Kristen Zakian, Jim Mechalakos, Ross Boltyanskiy, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, “Want to learn about medical physics?”
Hosted by the Yale Physics Professional Development Organization (YPPDO)
Kristen Zakian, Ph.D. is involved in Magnetic Resonance Imaging research in the Departments of Medical Physics, Radiology, and Radiation
Oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. She will discuss her path to imaging research and the different areas in imaging research that are good fits for Physics Ph.D.s.
Jim Mechalakos, Ph.D. joined MSKCC in 1998 as a postdoc after
receiving his PhD in high-energy physics. He now heads the External Beam Treatment Planning section of the Department of Medical Physics which is responsible for designing treatment plans for patients receiving radiation therapy. He will discuss the various
clinical and research opportunities in Therapeutic Medical Physics, the subspecialty of Medical Physics which focuses on radiation treatment.
Ross Boltyanskiy, Ph.D.: I am currently a postdoc in a radiology
lab at MSKCC. My research is focused on furthering MRI techniques to gain insight into metabolic activity in cancer patients as well as developing technology for ultra sensitive magnetic detection. During my PhD at Yale, my work focused on developing opto-mechanical
techniques to explore how living cells respond to external forces. My career goal is to stay engaged in education and continue to bring my research closer to practical application at the intersection of physics and medicine.