Dr. Wendy Woodward, the new Science Council Vice Chair, is a professor and interim Chair of breast radiation oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where she also serves as Executive Director of the Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Clinic and Research Program. A leading expert in the treatment and biology of breast cancer, Dr. Woodward leads a federally funded translational research lab, co-leads translational science efforts related to breast cancer for NRG Oncology and is a member of the Breast Oncology Local Disease Task Group of the NCI breast cancer steering committee working group. During her Board tenure, Dr. Woodward will help direct ASTRO's scientific initiatives, including its grant and fellowship programs for early-career researchers. "With efforts to strengthen the innovation ecosystem, foster diverse research teams, increase collaboration and partnership, and support health services research, we can drive meaningful advancement in radiation oncology," said Dr. Woodward.

Dr. Vivek Kavadi, the incoming Health Policy Council Vice Chair, is Chief Radiation Oncology Officer for the US Oncology Network and a radiation oncologist at Texas Oncology. He is also the current Chair of ASTRO’s Health Policy Committee and Payer Relations Committee. In his Board role, Dr. Kavadi will continue his longstanding advocacy of payment reform for radiation oncology, helping lead ASTRO’s efforts to implement the Radiation Oncology Case Rates (ROCR) payment program, as well as the Society’s work to reduce prior authorization hurdles that can unnecessarily delay cancer treatment. “Physician advocacy is key to raising awareness of the financial and administrative pressures facing radiation oncology today,” said Dr. Kavadi. “We can help policymakers truly understand the impact of what they put into law."


In addition, Dr. Ronald Ennis, the immediate past Chair of ASTRO’s Government Relations Council, has returned to the role to replace Dr. Gopal Bajaj, who recently stepped down from the Board of Directors. ASTRO members also elected three individuals to join the Society’s Nominating Committee:

Nominating Committee - Academic Physician: Stephanie Terezakis, MD, University of Minnesota
Nominating Committee - Community Practice Physician: Arshin Sheybani, MD, John Stoddard Cancer Center
Nominating Committee - Radiation or Cancer Biologist: Deborah Citrin, MD, FASTRO, National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute

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