Meet our Mentors

Dr. Afua Yorke is an Assistant Professor in Medical Physics at the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Washington. Her research focus is in global oncology – working with radiotherapy centers in lower-middle income countries to investigate their medical physics quality assurance and management practices to improve patient care. Dr. Yorke is the co-founder of GLOCASSA App, a digital patient navigator, designed to support cancer patients through their cancer journey. She works with the Girls Excellence Movement in Ghana as the director of STEM to change the narrative and outlook for young girls. She is passionate about education, training, and mentoring.

Dr. Yorke is a member of the Global Needs Assessment Committee, Global Early Career Research Subcommittee, and International Council Associates Mentorship Program of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Alhassan Mohammed Baidoo is a Clinical Medical Physicist at the Sweden Ghana Medical Centre (SGMC), Accra, where he supports the delivery of advanced cancer care through clinical dosimetry, quality assurance, radiation protection, and the integration of innovative technologies across the Directorates of Oncology, Radiopharmaceutical Production, and Nuclear Medicine.

Committed to developing the next generation of medical physicists, he serves as a Clinical Tutor in the Department of Medical Physics at the University of Ghana, where he mentors postgraduate students in clinical practice and research, while serving on the Education and Training Committee of the Ghana Society for Medical Physicists (GSMP), contributing to the training of residents, interns, and early-career medical physicists. He also serves as an IAEA Clinical Supervisor for training Fellows from LMICs in radiotherapy and nuclear medicine at SGMC. He is a Clinical Facilitator for the University of Pennsylvania partnership program of the Global Medical Physics Graduate Clinical Training and Development Program (GMPTDP) in Ghana, and the Ghana Lead for the Access for Medical Physicists to Education and Research Excellence (AMPERE) of the AAPM.

Mr. Baidoo holds an MPhil in Medical Physics from the University of Ghana, a Postgraduate Diploma in Education from the University of Cape Coast, a BSc in Physics from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), and a Certificate in Quantum Science and Technology from KNUST. He is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Ghana.

His research interests lie at the intersection of artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and radiation oncology, with a vision of developing quantum-enhanced AI-based radiotherapy workflows to improve precision, efficiency, and accessibility of cancer treatment, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

Dr. Haseena Khan is a Professor at the Asian University for Women. She is a distinguished molecular biologist and educator with an illustrious career spanning more than four decades. Dr. Khan completed her B.Sc. (Honors) and M.Sc. in Biochemistry from the University of Dhaka, and earned her Ph.D. from the University of Sussex. She later pursued postdoctoral research in France, the United Kingdom, and Canada, building a strong international foundation in molecular biology and genetic engineering. A retired Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Dhaka, Dr. Khan was the Founder Chairperson of the Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, where her visionary leadership helped establish one of the country’s leading biotechnology programs. She is widely recognized for her pioneering work on jute molecular biology and for leading the landmark jute genome sequencing project – the first large-scale genome project conducted in Bangladesh. Her research also includes decoding the Hilsa genome and advancing studies in plant genetics, endophytes, and biotechnology for sustainable development. A recipient of the prestigious Independence Day Award (2019) and numerous national and international honors, Dr. Khan is a Fellow of the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences, The World Academy of Sciences, and the International Science Council.

Dr. Julianne Pollard-Larkin is a Full Professor of Medical Physics at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. A recognized leader in the field, she serves as Service Chief of the Thoracic Radiation Physics group, a position she has held for nearly a decade. In this role, she advances clinical care while mentoring and training the next generation of medical physicists, radiation oncologists, radiation therapists, dosimetrists, and graduate students.

Her research focuses on cutting-edge approaches to cancer treatment, including FLASH ultra-high dose rate radiotherapy, radiotherapy dose management for patients with cardiac devices, motion management strategies in thoracic radiation, and radiobiology. She is also deeply engaged in science communication and was recently featured in the American Institute of Physics’ We Are Scientists campaign and documentary series.

Beyond her clinical and research work, Dr. Pollard-Larkin is a Fellow of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) and currently chairs AAPM’s Communication Coordination Committee. She also chairs the Graduate Education Committee at MD Anderson’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, where she helps shape the future of biomedical education at her institution.

