Meet The 2026 Fellows

Aaron Fishbein is a current medical physics PhD student at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, where his research interests include neutron therapy and nanoparticle-aided radiotherapy. He is a part of the Nuclear Application and Nuclear Data group where he wrote his master's thesis "A Monte Carlo Evaluation of Gadolinium as a Neutron Capture Agent in Nanoparticle-Aided Radiotherapy" in the spring of 2026. He is also passionate about improving access to and quality of STEM education and improving public perception and awareness of the medical use of radiation. Aaron serves as a student representative on the University of Massachusetts, Lowell’s Medical Physics Steering Committee, and leads science outreach presentations to local middle school students.

 

Aaron's first exposure to global health initiatives was during the Global Medical Physics Continuing Education course co-hosted by FAMPO and AAPM where he served as a session moderator in 2025. This experience inspired him to pursue further work in the global health field and led to his discovery of the AMPERE program. As an AMPERE fellow, Aaron aims to learn from local experts and be a part of a translational research project that addresses the complications and challenges of healthcare in low-resource settings.

 

• AMPERE Host: Asian University for Women, Chittagong, Bangladesh

• Research Projects: 

  • A qualitative study to explore the bottlenecks for cancer care among the cancer patients in tertiary health care centres of Bangladesh

  • Prevalence and determinants of nosocomial infection in the cancer ward in a tertiary medical college in Bangladesh

• AMPERE Host Mentors: Dr. Haseena Khan, Dr.. Tuhin Biswas

• AMPERE US Mentors: Dr. Julianne Pollard-Larkin, Dr. Krishni Wijesooriya

Eric Brass recently completed a Master of Science in Medical Physics from Virginia Commonwealth University and holds graduate degrees in Physics and Systems Engineering with a concentration in Mechatronics. His academic and professional interests focus on the intersection of medical physics, systems engineering, artificial intelligence, and global oncology.

Eric’s research has centered on MRI-guided radiation therapy, synthetic CT generation, image registration, and the validation of MR-only treatment planning workflows. He is particularly interested in developing AI-enabled and model-based systems engineering approaches that improve the safety, efficiency, and accessibility of radiation oncology technologies.

 

As a participant in the AMPERE program, Eric seeks to contribute to international collaborations that advance cancer care, workforce development, and innovation in low- and middle-income countries. His long-term goals include becoming an ABR-certified medical physicist, pursuing doctoral studies, and supporting the development of clinically validated AI systems and digital health technologies that improve patient outcomes worldwide.

 

• AMPERE Host: Remote (Ghana)

• Research Project: Standardizing Head and Neck Radiotherapy Planning and Quality Assurance at the Sweden Ghana Medical Centre

• AMPERE Host Mentor: Mr. Alhassan Baidoo

• AMPERE US Mentors: Dr. Yao Hao, Dr. Afua Yorke

Gary Henderson is a Master of Science graduate student in Medical Physics at Howard University. His current research is focused on developing a model to predict intra- and inter-fraction organ motion during radiotherapy. Before commencing his graduate studies, Gary completed a two-year post-baccalaureate fellowship in physics at the University of Virginia (UVA). His post-baccalaureate research focused on hyperpolarized He3 and Xe129 MRI of lungs with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – the results of which he presented at the 2024 and 2025 National Conferences of the National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP). During his fellowship, he also founded the UVA chapter of the NSBP, through which he began outreach programs to encourage high school students to consider careers and research in medical physics.

 

Through the AMPERE fellowship program, Gary aims to conduct research that improves the health of individuals on a global scale. He also intends to translate his experience to augment healthcare in lower income communities in the USA.

 

AMPERE Host: Sweden Ghana Medical Centre, Accra, Ghana / remote

Research Project: Systematic Impact of Workflow Changes and Clinical Benchmarks of AI Contouring in Prostate Radiotherapy for Low Resource Settings

AMPERE Host Mentor: Mr. Alhassan Baidoo

AMPERE US Mentors: Prof. Yao Hao, Prof. Afua Yorke

Joseph Okwe is a Master of Science graduate student in Medical Physics at Washington University in St. Louis where he is studying respiration monitoring devices used to ensure accurate treatment delivery. He is also investigating artifacts in CT scans and estimation of tumor volume consistency across phases of a 4DCT scan. Beyond becoming a clinical medical physicist, Joseph’s long-term goal is to continue pursuing research aimed at improving imaging techniques and treatment planning systems.

 

Joseph is particularly drawn to the intersection of technology, policy, and community-based interventions as tools to strengthen health systems and expand access to essential care. As an AMPERE fellow, Joseph is eager to collaborate with international teams to design interventions that address inequities in healthcare delivery, particularly in cancer control and non-communicable disease management.

