Radiation Oncology

Research and Publications

Research Opportunities:

Residents have ample opportunities to participate in clinical research in areas directly related to patient safety, quality, and innovative treatment techniques.

Recent Resident Achievements and Awards:

AAPM-SCC 2025 Norm Bailey Award 2nd Place - Dishane Luximon

AAPM 2025 ICAMP Fellowship - Dishane Luximon

AAPM 2025 SCAMP Fellowship - Huiming Dong

ASTRO 2025 Annual Meeting Abstract Award - Huiming Dong

AAPM-SCC 2024 Norm Bailey Award 1st Place - Huiming Dong

AAPM-SCC 2024 Norm Bailey Award 2nd Place - Jonathan Pham

RSNA 2023 Annual Meeting Trainee Research Award - Huiming Dong

ProKnow 2023 MRIdian Spine SBRT Plan Challenge Top Honors - Qihui Lyu and Lauren Smith

Additional past awards include AAPM Research Seed Funding Grant, UCLA Johnsson CCC Research Grant, Varian Research Grant, AAPM Early-Career Investigator Award, AAPM Annual Meeting SAM presentations and Session Moderators, and invitations to speak at local AAPM chapter meetings.

Resident Research Publications:

UCLA residents publish at higher rates than the national average. Recent publication statistics show an average of 2 first-author and more than 5 co-author articles, as well as 4 first-author and more than 5 co-author abstracts per resident.

2025

  1. Lauria, Michael; et al. A Retrospective Analysis of the First Clinical 5DCT Workflow. Cancers, 2025, 17(3), 531. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17030531 
  2. Dong, Huiming; Pham, Jonathan; Lauria, Michael; et al. MR-Guided Radiation Therapy for Prostate and Pancreas Cancer Treatment: A Dosimetric Study Across Two Major MR-Linac Platforms. Cancers, 2025, 17(16), 2708. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17162708

2024

  1. Wu, T; Smith, Lauren; et al. Exploring the Advantages and Challenges of MR-Guided Radiotherapy in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Who are the Optimal Candidates?. Seminars in Radiation Oncology, 2024, 34(1), 56-63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semradonc.2023.10.007
  2. Lauria, Michael; et al; Motion compensated cone-beam CT reconstruction using an a priori motion model from CT simulation: a pilot study. Physics in Medicine & Biology, 2024, 69, 075022. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6560/ad311b

2023

  1. Morris, Eric; O'Connell, Dylan; Gao, Yu; Cao, Minsong. MR Safety Considerations for MRI-guided Radiotherapy. Chapter 5, Advances in Magnetic Resonance Technology and Applications, 2023, Volume 8, pages 81-100. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-91689-9.00005-4
  2. Morris, Eric, et al. ASSET: Auto-Segmentation of the Seventeen Segments for Ventricular Techycardia Ablation in Radiation Therapy. Cancers, 2023, 15(16), 4062. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15164062
  3. Nikitas, J; Smith, Lauren, et al; The role of adaptive planning in margin-reduced, MRI-guided stereotactic body radiotherapy to the prostate bed following radical prostatectomy: Post-hoc analysis of a phase II clinical trial. Radiotherapy and Oncology, 2023, Volume 183, 109631. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radonc.2023.109631
  4. Pham, Jonathan; et al. Dosimetric predictors for genitourinary toxicity in MR-guided stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT): Substructure with fraction-wise analysis. Medical Physics, 2023, Vol 51, 612-621. https://doi.org/10.1002/mp.16878

2022

  1. Woods, Kaley, et al. A Prospective Phase II Study of Automated Non-Coplanar VMAT for Recurrent Head and Neck Cancer: Initial Report of Feasibility, Safety, and Patient-Reported Outcomes. Cancers, 2022, 14(4), 939. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14040939
  2. Savjani, R; Lauria, Michael; et al. Automated Tumor Segmentation in Radiotherapy. Seminars in Radiation Oncology, 2022, 32(4), 319-329. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semradonc.2022.06.002
  3. Gao, Yu; Pham, Jonathan, et al; Recent Advances in Functional MRI to Predict Treatment Response for Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer. Current Colorectal Cancer Reports, 2022, Vol 17, 77-87. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11888-021-00470-x
  4. Pham, Jonathan; et al. Dosimetric effects of Air Cavities for MRI_Guided Online Adaptive Radiation Therapy (MRgART) of Prostate Bed after Radical Prostatectomy. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2022, 11(2), 364. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm11020364

