Past Preceptors
Faculty who have hosted students in the past.
Stephen Tuttle, PhD:
Dr. Tuttle was a member of the Radiobiology Division of the Department of Radiation Oncology at PENN for over 25 years. His research interests included the role of the bioenergetics and metabolomics in the cellular response to ionizing radiation and radiomimetic chemotherapeutics. He was the first to demonstrate that the oxidative pentose phosphate cycle is a key regulator of apoptosis in response to ionizing radiation as well as other forms of oxidative stress. Dr. Tuttle was the SUPERS program director for 9 years.
Former SUPERS Students: Sarah Porter, Richmond, 2010, 2011; Charanya Kaushik, W & J College, 2011, 2012; Julianne Davis, Rutgers, 2013, 2014
Sydney Evans, VMD, MS:
Dr. Evans was the originator of the SUPERS program and the PI on the grant. Dr. Evans now holds Emeritus status.
Former SUPERS Students: Nikesh Shah, U Miami, 2010; Mailene King, Norfolk State, 2011; Ugocinye Ezidegwu, Rutgers, 2011; Victoria MacPherson, RIT, 2012; Carly Garrison, Lehigh, 2012; Madison Rosen, Bryn Mawr, 2013, 2014; Romsin McQuade, Temple, 2015 & 2016; Samantha Weiss, Rowan University, 2017
Gary Kao, MD, PhD:
Dr. Kao is an Associate Professor in the department of Radiation Oncology.
Former SUPERS Students: Daniel Erkes, Skidmore, 2010; Caitlyn Reihl, Washington College, 2011; Keshav Magalick, UPenn, 2014; Gabriela Fenollal, UPR Rio Padres, 2015; Demond Williams, Morehouse, 2015; Sophia Williams-Perez, Wartburg, 2016; Bruna Bittencourt, UFCSPA, 2016; Amberly Mendes, Suffolk University, 2017; Sankirth Madabhushi, Brandies Univ., 2018; William Hasken, Wartburg College, 2019
Andy Minn, MD, PhD:
Dr. Minn is a Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology. Dr. Minn is the director of The Mark Foundation Center for Immunotherapy, Immune Signaling, and Radiation at UPenn.
Former SUPERS Students: Titas Banerjee, Carnegie Mellon, 2011, 2012; Isabel Janmey, McGill Univ., 2012; Brianne Wiemann, Weselyan (CT), 2013; Brian Kim, UPenn, 2015, 2016; Zooe D'Costa, Cornell, 2017; Doug Shea, Brown, 2017
Stephen Avery, PhD:
Dr. Avery is a Professor in the Physics Division of the Department of Radiation Oncology. Dr. Avery is involved with PSOM's Center for Global Health in the development of a USA/Africa Radiation Oncology Core.
Former SUPERS Student: Samantha Mikaiel, U Miami 2012
Alejandro Carabe-Fernandez, PhD, MIPEM:
Dr. Carabe was an Assistant Professor in the Physics Division of Radiation Oncology.
Former SUPERS Students: Mark Kondrala, Drexel, 2012; Chris Wang, UPenn, 2013
Christos Davatzikos, PhD:
Dr. Davatzikos is a Professor in the Department of Radiology.
Former SUPERS Student: Vadim Pigrish, Loyola Marymount (CA)2013
Ann R. Kennedy, DSc:
Dr. Kennedy is a Professor Emeritus of Radiation Oncology.
Former SUPERS Students: Gabriella James, Washington College, 2011, 2012; Jennifer Shah, Lehigh, 2013, 2014
Amit Maity, MD, PhD:
Dr. Maity was a Professor and physician-scientist in the Department of Radiation Oncology.
Former SUPERS Students: Michael Verano, Rutgers, 2010; James Ruggero, Rutgers, 2011
Harish Poptani, PhD:
Dr. Poptani was an Associate Professor with a joint appointment in the Departments of Radiology and Radiation Oncology.
Former SUPERS Student: Muhammed Wasil-Wahi, Penn State, 2013
Cameron Koch, PhD:
Dr. Koch is a Professor Emeritus of Radiation Oncology.
Former SUPERS Students: James Weltz, Carnegie Mellon, 2011; Caitlyn Reihl, Washington College, 2012; David O'connell, Brown, 2014; Romsin McQuade, Temple, 2015, 2016
Arjun Yodh, PhD:
Dr. Yodh is a Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Penn.
Former SUPERS Student: Nathaniel Thorne, U. Sciences of Philadelphia, 2011
Ann Marie Chacko, PhD:
Ann-Marie Chacko was a Research Associate in Penn Radiology.
Former SUPERS Students: Aaron Hemphill, II, Moorehouse, 2014; Edward Xiao, Princeton, 2014
Robert H. Mach, PhD:
Dr. Mach is the Britton Chance Professor of Radiology
Former SUPERS Student: Estifanos Tilahun, University of MD, 2014
Jarod C. Finlay, PhD:
Dr. Jarod Finlay began his career at the University of Pennsylvania in 2003. He was a faculty member in the Department of Radiation Oncology and the Director of the Master of Medical Physics program.
Former SUPERS Students: Emily Kraus, Syracuse, 2014, Megan Fitzgerald, Alfred College, 2016
Nduka M. Amankulor, MD:
Dr. Amankulor serves as Chief of Neurosurgical Oncology and Director of the Penn Brain Tumor Center.
