Department of Radiation Oncology Champions MCW’s Research Mission
The Department of Radiation Oncology held its inaugural Dr. J. Frank and Vera B. Wilson Trainee Research Symposium on Thursday, Nov. 16, and the event was well attended. The night highlighted the important role research plays in improving patient outcomes and the quality of healthcare, fostering residents and trainees as emerging leaders with remarkable skills, ingenuity, and resourcefulness, and developing cutting-edge treatments, therapies, and technologies.
Dr. J. Frank and Vera B. Wilson attended the symposium (pictured right). Dr. Wilson provided an inspiring historical account of the Radiation Oncology Department dating back to 1964. He retired as Department Chair after serving nearly 30 years, preceding the present Chair, Dr. Christopher Schultz. Dr. Wilson and his wife, Vera, have been central in the development and growth of the department – including raising research-focused funds.
Many outstanding residents and postdocs, spanning across the clinical, physics, and radiobiology sections of the department, exhibited posters. Awards were handed out for top presentations.
- First Place: Sara Beltran-Ponce for her poster titled, Patterns of Locoregional Pancreatic Recurrence After Total Neoadjuvant Therapy and Implications for Optimal Neoadjuvant Radiation Treatment Volumes.
- Second Place: Ayo Olowofela for his poster titled, Evaluation of Patient Factors Associated with Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment and Fatigue in Patients Receiving Chemotherapy for Non-Metastatic Breast Cancer.
- Third Place: Mohammad Zarenia for his poster titled, Sequential Use of Automatic Contour Correction Techniques for Inaccurate Auto-segmentation of Abdominal MRI.
Congratulations to Drs. Beltran-Ponce, Olowofela, and Zarenia!
The Department of Radiation Oncology intends to continue this annual symposium acknowledging the significance in supporting trainee research and championing the research mission of The Medical College of Wisconsin to “…persevere through every stage of discovery in pursuit of life-changing advancements.” Knowledge Changing Life.