2021

  1. Lauria, M.; Navaratna, R.; O’Connell, D.; Santhanam, A.; Lee, P.; Low, D. A. Technical Note: Investigating Internal-External Motion Correlation Using Fast Helical CT. Med. Phys. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1002/mp.14759.
  2. Gao, Y.; Yoon, S.; Savjani, R.; Pham, J.; Kalbasi, A.; Raldow, A.; Low, D. A.; Hu, P.; Yang, Y. Comparison and Evaluation of Distortion Correction Techniques on an MR-Guided Radiotherapy System. Med. Phys. 2021, 48 (2), 691–702. https://doi.org/10.1002/mp.14634.
  3. Gao, Y.; Lotey, R.; Low, D. A.; Hu, P.; Yang, Y. Technical Note: Validation of an Automatic ACR Phantom Quality Assurance Tool for an MR-Guided Radiotherapy System. Med. Phys. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1002/mp.14766.
  4. Liu, X.; Emami, H.; Nejad-Davarani, S. P.; Morris, E.; Schultz, L.; Dong, M.; K Glide-Hurst, C. Performance of Deep Learning Synthetic CTs for MR-Only Brain Radiation Therapy. J. Appl. Clin. Med. Phys. 2021, 22 (1), 308–317. https://doi.org/10.1002/acm2.13139.
  5. Woods, Kaley, et al. Automated Non-Coplanar VMAT for Dose Escalation in Recurrent Head and Neck Cancer Patients. Cancers, 2021, 13(8), 1910. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers13081910.  

2020

  1. Stiehl, B.; Lauria, M.; O’Connell, D.; Hasse, K.; Barjaktarevic, I. Z.; Lee, P.; Low, D. A.; Santhanam, A. P. A Quantitative Analysis of Biomechanical Lung Model Consistency Using 5DCT Datasets. Med. Phys. 2020, 47 (11), 5555–5567. https://doi.org/10.1002/mp.14323.
  2. Shang, D.; Gu, W.; Landers, A.; Woods, K.; Yu, V.; Neph, R.; Tenn, S.; Sheng, K. Technical Note: Robust Individual Thermoluminescence Dosimeter Tracking Using Optical Fingerprinting. Med. Phys. 2020, 47 (1), 267–271. https://doi.org/10.1002/mp.13895.
  3. Lyu, Q.; Neph, R.; Yu, V. Y.; Ruan, D.; Boucher, S.; Sheng, K. Many-Isocenter Optimization for Robotic Radiotherapy. Phys. Med. Biol. 2020, 65 (4), 045003. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6560/ab63b8.
  4. Morris, E. D.; Aldridge, K.; Ghanem, A. I.; Zhu, S.; Glide-Hurst, C. K. Incorporating Sensitive Cardiac Substructure Sparing into Radiation Therapy Planning. J. Appl. Clin. Med. Phys. 2020, 21 (11), 195–204. https://doi.org/10.1002/acm2.13037
  5. Hu, Q.; Yu, V. Y.; Yang, Y.; Hu, P.; Sheng, K.; Lee, P. P.; Kishan, A. U.; Raldow, A. C.; O’Connell, D. P.; Woods, K. E.; Cao, M. Practical Safety Considerations for Integration of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Radiation Therapy. Pract. Radiat. Oncol. 2020, 10 (6), 443–453. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prro.2020.07.008.
  6. Hasse, K.; Hsieh, S. S.; O’Connell, D.; Stiehl, B.; Min, Y.; Neylon, J.; Low, D. A.; Santhanam, A. P. Systematic Feasibility Analysis of Performing Elastography Using Reduced Dose CT Lung Image Pairs. Med. Phys. 2020, 47 (8), 3369–3375. https://doi.org/10.1002/mp.14112.
  7. Fu, J.; Singhrao, K.; Cao, M.; Yu, V.; Santhanam, A. P.; Yang, Y.; Guo, M.; Raldow, A. C.; Ruan, D.; Lewis, J. H. Generation of Abdominal Synthetic CTs from 0.35T MR Images Using Generative Adversarial Networks for MR-Only Liver Radiotherapy. Biomed. Phys. Eng. Express 2020, 6 (1), 015033. https://doi.org/10.1088/2057-1976/ab6e1f.
  8. Cao, M.; Stiehl, B.; Yu, V. Y.; Sheng, K.; Kishan, A. U.; Chin, R. K.; Yang, Y.; Ruan, D. Analysis of Geometric Performance and Dosimetric Impact of Using Automatic Contour Segmentation for Radiotherapy Planning. Front. Oncol. 2020, 10, 1762. https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2020.01762.

