Meet the New RTOGF Communications Interns
September 18, 2024
RTOG Foundation (RTOGF) recently selected two communications interns to help RTOGF create social media content around RTOGF clinical trials. This will be the second year RTOGF will continue their communications internship program. The internship is a 12-month position starting July 1, 2024 and will allow each intern a way to get more involved with the RTOGF organization and cancer research. Interns will be also attending virtual meetings with the RTOGF Communications Committee, attending RTOGF Board Meetings, and have the opportunity to attend an RTOGF Investigators Meeting as well as the NRG Oncology Meetings.
Stephanie Dudzinski, MD, PhD
Dr. Dudzinski is a PGY-4 radiation oncology resident at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC). She also currently serves as the MDACC Radiation Oncology Residency Program Curriculum Chair and the center’s Medical Student Rotation Coordinator. Previously, Dr. Dudzinski served as the Communications Chair for the American College of Radiation Oncology (ACRO) Resident Committee, managing social media accounts, creating webinars, and working alongside the American Medical Association and Association of American Medical Colleges to update their radiation oncology specialty descriptions. This year she is serving as the Scientific Program Committee Chair on the ACRO Resident Committee. As an aspiring physician scientist who hopes that her research will one day translate to patient care via clinical trials, she is the first woman to complete the American Board of Radiology Holman Research Pathway at MDACC. Her research focuses on how radiation influences the immune microenvironment, particularly macrophage function, and she aims to increase tumor responses and/or reduce radiation-induced side effects through macrophage-targeted therapies. Her research exploring is supported by a Translational Research Institute for Space Health Postdoctoral Scholarship and RSNA Resident Research Grants. Additionally, she is interested in medical education and one of her personal goals is increasing education and understanding of radiation oncology for patients and providers in other specialties.
Parisa Shamsesfandabadi, MD
Dr. Parisa Shamsesfandabadi is a PGY-5 radiation oncology resident at Allegheny Health Network in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Throughout her residency, she has been deeply involved in research, particularly in the innovative field of MR Linac radiation therapy. As a PGY-3, she was awarded her first grant for a novel project on preoperative MR Linac-based adaptive SBRT for resectable soft tissue sarcoma. Recently, she submitted another grant proposal for MR Linac-guided stereotactic radiosurgery to the celiac ganglion for pain control in metastatic pancreatic cancer patients. Her clinical focus spans breast cancer, gynecologic brachytherapy, thoracic, and gastrointestinal malignancies. Additionally, Dr. Shamsesfandabadi has served as an Editorial Assistant with the eContour team, a Mednet Fellow, and a participant in the Red Journal Resident Peer Review Training Program. She was selected twice as an NRG Oncology Social Media Ambassador, promoting key updates during their semiannual meetings.
RTOGF is envigored by the vast experiences these two residents can provide to our organization and looks forward to these candidates’ contributions!
We also want to extend our sincere gratitude to our first class of interns, Dr. Danielle Cerbon and Dr. Rituraj Upadhyay for their immeasurable efforts and contributions to the group.