The residents in the Harvard Medical Physics Residency Program have received multiple awards in 2023 from the AAPM, ABS, and ASTRO. Over the years, the HMPRP residents have received the prestigious AAPM Science Council Associates Mentorship Program (SCAMP) fellowships. The award covers most of the travel costs for two AAPM annual meetings and matches each fellow with a senior Medical Physics leader to mentor the fellows for a research project and attend AAPM committee meetings. This year Dr. Stephanie Bennett, Ph.D. received one of the eight fellowships awarded in 2023. Dr. Bennett also won an ASTRO Annual Meeting Basic Transitional Award in the Physics category. The ASTRO award includes a stipend and registration for the ASTRO Annual meeting in San Diego in October.
For the second year in a row, a resident of our program has won a highly competitive AAPM Seed Grant. Dr. Stella Xing, Ph.D. received the award to continue her work with theranostic nanoparticles in brain metastases. The award provides $25000 funding for young investigators and Dr. Xing will use the funds as she begins her career at MSKCC this summer. Dr. Xing also received the AAPM Best Medical Travel Grant to support her travel expenses to the 2023 AAPM Annual Meeting. Thirdly, Dr. Xing is a finalist for the 2023 AAPM John Cameron Early Career Award which will be determined at a special session during the AAPM Annual Meeting in July.
Dr. Rachael Hachadorian Ph.D. has received the 2023 AAPM Jack Fowler Young Investigator Award for her analysis of voxel based dose-rate proton therapy PBS treatment planning evaluation. She will receive the award the AAPM 2023 Annual Meeting.
Dr. Casey Lee, Ph.D. has received a travel grant from the American Brachytherapy Society to attend the upcoming 2023 ABS annual meeting in Vancouver.
Finally, Dr. Arith Rajapakse, Ph.D. is a finalist for the Best in Physics award at the 2023 AAPM Annual Meeting. Similar to the John Cameron award, there will be a special Best in Physics session at the AAPM meeting in July where all of the Best in Physics finalists will present their work before a panel of judges. We look forward to the AAPM Annual Meeting to see if Dr. Rajapakse and Dr. Xing will receive the competitive awards.