2019

  1. Woods, K.; Nguyen, D.; Neph, R.; Ruan, D.; O’Connor, D.; Sheng, K. A Sparse Orthogonal Collimator for Small Animal Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy Part I: Planning System Development and Commissioning. Med. Phys. 2019, 46 (12), 5703–5713. https://doi.org/10.1002/mp.13872.
  2. Woods, K.; Neph, R.; Nguyen, D.; Sheng, K. A Sparse Orthogonal Collimator for Small Animal Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy. Part II: Hardware Development and Commissioning. Med. Phys. 2019, 46 (12), 5733–5747. https://doi.org/10.1002/mp.13870.
  3. Qi, X. S.; Yang, L.; Lee, P.; O’Connell, D.; Chu, F.-I.; Steinberg, M. L.; Low, D. A. Fast, Low-Dose Megavoltage-Topogram Localization on TomoTherapy: Initial Clinical Experience With Mesothelioma Patients. Pract. Radiat. Oncol. 2019, 9 (5), 373–380. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prro.2019.05.003.
  4. O’Connell, D.; Thomas, D. H.; Lewis, J. H.; Hasse, K.; Santhanam, A.; Lamb, J. M.; Cao, M.; Tenn, S.; Agazaryan, N.; Lee, P. P.; Low, D. A. Safety-Oriented Design of in-House Software for New Techniques: A Case Study Using a Model-Based 4DCT Protocol. Med. Phys. 2019, 46 (4), 1523–1532. https://doi.org/10.1002/mp.13386.
  5. Lyu, Q.; Neph, R.; Yu, V. Y.; Ruan, D.; Sheng, K. Single-Arc VMAT Optimization for Dual-Layer MLC. Phys. Med. Biol. 2019, 64 (9), 095028. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6560/ab0ddd.
  6. Hasse, K.; Neylon, J.; Min, Y.; O’Connell, D.; Lee, P.; Low, D. A.; Santhanam, A. P. Feasibility of Deriving a Novel Imaging Biomarker Based on Patient-Specific Lung Elasticity for Characterizing the Degree of COPD in Lung SBRT Patients. Br. J. Radiol. 2019, 92 (1094), 20180296. https://doi.org/10.1259/bjr.20180296.
  7. Guo, M.; Chee, G.; O’Connell, D.; Dhou, S.; Fu, J.; Singhrao, K.; Ionascu, D.; Ruan, D.; Lee, P.; Low, D. A.; Zhao, J.; Lewis, J. H. Reconstruction of a High-Quality Volumetric Image and a Respiratory Motion Model from Patient CBCT Projections. Med. Phys. 2019, 46 (8), 3627–3639. https://doi.org/10.1002/mp.13595.

