, conducting his doctoral research at Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois, USA. He completed a medical physics residency at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska, in 2008 and received American Board of Radiology certification in Therapeutic Radiation Oncology Physics in 2010.
Dr. Pompoš specializes in AI-driven personalization of cancer care and adaptive radiation therapy. His extensive contributions include numerous publications, international presentations, and co-investigation on multiple research grants.
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Presentation: Palliative Radiation Oncology
Presenter: Dr. Zach Brownlee, MD
Zach Brownlee, MD is a radiation oncologist who treats all types of cancer. He applies a personalized approach to each patient through close communication with the patient and their family as well as other members of their medical team in order to provide the highest quality care.
Dr. Brownlee received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Biomedical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin. He then spent several years in Houston attending medical school at the McGovern Medical School at UT Health and completing his internship at Baylor College of Medicine before moving to Boston, MA to finish his radiation oncology residency at Tufts Medical Center.
Throughout his training, Dr. Brownlee engaged in research at UT Southwestern and MD Anderson studying circulating tumor cell detection as a method for assessing response to different cancer treatments to guide personalized treatment decision making. He has been published in multiple oncology journals regarding this topic and other topics in clinical radiation oncology and is an active member of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), American College of Radiation Oncology (ACRO), and the American Brachytherapy Society (ABS).
Dr. Brownlee grew up in North Texas and is happy to be back home near his family and being able to serve the community in the DFW area. He currently lives in Grapevine with his wife. Outside of medicine, he enjoys playing and watching sports and is a big Mavs and Cowboys fan. He also enjoys listening to music and exploring new local restaurants and coffee shops.
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Presentation : Teamwork and Enhancing the Patient Experience on Unity
Presenter: Christopher Kabat, PhD ABR
Dr. Christopher Kabat is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at UT Southwestern Medical Center, specializing in medical physics with a focus on automation and decision support in radiation therapy. He earned his Ph.D. in Radiological Sciences from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, where he also completed his postdoctoral fellowship and residency. Since joining UT Southwestern, Dr. Kabat has been integral in advancing adaptive radiotherapy techniques and optimizing clinical workflows.
Dr. Kabat’s research encompasses standardizing dose predictions for head and neck cancers, dosimetric characterization of new surface-conforming electron multileaf collimator prototypes, and Monte Carlo modeling of linear accelerators for patient dose calculations. His work emphasizes the development of automated systems and decision-support tools to enhance the precision and efficiency of radiation therapy treatments.
An active contributor to the scientific community, Dr. Kabat has published in leading journals such as Medical Physics, Physics in Medicine & Biology, and the Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics. His dedication to improving patient outcomes through technological innovation and process improvement reflects his commitment to excellence in the field of medical physics.
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Presentation: Hyperthermia as a Corporeal Radiosensitizer
Presenter: Lucie (Lulu) Mangawe, Texas State University Radiation Therapy Student
Lucie Mangawe is currently a senior student at Texas State University studying radiation therapy. She will be graduating with her Bachelors of Science degree in Radiation Therapy in May of 2025 and is excited to pass her ARRT board registry and secure a position as a clinical radiation therapist.
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Presentation: Beyond Hair Loss: Exploring the Connections between Alopecia and Cancer
Presenter: Katharyn Rodriguez, Texas State University Radiation Therapy Student
Katharyn is currently a senior in the Radiation Therapy Program at Texas State University, where she is set to graduate in May 2025 with a Bachelor of Science in Radiation Therapy. She is excited to pass the ARRT board exam and begin her career as a licensed radiation therapist, providing care to cancer patients.
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Presentation: Healing Paws: How Therapy Dogs Enhance Wellness in Radiologic Technology Programs
Presenter: Cassandra M. Johnson (Haskins), MSRS R.T.(R)(CT)(MR)(ARRT)
Cassandra Johnson is a dedicated educator and radiologic technologist with extensive experience in X-ray, CT, and MRI. She currently serves as a full-time instructor in the Radiologic Technology Program at Tarrant County College, where she has been instrumental in developing curriculum and mentoring future radiologic technologists. Passionate about student wellness and mental health in healthcare education, Cassandra’s research focuses on integrating therapy dog programs to support student success. Her work highlights the importance of stress reduction strategies for students navigating the rigorous demands of clinical education.
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Presentation: Online Adaptive Radiation Therapy at UT Southwestern
Presenter: Dr. Shahed Badivan, MD
Shahed Nicolas Badiyan, M.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He serves as Director of Clinical Adaptive Therapy and specializes in gastrointestinal cancers, lung cancer, and adaptive radiation therapy.
Dr. Badiyan earned his medical degree at UT Southwestern Medical School, where he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. He completed a residency in radiation oncology at Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, and received advanced training through a proton therapy fellowship at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland.
Certified by the American Board of Radiology in radiation oncology, he joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2023. He previously served as Associate Professor and Associate Medical Director for Clinical Research at the Washington University School of Medicine’s Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center.
Dr. Badiyan serves as a Lead Radiation Therapy QA case reviewer for the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Foundation and an abstract reviewer for the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. He is also a lung section question writer for the American College of Radiology Radiation Oncology In-Training Exam, and an American College of Radiation Oncology Accreditation chart reviewer for gastrointestinal and lung cancer cases. He has given numerous lectures and contributed to more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and abstracts in his areas of expertise.
He is a member of various professional societies, including the American Board of Radiology and the American Society for Radiation Oncology, for which he serves on the Lung Resource Committee.
When he’s not at work, Dr. Badiyan enjoys traveling, spending time with family, and cheering on the local Dallas sports teams.