Winship radiation oncology resident awarded RSNA research grant

Lisa Sudmeier, MD, PhD, a 4th-year resident physician in Winship Cancer Institute's Department of Radiation Oncology, was awarded the Radiological Society of North America's (RSNA) Research and Education Foundation Grant for her project, "Characterization of CD8+ T-cells in Brain Metastases and Correlation with Response to Stereotactic Radiosurgery."

The award recognizes a resident or fellow with promising research that is likely to have a sustained influence on the field of radiation oncology. Recipients of the award receive $30,000 in funding over the course of a year. Sudmeier's project will evaluate whether the phenotype and quantity of CD8+ T-cells in brain metastases predicts patient response to stereotactic radiosurgery.

Physician Residency Director and Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology Pretesh Patel, MD says, "We couldn't be more proud of Lisa who is so deserving of this grant. She has worked tirelessly and sets a high bar for herself and our whole group."

"I am excited to receive the RSNA Research and Education Foundation Grant which will support my work studying tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells in brain metastases," says Sudmeier. "I am honored the RSNA Board of Trustees recognized the potential impact of this research on cancer patients."

Sudmeier's faculty advisors, Mohammad K. Khan, MD, PhD, DABR, FACRO, associate professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology, and Rafi Ahmed, PhD, co-leader of Winship's Cancer Immunology Research Program, director of the Emory Vaccine Center, and professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, will provide guidance and scientific input for the project.

Sudmeier is collaborating on this project with Jeffrey J. Olson, MD, a joint professor in the Departments of Neurosurgery and Hematology and Medical Oncology and co-director of Winship's Brain Tumor Program, and Kimberly Hoang, MD, an assistant professor in the Department of Neurosurgery.