 

• AMPERE Host: Remote (Nigeria)

• Research Project: Gamifying Radiation Safety: Developing an Interactive Incident Learning Platform to Strengthen Safety Culture in Nigeria

• AMPERE Host Mentors: Dr. Iyobosa Uwadiae

• AMPERE US Mentors: Dr. Sarah Ashmeg

Rania Jones is a Master of Science graduate student in Medical Physics at Howard University with a background in biology, chemistry, and physics. Her research focuses on the intersection of medical imaging, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing, including the application of deep learning and Quantum Fourier Transform methods to MRI analysis for early Alzheimer’s disease detection. She has conducted multiple research projects through collaborations with Johns Hopkins University, National Institutes of Health, Howard University, and the Quantum Biology Laboratory. Rania has presented her research at multiple national and international conferences, including Howard University Research Week, the Sloan Foundation and Max Planck School Matter to Life Conference in Germany, and the 15th International Workshop on Quantum Effects in Biological Systems, which she presented remotely through the ELTE Faculty of Science in Budapest, Hungary. Her professional interests include advancing cancer diagnostics, Alzheimer’s disease, medical imaging technology, and developing innovative solutions to reduce global healthcare disparities.

 

• AMPERE Host: Asian University for Women, Chittagong, Bangladesh

• Research Project: From Diagnosis to Treatment: Evaluating Diagnostic Delays, Treatment-Planning Pathways, and Barriers to Breast Cancer Care in Chittagong, Bangladesh

• AMPERE Host Mentors: Dr. Haseena Khan, Dr. Mohiuddin Chowdhury, Dr. Tuhin Biswas

• AMPERE US Mentors: Dr. Julianne Pollard-Larkin, Dr. Krishni Wijesooriya

Sunil Pokharel earned a Ph.D. in Accelerator Physics from Old Dominion University and a Graduate Certificate in Medical Physics from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). His doctoral research at the Jefferson Lab focused on accelerator systems and beam dynamics, while his medical physics training emphasized the clinical applications of radiation physics in cancer diagnosis and treatment.

 

Prior to moving to the United States, Sunil taught physics in Nepal for more than eight years, mentoring undergraduate and graduate students in physics and related disciplines. He has also worked as a Field Service Engineer supporting high-power accelerator systems and advanced radiation technologies. His academic and professional experiences span physics, accelerator physics, medical physics, radiation dosimetry, machine quality assurance, teaching, and computational analysis.

 

Motivated by the loss of his sister to breast cancer, Sunil transitioned into medical physics with the goal of contributing to improved cancer care through advanced radiation technologies. Through the AMPERE Fellowship, he aims to strengthen his leadership and global health perspectives while collaborating with international partners to expand access to high-quality cancer care and radiation technology in low- and middle-income countries.

 

• AMPERE Host: Sweden Ghana Medical Centre, Accra, Ghana

• Research Project: Development and Collation of Clinical Translation Research Instruments for Automated Radiotherapy Workflows in Cervical Cancer

• AMPERE Host Mentor: Mr. Alhassan Baidoo

• AMPERE US Mentors: Prof. Yao Hao, Prof. Afua Yorke

Yao Aleke is a medical physics graduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University whose career bridges nuclear engineering, radiation oncology, global health, and technological innovation. Originally from Togo, West Africa, Yao witnessed profound disparities in access to healthcare during his upbringing, where limited medical resources meant that preventable or treatable diseases could become life-threatening.

 

After moving to the United States in 2011, Yao built an extensive engineering career before beginning his graduate studies in medical physics. He accumulated more than eight years of professional engineering experience, including six years as a Nuclear Engineer at Newport News Shipbuilding, where he supported the Refueling and Complex Overhaul of U.S. Navy nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines within the highly regulated Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program.

 

Yao’s commitment to global cancer care is deeply rooted in his upbringing and professional journey. As an AMPERE Fellow, he completed an intensive 10-week, in-person clinical and research fellowship at the Sweden Ghana Medical Centre in Ghana, West Africa, where he expanded his experience in radiation therapy treatment planning, HDR brachytherapy, quality assurance, radiation protection, radiation shielding calculations, LINAC acceptance activities, and AI auto-segmentation for breast cancer radiotherapy.

 

Yao also brings an inventor’s mindset to medical physics education. Using SolidWorks and additive manufacturing, he designed and 3D-printed the major components of a LINAC model that can be assembled in approximately 40 seconds, transforming a classroom assignment into a potential hands-on educational tool for medical physics, dosimetry, and radiation therapy students. His long-term goal is to become a clinical medical physicist and integrate engineering innovation, rigorous radiation-safety principles, research, education, and international collaboration to advance safe, effective, and more equitable cancer care in low- and middle-income countries.

 

AMPERE Host: Sweden Ghana Medical Centre, Accra, Ghana

Research Project: Validation and Implementation of Automated Segmentation for Breast Cancer Radiotherapy

AMPERE Host Mentor: Mr. Alhassan Baidoo

AMPERE US Mentors: Prof. Yao Hao, Prof. Afua Yorke