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UTSW Radiation Oncology
@UTSW_RadOnc
Welcome to the Department of Radiation Oncology at UT Southwestern, where state-of-the-art radiation technology meets human caring and compassion.
Dallas, TX
utsouthwestern.edu/education/medi…
Joined November 2018
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    UTSW Radiation Oncology
    @UTSW_RadOnc
    Oct 16, 2021
    Yesterday, we used the RefleXion machine to deliver the very first emulated biologically-guided radiation therapy delivery to a malignancy. No fiducials. No beacon. Just the PET signal from the tumor itself. A new era in precision and personalized radiotherapy!
    A biology-guided radiation therapy scan.
    Dr. Timmerman, Dr. Iyengar, and a team view a treatment plan.
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    UTSW Radiation Oncology
    @UTSW_RadOnc
    Mar 18, 2022
    Please join us in welcoming our new Department Chair, Dr. Robert Timmerman! A pioneer in the use of SAbR, Dr. Timmerman has been our Vice Chair since 2004. He now leads the department in a new era of adaptive therapy and personalized radiation treatments.
    Robert Timmerman, M.D., FASTRO, FACR, is Professor and Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He is also Professor of Neurosurgery, and is the holder of the Effie Marie Cain Distinguished Chair in Cancer Therapy Research. He earned his master’s degree in reactor physics, completed medical school in his home state of South Dakota, and followed with a residency in radiation oncology at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Timmerman joined UT Southwestern in 2004 as Professor and Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs in our department, and Director of the Annette Simmons Stereotactic Treatment Center. He has been Clinical Director of Radiation Oncology since 2014 and has been serving as Interim Chair for the last six months.
    Early in his career, Dr. Timmerman specialized in treating brain tumors and other cranial abnormalities with devices like the Gamma Knife, an extremely precise, noninvasive radiosurgical tool that employs multiple angles to deliver gamma radiation. He was one of the first researchers in the world to use specialized treatment techniques developed for brain tumors to treat cancer in the body. This is known as stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SAbR) which made it possible to account for movement and still safely deliver this treatment. Dr. Timmerman has championed the use of SAbR globally and has served as the lead investigator in several national trials designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of SAbR to treat cancer in the lung, liver, spine, and prostate.
    Clinically, Dr. Timmerman specializes primarily in treating adults and children with brain tumors. His main focus is diseases of the central nervous system, including cancer of the brain and spine, as well as lung cancer. He also specializes in seeing children and young adults who are still growing – those for whom extremely precise treatment is likely to result in better long-term quality of life. Dr. Timmerman also directs training courses in stereotactic radiotherapy both at UT Southwestern and nationally for members of the national Radiation Therapy Oncology Group. He is a highly sought-after guest speaker and has authored or co-authored numerous peer-reviewed articles and textbooks.
    Dr. Timmerman now leads the department in a new phase of cancer care – adaptive radiation therapy. In this treatment paradigm, a patient’s treatment plan is adjusted according to how their tumor responds to radiation doses. The personalized approach to radiation therapy actively shrinks the tumor while limiting side effects on healthy tissue. At the heart of the adaptive radiation therapy program at UT Southwestern is PULSAR , or Personalized Ultrafractionated Stereotactic Adaptive Radiotherapy, which grew from the groundbreaking SAbR approach pioneered by Dr. Timmerman. PULSAR starts with a large “pulse” of radiation therapy, which can then be titrated, or adjusted, in subsequent doses depending on how the tumor responds between longer treatment intervals. With this adaptive approach, each treatment informs the next, and as the tumor shrinks, physicians can radiate an increasingly smaller field, sparing healthy tissue and reducing toxicity.
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    UTSW Radiation Oncology
    @UTSW_RadOnc
    Jun 5, 2023
    Effective today, Dr. @MonaArbabMD has been named Associate Program Director of the Medical Residency in our department. Dr. Arbab will work closely with program director Dr. @kakumar86 on program initiatives including mentorship, recruitment, and ongoing resident well-being.
    Effective today, Dr. Mona Arbab has been named Associate Program Director of the Medical Residency in our department. Dr. Arbab will work closely with program director Dr. Kiran Kumar on program initiatives including mentorship, recruitment, and ongoing resident well-being.
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  • user avatar
    UTSW Radiation Oncology
    @UTSW_RadOnc
    Nov 9, 2023
    With PET guidance on our PET linac, our first SCINTIX patient was treated smoothly today making us the second in the world to execute this groundbreaking therapy!
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    UTSW Radiation Oncology
    @UTSW_RadOnc
    Aug 24, 2021
    A big welcome to Dr. Andrew Wang (@andyzwang) who will lead our department's research efforts as our new Associate Vice Chair for Research! Learn more about Dr. Wang's research in the graphic below.
