Dr. Grdina is an expert in the field of radiation biophysics and heads the Grdina Laboratory at the University of Chicago. He completed his doctoral training at the University of Kansas in 1971 and has been working with the University of Chicago since 1985. Starting in 1983 at the Argonne National Laboratory, Dr. Grdina began work on developing Amifostine as an anti-mutagenic and anti-carcinogenic drug. Dr. Grdina first published his findings on Amifostine in 1985, and has since published a total of 83 peer-reviewed articles on the subject. In 1996, his laboratory was moved to the University of Chicago, where work continued on defining and examining the use of amifostine as a genomic protector and inhibitor of genomic instability. This culminated in six U.S. Patents (US # 5488042; 5567686; 5869338; 5891856; 6984619; and 9877976) with the most recent being issued in 2018: US 9,877,976 “Methods and Compositions for Protection of Cells and Tissues from Computed Tomography Radiation.”

Dr. Rosenthal is a Professor of Radiation Oncology and Head & Neck Surgery at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Dr. Rosenthal is a sub-specialist expert in head and neck radiation oncology, and serves as Chief of the MD Anderson Head & Neck Radiation Oncology Service that represents greater than a century of Head & Neck physician cancer expertise by nine radiation oncology physicians, and a specialized team of radiotherapy physician assistants, nurses, physicists, therapists, and dosimetrists. Dr. Rosenthal and his team treat all types of head, neck and skin cancers, and work closely with colleagues from other related specialties to derive personalized treatment plans for each individual patient. He is a Fellow of the American College of Radiology (FACR), the American Society for Radiation Oncology (FASTRO), and the American Head & Neck Society (AHNS).

Dr. Rosenthal focuses on developing new methods to improve survival and functional outcomes, and techniques to reduce side-effects and toxicities from head & neck cancer treatment. These include proton therapy, intensity-modulated radiation therapy, volumentric-modulated arc therapy, stereotactic body radiation therapy, drug development, immunotherapy, acute and late toxicity evaluation (including mucositis, dermatitis, dysphagia, and xerostomia); plus their management, prevention, patient reported outcomes, and quality and safety research. Dr. Rosenthal serves as principal investigator for numerous national cooperative group and institutional clinical trials; has over 200 related peer-reviewed publications; and is co-editor of a textbook: Head and Neck Cancers: Evidence-Based Treatment. He is a 1984 graduate of the University of Miami (FL) School of Medicine.

Dr. Albertini is a Research Professor in the Department of Pathology at the University of Vermont. He has been a professor in the pathology field for more than 45 years. He has written at length on topics ranging from genotoxic carcinogens to biomonitoring and has been instrumental in innovating HPRT cell measurement to aid cancer detection. Dr. Alberini obtained his M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin — Madison.

Dr. Bleyer is renowned for his pediatric oncology medical contributions. A University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry graduate, Dr. Bleyer currently serves as the Medical Director, Clinical Research and Director, DEFEAT Cancer, St. Charles Regional Cancer Center; the Chair of the Institutional Research Board, Cascade Healthcare Community; the Director of Aflac/CureSearch Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Research; and was a founding member of the LiveStrong Young Adult Alliance. For 10 years, he chaired the Children’s Cancer Group—then the world’s largest pediatric cancer research organization—as well as the Department and Division of Pediatrics at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and the Community Oncology in the Department and Division of Medicine at the MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Dr. Bleyer was the American Cancer Society Professor of Clinical Oncology and in charge of the cancer curriculum at the University of Washington School of Medicine. During the past three decades, Dr. Bleyer was awarded research grants totaling more than $75 million as a principal investigator from the National Institutes of Health, the American Cancer Society and the Leukemia Society of America. His research has been published in more than 300 peer-reviewed articles, chapters and books. His current personal clinical research is dedicated to adolescents and young adult (AYA) oncology.

Dr. Brenner studied radiation physics at the Medical College of St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, University of London, and obtained a PhD from the University of Surrey Physics Department. Dr. Brenner currently directs the Center for Radiological Research at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City. The Center, now in its 102nd year, was founded by a student of Marie Curie with the goal of exploiting radiation to improve medical care. Dr. Brenner has been published on the topic of low-dose radiation, and has designed new “patient friendly” approaches for prostate cancer radiation
therapy that are now in common use worldwide. Dr. Brenner is currently very excited about the prospects of beating pancreatic cancer with new types of radiation. Over the past 6 years, he has also been working toward a safe way to kill drug-resistant bacteria such as MRSA, as well as airborne viruses such as influenza, using a unique type of ultra-violet light.

Dr. James Dziadziola Jr. is an otolaryngologist in Kannapolis, North Carolina and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including Carolina Healthcare System University Medical Center and Carolinas Healthcare Northeast. He received his medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine in 1991 and has been in practice for more than 20 years. Dr. Dziadziola is one of 44 doctors at Carolina Healthcare System University Medical Center and one of 7 at Carolinas Healthcare Northeast who specialize in Otolaryngology (ENT). He is a fellow of and board certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery and is a member of the American Medical Association, the North Carolina Medical Society, the Cabarrus County Medical Society, the Charlotte Ear, Nose, and Throat Society and the American Academy of Otolaryngologic Allergy.

Dr. Marshall is a board-certified cardiologist in the areas of cardiovascular disease and interventional cardiology. Dr. Marshall received his medical degree from the University of Southwestern Texas Medical School and completed his Residency in Internal Medicine and a Fellowship in Cardiovascular Disease at Baylor University Medical Center. Dr. Marshall is currently affiliated with Baylor Scott & White The Heart Hospital — Plano. He has been in practice for more than twenty years and his areas of expertise include invasive and noninvasive heart evaluations and peripheral and coronary interventions.

Jeffrey S. Murley, PhD is a Research Associate and Associate Professor in the Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology at The University of Chicago. Dr. Murley completed his masters in biological sciences and doctoral studies at Northern Illinois University. The focus of his research includes adaptive responses induced by very low doses of ionizing radiation and the intracellular signaling pathways involved in these responses. Dr. Murley has spent more than 18 years at the University of Chicago studying radiation and cellular oncology, much of that time working alongside F3 co-chairman, Dr. Grdina. Dr. Murley has been peer reviewed and published at least 50 times and has presented as a lecturer and presenter at industry events nearly 90 times.

Dr. Thomas trained in both medical oncology and radiation oncology and received his medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine. He joined the OHSU faculty in November 2005 as Professor and Chair of the department. Dr. Thomas is an active member on multiple committees, including the ACR, AJCO, RTOG, ASTRO and JCO. He was recently named amongst the “Best Doctors in America” and has served as Chair or Co-Chair in SWOG, ACOSOG and NSABP protocols. Dr. Thomas is a member of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the Radiological Society of North America, the Society of Chairmen of Academic Radiation Oncology Programs, the Southwest Oncology Group, and the American College of Surgeons Oncology Groups. His primary areas of focused study and research are GI and Thoracic malignancies, Translational Research, and Outcomes Research.