When Dr. Jennifer Smilowitz boarded a plane to Costa Rica earlier this year, she was stepping into an experience that blended language immersion, community health, academic collaboration, and global professional growth. Over two weeks, she balanced morning volunteer work in a community clinic with intensive afternoon Spanish classes. For Dr. Smilowitz, a medical physicist in radiation oncology, the trip represented a long‑held desire to advance her Spanish proficiency while meaningfully engaging with healthcare in Latin America.

We are proud to welcome Dr. Christian Hyde, Kristina Maynard, and Rachel Hoffman to the team.

Assistant Professor

Radiation Oncologist

GME Program Manager

Executive Assistant to the Department Chair

The Proton Therapy Medical Physics team at Eastpark Medical Center has been busy commissioning process for the gantry room of our new proton therapy system, which is anticipated to launch for patient care this year.

Commissioning includes comprehensive characterization of the beam’s physical properties as well as validation of treatment‑planning models and full end‑to‑end testing of all integrated subsystems.

We are proud to announce that we have been accepted as the 27th participating center in the Pediatric Proton/Photon Consortium Registry (PPCR). The PPCR is a large, international research initiative coordinated through Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Radiation Oncology and is one of the most comprehensive pediatric radiation registries in the world.

Our Meet the Expert Series continues as an opportunity to highlight faculty, students and staff in the Department of Human Oncology who are in roles you may not be familiar with and who work hard every day to make our clinics, laboratories, classrooms and office spaces successful.

Please meet Kristin Font, Clinical Research Coordinator II for the Department of Human Oncology.

Please meet Julie Thomas, GME Program Manager for the Radiation Oncology Residency Program, the Department Chair’s Assistant.

Dr. Shuang George Zhao, associate chair for research in the University of Wisconsin Department of Human Oncology and a UW Carbone Cancer Center researcher, has been developing clinic-use screening tools that can help oncologists optimize treatment plans for prostate cancer patients. These tools can personalize care plans and give patients their optimal approach while minimizing uncomfortable or toxic side effects.

The following Residents successfully matched with our Radiation Oncology Residency program on March 21, 2026. Congratulations to these excellent candidates! We look forward to welcoming them to Madison in July 2027!

The following Residents successfully matched with our Radiation Oncology Physics Residency program March 27, 2026. We cannot wait to share updates on this remarkable group as they begin their residencies in July.

As Dr. Steven Howard steps into retirement this year, colleagues and former patients alike are reflecting on a legacy that spans groundbreaking research, transformative clinical programs, and countless human connections.

The Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) named Randall Kimple as an Advocacy Champion during the 2026 ASCO Advocacy Summit in April. Advocacy Champions are ASCO volunteers who have made meaningful contributions to the Association’s advocacy activities throughout the year to ensure that every patient with cancer has access to high-quality cancer care no matter who they are or where they live.

As we strive to develop world class research and clinical programs, your gifts are essential to our success and allow us to explore novel research ideas, develop new methods for diagnosis and treatment and enhance facilities as well as education.

Please contact Danielle Kamps, Senior Director of Development | Wisconsin Medicine

Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association at 608.308.5322 (direct) or via email for more information on disease site specific donations or general gifts to support clinical, research and educational endeavors.