Wilmot Scientist Appointed to Prestigious Leadership Positions
Wilmot Scientist Appointed to Prestigious Leadership Positions
Jacqueline P. Williams, Ph.D., recognized by national and international organizations
Jacqueline P. Williams, Ph.D., a University of Rochester faculty member and internationally recognized expert in radiation biology, has been named to leadership positions at three of the leading radiation oncology and research organizations in the world.
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) named Williams chair of its Scientific Research Council at the Society’s 53rd annual meeting, held in Miami Beach, Fla. Williams was also recognized as one of 21 distinguished members that received ASTRO’s Fellow designation at a ceremony during the meeting.
“ASTRO Fellows are some of the most revered and accomplished members of the radiation oncology community and receiving this distinction is a great honor for them,” said Leonard Gunderson, M.D., M.S., F.A.S.T.R.O., ASTRO president and emeritus professor and consultant in radiation oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona.
ASTRO is the largest radiation oncology society in the world, with more than 10,000 members As the leading organization in radiation oncology, biology and physics, ASTRO’s mission is to advance the practice of radiation oncology by promoting excellence in patient care, providing opportunities for educational and professional development, promoting research and disseminating research results and representing radiation oncology in a rapidly evolving healthcare environment.
The honors from ASTRO capped an eventful two-month period for Williams, as she was also named President of the Radiation Research Society (RRS), and elected Councilor-at-Large of the International Association of Radiation Research (IARR). Those two honors were bestowed upon Williams at the International Congress of Radiation Research, held in Warsaw, Poland. During her two-year term as president of RRS, Williams will lead the executive committee that guides the organization. Her appointment with the IARR will extend for four years, during which she will be one of 10 elected officials serving on the organization’s board of directors.
Williams, research professor of Radiation Oncology at the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center, has more than 30 years of experience in radiation biology and related fields. Her current research focuses on identifying mechanisms that underlie the initiation and progression of normal tissue effects resulting from clinical or accidental exposure to radiation, including the types of radiation experienced by astronauts. She is currently the principal investigator of the University of Rochester Center for Medical Countermeasures Against Radiation, a federal grant focused on developing models and agents that will be of use in the event of a radiation-related terrorist event or large scale accident.
“Dr. Williams is a wonderful asset to the medical center and her expertise is a major reason the federal government selected URMC to conduct such vital research,: said Yuhchyau Chen, M.D., Ph.D., interim Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Wilmot Cancer Center. “We are thrilled that her work has been recognized by her peers throughout the world.”
Williams joined the Medical Center in 1990 from the Medical College of St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in London. She is a graduate of University of Nottingham and earned a Ph.D. in radiation biology at the University of London.
* The above story is adapted from materials provided by University of Rochester Medical Center
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