Past Preceptors

Faculty who have hosted students in the past.

Stephen Tuttle, PhD:

Photo of Stephen Tuttle with studentsPhoto of Stephen Tuttle having coffeeDr. 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:

Photo of Sydney Evans with studentsDr. 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:

Photo of Andy Minn with studentsDr. 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:

Photo of Cameron Koch with studentsDr. 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.

2021 Students
Supers 2021

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:

Photo of Keith Cengel
Dr. Cengel and students

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