Current Residents

Yushi Chang, PhD

I grew up in a coastal city in northeast China. I received a BS in optical information science at Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China. After graduation, I continued my MS studies at Duke Kunshan University to pursue my interest in Medical Physics and experience a hybrid of American and Chinese education philosophies. My master’s thesis research focused on radiomics and machine learning. I then pursued a PhD in Medical Physics at Duke University, where my research focused on developing a realistic digital anthropomorphic phantom using deep learning techniques. In my spare time, I enjoy jogging, outdoor activities, and watching sports games. Cooking, exploring restaurants, traveling, and chatting with friends can always bring me joy!

Brent Covele, PhD

Chief Education Officer

After having grown up among the corn and soy fields of central Indiana, I have lived in several parts of the US. After obtaining my BSc in Physics at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (2007), I proceeded to the University of Texas at Austin to pursue magnetic confinement fusion research and my PhD (2014), focusing on the notorious tokamak heat exhaust challenge. This led to a staff position at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility in San Diego, where I served as group leader for Divertor Development and Integration. Acting on a growing desire to be in public service, I exited the fusion community and turned to therapeutic medical physics. I was fortunate to work with Kevin Moore at UC San Diego in knowledge-based planning for external beam radiotherapy. In the span of two years, I became a proud co-developer of the ORBIT-RT platform, an entirely free, web-based, real-time platform for providing knowledge-based DVH predictions for various organs at risk of several disease sites. Ready now for clinical training, I have once again traversed the continent for residency, and I couldn’t be more excited! I bring with me a partner of 8 years and a 60-lb. Shepherd mix named Taz.

Allison Haertter, MS

Chief Resident

After growing up in Reading, Pennsylvania, I received a BS degree in Applied Physics from West Virginia Wesleyan College. After doing a AAPM funded summer internship at the University of Pennsylvania on DECT, I decided to pursue an MS degree in Medical Physics at the University of Pennsylvania with research focuses on proton FLASH radiotherapy. When I’m not working, you can usually find me on the Schuylkill River Trail running or biking, exploring the great Philadelphia restaurant scene, or playing with my cat. 

Anthony Kassaee, MS

I was born and raised in Downingtown Pennsylvania and attended The Pennsylvania State University for my undergraduate studies receiving a BS in Chemical Engineering (2019). I transitioned to Medical Physics through a series of undergraduate internships at the University of Pennsylvania's Radiation Oncology Department where I was fortunate enough to work with great professors on fascinating clinical research which captured my interest in the field. Following those experiences, I attended graduate school at The University of Pennsylvania and received a Master’s degree in Medical Physics (2021). In my master’s degree, I helped develop and implement Dual-Energy-Computed-Tomography for proton dose calculation into our clinic, as well as help implement Stereotactic-Body-Radiation-Therapy onto the Varian Halcyon. My academic interests stem from my drive for clinical improvement through using new technologies to advance the field further along with being an educator and mentor to those who follow me. In my spare time, I enjoy spending it outside or cheering on Philadelphia sports with friends, family, along with my girlfriend and our two cats.

Priyash Singh, MS

I grew up in northern India in a town called Lucknow. I moved to Mumbai to obtain a dual degree (bachelors & masters) in Engineering Physics from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. I also spent a year in Canada at the University of Toronto as an exchange student. There I got an opportunity to work on a project involving laser physics for detecting cancers which introduced me to the field of medical physics. Very recently, I’ve graduated from the masters in Medical Physics program at the University of Pennsylvania where my thesis involved formulating novel reconstruction algorithms that facilitate real-time 4D tomosynthesis for breast biopsy procedures. I also worked on a research project investigating dose calculating algorithms for Lung SBRT using proton radiation. In my free time, I take comfort in reading books, enjoy sketching and try my best to cook food.

Barbara Garcia, MS

I was born and raised in Westchester County, NY after my family’s emigration from a small rural town in Michoacán, Mexico. I earned my BA in physics and BA in mathematics at Manhattanville College (2020) following an AA in social science at Westchester Community College (2017). During my time at Manhattanville, I completed a SULI internship at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), where I worked on nanoparticle-based hydrodynamic turbulence experiments adjacent to an ongoing magnetorotational instability experiment. My longing to help others using physics and a run-in with health physics at PPPL are what eventually led me to Hofstra University where I earned my MS in medical physics (2022). In my two years of graduate studies, I was deeply involved in Northwell Health’s department of radiation oncology as a medical physics assistant and conducted research on a direct dosimetric comparison of GammaKnife and Linac-based SRS plans for Arteriovenous Malformations. When I am not in the clinic, I love to bake, do word searches, explore Philly’s restaurant scene, and travel the world with my best friends.