    A graphic introducing Andrew Wang, our department's new Associate Vice Chair for Research. It reads: Dr. Wang joins the department as our new Associate Vice Chair for Research. He holds the A. Kenneth Pye Professorship in Cancer Research. Dr. Wang's research program focuses on the application of biomedical engineering to cancer research. His group aims to develop novel cancer diagnostics and therapeutics to improve cancer treatment. His work is highly innovative and has resulted in 15 patents/patent applications and two biotechnology startup companies. Because of his research accomplishments, Dr. Wang has been elected as a member of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows and the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI). Clinically, Dr. Wang specializes in the treatment of genitourinary and gastrointestinal cancers.
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    UTSW Radiation Oncology
    @UTSW_RadOnc
    Mar 1, 2023
    (1/3) Effective today, @ndesai2005, M.D., M.H.S., Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology has been named Director of Clinical Research in our department. In this role Dr. Desai will provide overall direction and oversight of the operations of our clinical research (CRO) group.
    Neil Desai, M.D., M.H.S., Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology Effective 3/1 - Director of Clinical Research
    13K
  • user avatar
    UTSW Radiation Oncology
    @UTSW_RadOnc
    Jul 18, 2022
    Welcome to our newest physician, Mona Arbab, M.D., Assistant Professor! Dr. Arbab will be part of our breast disease-oriented team. Give her a follow @MonaArbabMD!
    Mona Arbab, M.D. Assistant Professor Dr. Arbab joins our department after completing her residency at Indiana University.
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    UTSW Radiation Oncology
    @UTSW_RadOnc
    Dec 15, 2021
    Our Interim Chair, Robert Timmerman, M.D., Professor of Radiation Oncology, joined a podcast with @sueyom, editor-in-chief of the Red Journal, to discuss the origins, establishment, and future potential of stereotactic radiotherapy. Give it a listen! redjournal.org/pb-assets/Heal…
    Robert Timmerman, M.D., FASTRO, FACR, Professor and Interim Chair of Radiation Oncology.
  • user avatar
    UTSW Radiation Oncology
    @UTSW_RadOnc
    Sep 1, 2021
    Join us in welcoming Interim Chair Dr. Robert Timmerman! Dr. Timmerman has been with our department for 17 years and previously served as Vice Chair and Medical Director. Read Dr. Timmerman's profile here: bit.ly/3gRLzw9
    A graphic that reads: Robert Timmerman, M.D., FASTRO, FACR, Interim Chair
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    UTSW Radiation Oncology
    @UTSW_RadOnc
    Sep 23, 2021
    Today we became the world’s first facility to have two MR linacs installed at the same time and, even more, have two patient treatments on the machines on the same day. Congratulations to the team on this huge milestone!
    A group of physicists and a physician look over computers as they diagnose a treatment plan.
    Dr. Robert Timmerman, Interim Chair of Radiation Oncology at UT Southwestern, watches as Dr. Zabi Wardak views a treatment plan.
    A group of radiation therapists stand in front of an MR Linac in the Department of Radiation Oncology's AROC building at UT Southwestern.
    A group of physicists stand in front of an MR Linac in the Department of Radiation Oncology's AROC building at UT Southwestern.
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    UTSW Radiation Oncology
    @UTSW_RadOnc
    Apr 20, 2022
    Today, a team led by @TuDDan, M.D., and @BinCaiMedPhys, Ph.D., treated our first patient on the RefleXion system. The patient, part of a prospective registry, is undergoing PULSAR for liver metastases.
    The RefleXion treatment machine.
    The RefleXion treatment machine.
    A group of radiation oncology faculty view a patient's plan on the RefleXion.
    A group of radiation oncology faculty view a patient's plan on the RefleXion.
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    UTSW Radiation Oncology
    @UTSW_RadOnc
    Apr 1, 2025
    Congratulations to Dr. @DavidSherMD who is now holder of the Barbara Crittenden Professorship in Cancer Research! This honor recognizes his transformative work in patient care, clinical research, and #radonc, supporting his efforts to innovate/improve outcomes for patients.
    A graphic for an endowment title with a headshot of a man in a white lab coat, checkered shirt, and bow tie.
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  • user avatar
    UTSW Radiation Oncology
    @UTSW_RadOnc
    Feb 5, 2025
    (1/2) This week, we delivered our first hypofractionated glioblastoma multiforme treatment without the usual separate pre-treatment planning appointment, thanks to real-time planning on the Unity MR-Linac! We completed fitting a custom radiation mask MR imaging, contouring, ...
    A treatment plan showing the location of the targeted tumor.
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  • user avatar
    UTSW Radiation Oncology
    @UTSW_RadOnc
    Feb 4, 2025
    (1/3) Today, our biology-guided radiation therapy (BgRT) team successfully treated a patient using the RefleXion PET-linac platform, delivering a multi-target treatment in a single treatment plan. This innovative approach integrates kVCT imaging and real-time PET guidance ...
    Scans showing a tumor that is circled for targeted radiation treatments.
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