Dr. Pollard-Larkin earned her Ph.D. in Biomedical Physics from the University of California, Los Angeles, and her B.S. in Physics and Mathematics from the University of Miami. She completed her residency in Medical Physics at MD Anderson, where she subsequently joined the faculty.

A committed advocate for outreach in STEM, Dr. Pollard-Larkin is passionate about inspiring and supporting students from all backgrounds to pursue careers in science and follow in her footsteps.

Dr. Krishni Wijesooriya is a Professor of Radiation Oncology and Professor of Physics at the University of Virginia (UVA). As a medical physicist, her research interests span new cancer treatment techniques, novel imaging techniques for tumor localization and delineation, simulation modeling, and treatment plan optimization methods to reduce immune suppression during radiation therapy. Dr. Wijesooriya initiated total body irradiation, motion management, and deep inspiratory breath hold programs at UVA. She is also the primary physicist involved in national clinical trial protocols at UVA. She was the principal investigator of an NCI funded clinical trial at the UVA Cancer Center to implement a predictive model for immune suppression, leading the world’s first randomized clinical trial to proactively reduce immune suppression via treatment planning in early stage lung cancer patients. This work received the “Best in Physics (therapy)” award at the 2023 annual American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) meeting.

Dr. Wijesooriya has a strong interest in global health. She is an active member of AAPM’s Global Clinical Trials Subcommittee and Global Research Mentorship Subcommittee and published a series of papers in The Lancet Oncology focused on “Cancer Care and Outreach in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Region: Overcoming Barriers and Addressing Challenges.” She is also a member of the Consortium for Universal Radiotherapy Excellence.

Dr. Mohiuddin Chowdhury is the Associate Professor of Public Health; Takeda Chair; Associate Dean of Academic Affairs (Natural Sciences) and Programme Director of Public Health at the Asian University for Women (AUW). His research interests include maternal and child health, implementation research, health systems research, autism and disability, migration and health, gender based violence, and health disparities. He received his PhD in Epidemiology from the University of South Carolina. Prior to joining AUW, Dr. Chowdhury was an Assistant Professor at BRAC University and also worked as an Assistant Scientist at the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, a renowned research organization.

Dr. Sarah Ashmeg is a Clinical Assistant Professor within the Department of Radiation Oncology of the University of Pittsburgh, a principle medical physicist at St. Clair Hospital Radiation Oncology, and the Associate Director of the therapy medical physics program at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. She has also served as a recent president of the regional chapter of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM). Her clinical interests include stereotactic body radiation therapy and Stereotactic Radiosurgery. Her research focuses on the advancement of cutting-edge technology in radiation oncology, as well as the use of nanoparticles to improve the efficacy of radiation dosage in cancer treatments.

Dr. Ashmeg is actively involved in AAPM committees, including as a Vice Chair of the Global Course Development and Implementation Subcommittee and Leadership Skills for Global Development Subcommittee, and a member of the Global Clinical Education and Training Committee, Global Medical Physics Education and Training Committee, Equipment Donation Program Subcommittee, and International Council Associates Mentorship Program (ICAMP). She is also a member of the Consortium for Universal Radiotherapy Excellence, the President of the Duke University Medical Physics Alumni Association, and mentors two ICAMP mentees.

Dr. Yao Hao is currently an Associate Professor, Chief of the Proton Service in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Washington University School of Medicine. Dr. Hao’s interests are in proton therapy, adaptive radiotherapy, motion management and imaging, FLASH radiotherapy, nanoparticle aided radiotherapy, artificial intelligence, and physics-lead clinical trials. Dr. Hao has contributed to multiple NIH- and industry-supported research projects as Site PI and Co-PI. He is also a member of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine  Global Needs Assessment Committee and Medical Physics Board of Associate Members, ASTRO Annual Meeting Track – Physics, Particle Therapy Co-Operative Group Treatment Efficiency Subcommittee, and Consortium for Universal Radiotherapy Excellence.