Blitzblau, Chino designated FASTRO
Rachel Blitzblau, MD, PhD, and Junzo Chino, MD, were among the 48 members of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) to be named Fellows for 2024. The ASTRO Fellow designation, FASTRO, honors individuals who have contributed to the Society through committee work, other volunteer service and to the field of radiation oncology in the areas of research, education, patient care or leadership.
Dr. Chino was also designated a Fellow of the American Brachytherapy Society (FABS) at the World Congress of Brachytherapy in July. Dr. Chino joins W. Robert Lee, MD, MS, MEd (designated FABS in 2017, the inaugural class), as our Department’s FABS.
Lee awarded U01 for research on severe radiation injury
Chang-Lung Lee, PhD, was awarded a $2.4 million, five-year U01 grant by the NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to support the investigation of lethality from radiation-induced damage to the gastrointestinal (GI) system, also known as GI acute radiation syndrome (GI-ARS). Dr. Lee is the contact PI on the grant, which runs through November 2029; co-PIs on the grant are Jatin Roper, MD, and previous faculty member David Kirsch, MD, PhD.
GI-ARS is a major cause of mortality after radiological disasters, including nuclear accidents or terrorist attacks. However, no FDA-approved medical countermeasures are available to mitigate GI-ARS beyond standard supportive care. “The long-term goal of this project is to develop novel therapies that promote clusterin-mediated regeneration of the small intestines following severe radiation injury,” said Dr. Lee. “We anticipate that our findings will have significant and broad impacts on the rational design of medical countermeasures for mitigating GI-ARS.”
Eyler receives V Foundation grant
Christine Eyler, MD, PhD, has been awarded a V Foundation for Cancer Research “V Scholar Award” grant for her research on deciphering drivers of cell changes in response to rectal cancer radiation. The V Scholar Awards program is part of “A Grant of Her Own: The Women Scientists Innovation Award for Cancer Research” initiative; this year, 15 women scientists were awarded V Foundation grants. Dr. Eyler’s specific grant is meant to invest in early career researchers with cutting-edge ideas; she will receive $600,000 over three years.
Vaios awarded K38 grant
Eugene Vaios, MD, MBA, was awarded a NIH Stimulating Access to Research in Residency Transition Scholar (StARRTS) K38 Career Development grant for his project “Cell-Free DNA Methylation Patterns as a Biomarker for Tumor Biology and Clinical Outcomes for Glioblastoma Patients.” The StARRTS program is intended to provide support for continued research and career development opportunities for clinician-investigators who have completed the Stimulating Access to Research in Residency (StARR) R38 program. Dr. Vaios will receive $200,000 over the next two years. His mentors at Duke include Scott Floyd, MD, PhD; Kyle Walsh, PhD; and Mustafa Khasraw, MD. Dr. Vaios also received a 2024 DCI Pilot Award and a 2025 American Cancer Society Award to fund scientifically complimentary aims.
Hendrickson awarded Strong Start funding
Congratulations to Pete Hendrickson, MD, PhD, who is one of five faculty members from the Duke University School of Medicine to receive a 2025 Physician-Scientist Strong Start award. Dr. Hendrickson will receive $120,000 annually for three years.
“My research focuses on a sarcoma subtype driven by a novel gene fusion called CIC::DUX4 sarcoma,” said Dr. Hendrickson. “This award will support efforts to develop genetically engineered mouse models of this rare cancer and to characterize novel tumor-specific genetic vulnerabilities that leverage oncogenic hyperactivation. Ultimately, these initiatives will uncover new targets for precision therapy in pediatric sarcoma and provide a platform for rapid and effective clinical translation.”
Floyd Lab receives $100,000 grant
Ian’s Friends Foundation (IFF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding novel pediatric brain tumor research. In September 2024, IFF held the 2024 WhatIFF Symposium, which featured doctors, clinicians and researchers from leading institutions around the globe, including Scott Floyd, MD, PhD, and lab members. In a Shark Tank–style event, participants pitched ideas for advancing pediatric brain cancer treatment. The top three projects received a grant of up to $100,000 each. Dr. Floyd and his lab were selected as winners; “the presentation yielded great promise with FLASH radiation and its capacity to deliver high doses of radiation while sparing healthy tissue, thereby increasing the potential for enhanced therapy and laying the groundwork for the delivery of combinational therapies.”
Vaios, Floyd, Reitman to collaborate on pilot study
In 2022, Eugene Vaios, MD, MBA; Scott Floyd, MD, PhD; and Zach Reitman, MD, PhD, opened a biorepository trial to collect plasma samples from patients with primary and metastatic brain tumors receiving radiation therapy. The aim was to use these samples to identify liquid biomarkers that correlate with tumor biology, treatment response and clinical outcomes. After months of discussions, Duke Radiation Oncology entered a partnership with Caris Life Sciences, which will support a pilot study using the collected plasma samples to explore the potential of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) as a non-invasive biomarker for patients with glioblastoma.
“We hypothesize that ctDNA levels in plasma will correlate with tumor burden on MRI, and that changes in ctDNA during radiation therapy may reflect treatment response and predict clinical outcomes, such as progression-free survival,” said Dr. Vaios.
Caris will use their FDA-approved assay to detect ctDNA levels in the blood, which may help distinguish recurrent tumor versus inflammatory changes; the goal of the project is to develop a non-invasive liquid biopsy surveillance platform for patients with brain tumors. Eventually, the data may pave the way for future clinical trials to validate these findings and potentially expand the application of this research to other primary brain tumors and patients with brain metastases.
Radiation therapy physics residency program CAMPEP reaccredited
The accreditation of Duke’s radiation therapy physics residency training program has been renewed by the Board of Directors of the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Programs (CAMPEP) through 2028. The program was initially accredited in 2009 and this is the third renewal. We extend our appreciation to program co-directors Yongbok Kim, PhD, and Anna Rodrigues, PhD.
Oldham reappointed director of MPGP
Mark Oldham, PhD, has been reappointed as director of the Medical Physics Graduate Program (MPGP). Dr. Oldham has been actively involved in teaching within the MPGP for more than 15 years.