ARLINGTON, Va., August 2, 2017 -- The American Society for Radiation Oncology has selected 23 distinguished members to receive the ASTRO Fellow designation. The 2017 class of Fellows will be recognized during the Awards Ceremony at ASTRO's 59th Annual Meeting, to be held September 24-27 in San Diego.
The Fellows Program, started in 2006, honors those that have been an Active, Emeritus or International member of ASTRO for at least 15 years, have given the equivalent of 10 years of service to ASTRO and have made significant contributions to the field of radiation oncology in the areas of research, education, patient care or service and leadership. Including the 2017 class of Fellows, 292 of ASTRO's more than 10,000 members worldwide have received the FASTRO designation.
"The impact that this group of dedicated individuals has had on the field of radiation oncology is immense," says ASTRO Chair David C. Beyer, MD, FASTRO. "On behalf of ASTRO, I commend and thank these 23 outstanding physicians and medical physicists for their far-reaching contributions over the years--through research and patient care--to our specialty and the fight against cancer."
Candidates must be nominated by a current ASTRO Fellow, accompanied by three letters of support from a selected subset of ASTRO members. A committee reviews all nominations and presents a slate to ASTRO's Board of Directors for approval.
The 2017 Fellows are:
ASTRO's 59th Annual Meeting, the nation's premier scientific meeting in radiation oncology, will be held September 24-27 at the San Diego Convention Center. The 2017 Annual Meeting is expected to attract more than 11,000 attendees from across the globe, including oncologists from all disciplines and members of the entire radiation oncology team.
Led by ASTRO President Brian D. Kavanagh, MD, FASTRO, the 2017 meeting's theme is "The Healing Art and Science of Radiation Oncology," and it will feature keynote addresses from Richard D. Zane, MD, chief innovation officer for the UCHealth System; Lucy Kalanithi, MD, the widow of Paul Kalanithi, MD, who wrote the bestselling memoir, "When Breath Becomes Air," and Heather Wakelee, MD, Dr. Paul Kalanithi's oncologist; and Vinay K. Prasad, MD, MPH, a hematologist-oncologist who co-wrote the book, "Ending Medical Reversal: Improving Outcomes, Saving Lives."
The Presidential Symposium is in three parts: "The Scientific State of the Art," "the Art of Quality" and "The Quality of Mercy." These sessions will focus on cutting-edge science, measuring quality in radiation oncology and quality of life issues.
ASTRO's four-day scientific meeting will feature more than 2,800 abstracts sharing results from clinical trials and other research studies, in conjunction with more than 50 educational sessions and 24 scientific panels. More than 200 exhibitors will demonstrate cutting-edge technology and medical device innovations for radiation oncology.
For more information about ASTRO's 59th Annual Meeting, visit http://www.astro.org/AnnualMeeting . For press registration and news briefing information for ASTRO's 59th Annual Meeting, visit http://www.astro.org/AMPress .
For more information, contact Liz Gardner , Media Relations Manager, or Leah Kerkman Fogarty , Communications Manager.
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ABOUT ASTRO
ASTRO is the premier radiation oncology society in the world, with more than 11,000 members who are physicians, nurses, biologists, physicists, radiation therapists, dosimetrists and other health care professionals that specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. As the leading organization in radiation oncology, the Society is dedicated to improving patient care through professional education and training, support for clinical practice and health policy standards, advancement of science and research, and advocacy. ASTRO publishes three medical journals, International Journal of Radiation Oncology * Biology * Physics and Practical Radiation Oncology and Advances in Radiation Oncology ; developed and maintains an extensive patient website, http://www.rtanswers.org ; and created the Radiation Oncology Institute , a non-profit foundation to support research and education efforts around the world that enhance and confirm the critical role of radiation therapy in improving cancer treatment. To learn more about ASTRO, visit http://www.astro.org .