2018

  1. Yu, V. Y.; Landers, A.; Woods, K.; Nguyen, D.; Cao, M.; Du, D.; Chin, R. K.; Sheng, K.; Kaprealian, T. B. A Prospective 4π Radiation Therapy Clinical Study in Recurrent High-Grade Glioma Patients. Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. 2018, 101 (1), 144–151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrobp.2018.01.048.
  2. Thomas, D. H.; Tan, J.; Neylon, J.; Dou, T.; O’Connell, D.; McNitt-Gray, M.; Lee, P.; Lamb, J.; Low, D. A. Investigating the Minimum Scan Parameters Required to Generate Free-Breathing Motion Artefact-Free Fast-Helical CT. Br. J. Radiol. 2018, 91 (1082), 20170597. https://doi.org/10.1259/bjr.20170597.
  3. O’Connor, D.; Yu, V.; Nguyen, D.; Ruan, D.; Sheng, K. Fraction-Variant Beam Orientation Optimization for Non-Coplanar IMRT. Phys. Med. Biol. 2018, 63 (4), 045015. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6560/aaa94f.
  4. Lyu, Q.; Yu, V. Y.; Ruan, D.; Neph, R.; O’Connor, D.; Sheng, K. A Novel Optimization Framework for VMAT with Dynamic Gantry Couch Rotation. Phys. Med. Biol. 2018, 63 (12), 125013. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6560/aac704.
  5. Lyu, Q.; O’Connor, D.; Ruan, D.; Yu, V.; Nguyen, D.; Sheng, K. VMAT Optimization with Dynamic Collimator Rotation. Med. Phys. 2018, 45 (6), 2399–2410. https://doi.org/10.1002/mp.12915.
  6. Hegde, J. V.; Cao, M.; Yu, V. Y.; Kishan, A. U.; Shaverdian, N.; Lamb, J.; Steinberg, M. L. Magnetic Resonance Imaging Guidance Mitigates the Effects of Intrafraction Prostate Motion During Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer. Cureus 2018, 10 (4), e2442. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.2442.
  7. Han, F.; Zhou, Z.; Du, D.; Gao, Y.; Rashid, S.; Cao, M.; Shaverdian, N.; Hegde, J. V.; Steinberg, M.; Lee, P.; Raldow, A.; Low, D. A.; Sheng, K.; Yang, Y.; Hu, P. Respiratory Motion-Resolved, Self-Gated 4D-MRI Using Rotating Cartesian K-Space (ROCK): Initial Clinical Experience on an MRI-Guided Radiotherapy System. Radiother. Oncol. J. Eur. Soc. Ther. Radiol. Oncol. 2018, 127 (3), 467–473. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radonc.2018.04.029.
  8. Gu, W.; O’Connor, D.; Nguyen, D.; Yu, V. Y.; Ruan, D.; Dong, L.; Sheng, K. Integrated Beam Orientation and Scanning-Spot Optimization in Intensity-Modulated Proton Therapy for Brain and Unilateral Head and Neck Tumors. Med. Phys. 2018, 45 (4), 1338–1350. https://doi.org/10.1002/mp.12788.
  9. Ginn, J. S.; O’Connell, D.; Thomas, D. H.; Low, D. A.; Lamb, J. M. Model-Interpolated Gating for Magnetic Resonance Image-Guided Radiation Therapy. Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. 2018, 102 (4), 885–894. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrobp.2018.05.012.

2017

  1. Tran, A.; Zhang, J.; Woods, K.; Yu, V.; Nguyen, D.; Gustafson, G.; Rosen, L.; Sheng, K. Treatment Planning Comparison of IMPT, VMAT and 4π Radiotherapy for Prostate Cases. Radiat. Oncol. Lond. Engl. 2017, 12 (1), 10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13014-016-0761-0.
  2. Tran, A.; Woods, K.; Nguyen, D.; Yu, V. Y.; Niu, T.; Cao, M.; Lee, P.; Sheng, K. Predicting Liver SBRT Eligibility and Plan Quality for VMAT and 4π Plans. Radiat. Oncol. Lond. Engl. 2017, 12 (1), 70. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13014-017-0806-z.
  3. Neylon, J.; Min, Y.; Low, D. A.; Santhanam, A. A Neural Network Approach for Fast, Automated Quantification of DIR Performance. Med. Phys. 2017, 44 (8), 4126–4138. https://doi.org/10.1002/mp.12321.
  4. Neylon, J.; Min, Y.; Kupelian, P.; Low, D. A.; Santhanam, A. Analytical Modeling and Feasibility Study of a Multi-GPU Cloud-Based Server (MGCS) Framework for Non-Voxel-Based Dose Calculations. Int. J. Comput. Assist. Radiol. Surg. 2017, 12 (4), 669–680. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11548-016-1473-5.
  5. Gao, Y.; Han, F.; Zhou, Z.; Cao, M.; Kaprealian, T.; Kamrava, M.; Wang, C.; Neylon, J.; Low, D. A.; Yang, Y.; Hu, P. Distortion-Free Diffusion MRI Using an MRI-Guided Tri-Cobalt 60 Radiotherapy System: Sequence Verification and Preliminary Clinical Experience. Med. Phys. 2017, 44 (10), 5357–5366. https://doi.org/10.1002/mp.12465.