Research Team
Walter O’Dell, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology, and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida, Gainesville, FL. He is the UF Co-PI and overall scientific director for this project. He has extensive experience in the development of image registration and image fusion algorithms, in automatic target detection and tracking, and in modeling radiation delivery to pulmonary targets. Internationally recognized for his physiological motion-tracking techniques in cardiac tissue,
Cristiane Takita, MD, MBA is a Professor of Radiation Oncology and Co-Leader of the Breast Site Disease Group at University of Miami/Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Takita is the UM Co-PI and clinical director of this project. Her research interests include breast cancer treatment using new MRI-guided delivery system, evaluation of predictors of locoregional recurrence and metastases, development of novel predictor models of radiation therapy outcomes and potential treatments to reduce radiation-induced skin toxicity.
Paul Okunieff, MD is Chair and Professor of the Department of Radiation Oncology at UFHCC which covers both the Gainesville and Jacksonville campuses. Dr. Okunieff’s research has had a particular focus, experimentally and clinically, on stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and the effects of radiation on normal tissues; he is world-renowned for both. He has significant translational science experience as a Branch Chief of Radiation Oncology at the National Cancer Institute where he was responsible for administering over all aspects including a large radiobiology research team. He continues to serve on a number of committees that oversee safety and quality of therapeutic radiation delivery. Dr. Okunieff is presently Chairman of the Translational Research Committee for RTOG, and a member of the Radiation Therapy
Marc Lippman, MD is the Kathleen and Stanley Glaser Professor of Medicine at UMHS. Dr Lippman’s life work has been devoted to breast cancer. He has been involved with the clinical management of complex breast cancer cases throughout his career. He has led and/or collaborated with others in a lengthy series of clinical trials ranging from the first single institution trial conducted at the NCI addressing breast conservative therapy to phase 1 studies on new and innovative therapies. He led the medical breast cancer section of the NCI and the Nina Hyde breast center of Georgetown University where he led the Lombardi NCI designated comprehensive cancer center. He has been PI of breast cancer SPORE grants and other multi-institutional grants targeting innovative approaches to breast cancer. He currently co-leads the breast cancer program at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and the Breast Cancer Site Disease Group.
Russ Kuker, MD is clinical Assistant Professor of Radiology. He will be the project’s lead radiologist at the University of Miami.