Former SUPERS Student: Amitha Halthore, Univ. of Pittsburgh, 2022
Jennifer Wei Zou, PhD:
Dr. Zou is an Associate Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology, Physics Division.
Former SUPERS Student: Yuhan Liu, Univ. of Illinois at U-C, 2022
Sean D. Carlin, PhD:
Dr. Carlin was a Research Associate Professor of Radiology
Former SUPERS Students: Carina Easton, CO State Univ, 2021
Andrew Maidment, PhD, FAAPM:
Dr. Maidment is an Associate Professor of Radiology. He is the director of the X-ray Physics Research Lab at Penn Radiology.
Former SUPERS Students: Jeongin Choi, Penn State, 2017; Jeff Eben, Case Western Reserve University, 2017; Brianna Lepore, Bucknell Univ., 2018; Brian-Tinh Vu, Univ. of Houston, 2019; Khushi Kadakia, Rutgers, 2021; Zaha Shahdad, Delaware State Univ., 2022
Andrea Facciabene, PhD:
Dr. Facciabene is a Research Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology.
Former SUPERS Students: Bruna Bittencourt, UFCSPA, 2017; Isabella Amaniera, Juniata College, 2018; Eniola Otukoya, Texas Southern, 2018, 2019; Isaac Diaz Becdach, Univ. South Florida, 2021; Paolo Elguera, NJIT, 2022
Despina Kontos, PhD:
Dr. Kontos was an Associate Professor in the Department of Radiology and the Director of the Computational Breast Imaging Group.
Former SUPERS Students: Ruvini Navaratna, Carnegie Mellon, 2018; Gillian Spayd, Ursinus, 2021; Lauren Davidson, UPenn, 2022; Aidan Seguin, Boston College, 2023
Keith Cengel, MD, PhD:
Dr. Cengel is a Professor and a clinician-scientist in the department of Radiation Oncology. Dr. Cengel has a number of interests including, the role of epidermal growth factor receptor signaling in the cancer cell response to radiation therapy and/or PDT, mechanism(s) by which natural anti-oxidants such as Flaxseed or Curcumin can protect normal tissues while radiosensitizing cancer cells, and the impact of proton and particle beam radiation normal cells/tissues in animal models, this final project deals with modeling the types of damage that might result during interplanetary space flight.
Former SUPERS Students: Lumena Louis, Brooklyn College, 2010; Kiersten Frenchu, Cornell, 2011, 2012; Maximillian Schaettler, Illinois, 2013, 2014; Taylor Randell, Gettysburg, 2015; Jose Mendoza-Sierra, UPR Rio Padres, 2016; Cassidy Neider, Florida State, 2017; Cayetana Lazcano Etchebarne, Univ. of PR, 2018, 2019; Jacinta Arnold, UPenn, 2021, 2022
Tim Zhu, PhD:
Dr. Zhu is a Professor in the physics division of the department of Radiation Oncology. His lab is centered in three broad areas: photodynamic therapy physics, radiation therapy physics, and image-guided treatment intervention. Within photodynamic therapy physics, his work emphasizes determination of explicit PDT dosimetry, including modeling of light, optical properties, photosensitizer concentration, tissue oxygenation, and singlet oxygen generation.
Former SUPERS Students: Jacky Leone, St. Johns, 2010; Michael Goodwin, St. Josephs, 2011; Dayton McMillan, Colorado State U., 2012, 2013; Dallin Francom, BYU, 2016; Shweta Majumder, Brown, 2019; Mario Gallardo, College of NJ, 2021; Dvij Sharma, Davidson College, 2022; Faith Cherop, Michigan State, 2023
Derek Dolney, PhD:
Dr. Dolney was a Medical Physicist in the Department of Radiation Oncology. His research centered around novel particle detector technology such as Micromegas for proton therapy applications including proton radiography.
Former SUPERS Student: Evan Meekins, James Madison, 2015
Charles B. Simone, MD:
Dr. Simone was co-director of the Penn Mesothelioma and Pleural Program at the University of Pennsylvania Health System. He was also Associate Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the Thoracic Oncology Service Chief for the University of Pennsylvania Health System.
Former SUPERS Student: Fadil Ali, Penn State, 2015
Shannon O'Reilly, PhD:
Dr. O'Reilly was an Assistant Professor of Clinical Radiation Oncology and the Faculty Director of the Medical Physics Graduate Programs. Her research interests include 4DCT ventilation, Monte Carlo dosimetry, and reducing radiation-induced toxicities. Her clinical responsibilities included proton and photon radiotherapy, quality assurance, and HDR brachytherapy.
Former SUPERS Students: Taylor Johnson, Univ. of Notre Dame, 2019; Hannah McFarland, Brown, 2021; Stephanie Robles, TX Southern Univ., 2022; Shereen Aissi, UC Berkley, 2023; Michaela Schulman, GWU, 2024
Rodney D. Wiersma, PhD:
Dr. Wiersma was a Research Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology, and the Director of Research Physics Division. The Wiersma lab is primarily interested in finding solutions to problems in the field of radiation therapy. The main areas of investigation are in the use of robotics for patient positioning, hybrid MV+kV inverse optimization algorithms for image guided radiation therapy planning, and real-time organ motion tracking using combined MV+kV imaging.
Former SUPERS Students: Purity Bundi, Carthage, 2021; Ethan Cramer, Davidson College, 2022; Alanice Agostso-Reyes, UPR, 2023; Samuel Khumbula, Keene State, 2024