I am a senior medical physicist and an assistant professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences in Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and physics advisor of advanced preclinical radiation research at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center.
My research interest is radiation physics, biophysics, and their exploitation to improve the efficacy of radiotherapy using different methods including FLASH radiotherapy, high-LET radiotherapy, radiosensitizers, and Auger-electron emitting radionuclides. One of my major focuses is to develop FLASH radiotherapy for preclinical studies, elucidation of its biophysical/biological mechanisms, and its translation into clinical practices. I have invented an orthovoltage x-ray FLASH irradiator for preclinical laboratory research on small animals and cell cultures.
I have studied the basic mechanisms of biomolecular (e.g., DNA) damage induced by radiations. Using in-house irradiators, I measured the absolute inelastic scattering cross-sections for the interaction of subionization-energy electrons with DNA. These electrons are very important in the formation of DNA damage, particularly pertinent to FLASH irradiation and high-LET particles. Another area of my research is radiosensitization by inducing complex biomolecular damage. The synergistic interaction of platinum chemotherapeutic drugs (e.g., cisplatin) with ionizing radiation is the clinical rationale for the treatment of several cancers. I elucidated molecular mechanisms of the synergy on the DNA damage formation. For the first time, I have shown that the presence of DNA-Platinum adducts preferentially enhances the formation of DNA clustered lesions (e.g., DSB) induced by both indirect and direct effects of ionizing radiations.
Disclosures:
- Employment: none
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