Lin Ma, PhD

I grew up in an industrial city one-hour drive south of Beijing (both are well known for stand-up comedy). I obtained a bachelor's degree in physics at Peking University, after which I moved across the Pacific to Dallas and joined the newly-opened graduate program at UTSW. Five years were spent there, concluded by a PhD degree in medical physics and a dissertation about AI applications in treatment planning. When I am off work, you can find my wife and me on the hiking trails and tennis courts in the suburb.

Stewart Mein, PhD

I was born in Princeton, NJ, and grew up near New Hope in Bucks County. I earned my BS degree in bioengineering and electrical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, MS in medical physics from Duke University, and Ph.D. in physics from Heidelberg University. Over the last ten years, I studied and worked abroad in various parts of Germany, e.g., Karlsruhe, Magdeburg, Dresden, and Heidelberg. Most recently, my post-doctoral work occurred at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), University Clinic Heidelberg, and Heidelberg Ion-beam Therapy Center (HIT). My clinical and research interests involve computational and experimental methods in particle therapy using light and heavy ions. Outside the clinic, I enjoy swimming, playing board games, and hanging with my Jack Russell named Rascal.​ 

Julia Pakela, PhD

I was born in northern Indiana and moved to Ann Arbor Michigan when I was 11.  I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan, earning a bachelor’s degree in Physics with minors in Biochemistry and Language, Literature, and Culture of Ancient Rome. I continued my education at UM earning a PhD in Applied Physics, where I investigated the use of stochastic optimization and deep learning algorithms incorporating elements of quantum theory for radiotherapy treatment planning and prediction of patient anatomical changes for adaptive planning. My research interests broadly include the use of computing (including optimization, machine learning, and deep machine learning) to advance radiotherapy treatment as well as the ethical challenges of incorporating artificial intelligence into the radiotherapy workflow. In my free time I enjoy cooking and learning about the history and origins of different cuisines, attending live jazz and classical concerts with my husband, and binging true crime documentaries.

Khayrullo Shoniyozov, PhD

I was born and raised in Surkhandarya, Uzbekistan. After receiving a BSc degree in physics at the National University of Uzbekistan, I continued my graduate studies abroad, first in Trieste, Italy, doing a diploma course in High Energy Particle Physics at the ICTP, then got my MSc in Theoretical Nuclear Physics and PhD in Experimental Nuclear Physics from Ohio University and the University of Kentucky respectively. During my graduate studies at UKY, I performed low energy proton and neutron scattering experiments in the Van de Graff Accelerator Laboratory, and developed GEANT/Monte Carlo simulations for layered Gamma-Neutron Scintillation Detector Design and participated in its production and testing. I worked with multi-institutional COMPTON@MAX-Lab collaborators in MAX-lab Accelerator Laboratory located in Lund, Sweden, performing Elastic Compton Scattering experiments for my PhD dissertation. In 2016, after earning my PhD from UKY, I joined the Radiation Oncology Department at the University of Pennsylvania as a Proton SARRP Radiation Research Facility Manager and assumed Technical Director responsibilities for the Cell and Animal Radiation Core in 2019. Throughout my time at Penn, I have coordinated and helped facilitate radiobiology experiments for ultra-high dose rate proton (FLASH) and photon radiation therapy experiments. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, playing chess and spending time with my family and friends.

Daniel Alexander, PhD

I grew up in southern Rhode Island and moved to Troy, NY to attend Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) where I received a BS and MS, both in physics. While there, my research focused on experimental particle astrophysics, specifically detector technology for dark matter search experiments. I then moved back to New England to complete my PhD in medical physics at Dartmouth, where my dissertation focused on novel applications of Cherenkov emission imaging in radiation therapy as part of a collaboration between the Thayer School of Engineering and the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. During the latter half of my PhD studies, I also had the opportunity to work as a research scientist with DoseOptics LLC, where I worked on the development and commercial deployment of the BeamSite clinical Cherenkov imaging system. My current research interests include optical imaging, in vivo surface dosimetry, and image guided radiation therapy. In my free time, I enjoy playing music, hiking and skiing the northeast, cooking, and playing with my polydactyl cat, Hallux.