New York: The members of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) recently elected five new officers to ASTRO’s Board of Directors. Indian-American doctor Neha Vapiwala has been voted the President-elect of the society, an official news release stated.
Dr Vapiwala is the Eli Glatstein, MD Endowed Professor and a Vice Chair in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania, where she also serves as Dean of Admissions for the Perelman School of Medicine.
Dr. Vapiwala will represent the society’s 10,000 members, who include physicians, physicists, biologists, dosimetrists, radiation therapists, nurses and other professionals involved in radiation oncology care. She will serve one year each as President-elect, President, Chair of the Board of Directors, and Immediate Past Chair.
Speaking about her new role, Dr Vapiwala said: “Serving ASTRO in this role is a tremendous honor, responsibility and opportunity for me to listen to and learn from our members. By engaging voices throughout the radiation oncology community and cultivating new and existing partnerships, I will strive to generate a deeper understanding of and appreciation for our field, within and beyond ASTRO.”
Key policy issues for Dr. Vapiwala include strengthening support for scientific research and innovation, expanding patient access to radiation therapy and promoting a supportive environment for all radiation oncology professionals.
“I aim to foster a successful, united future for our specialty by engaging with our diverse membership, gathering stakeholder perspectives and encouraging conversations on a broad range of issues impacting our field and how we care for our patients,” she said.
From 2019 to 2023, Dr. Vapiwala served on the ASTRO Board of Directors as Secretary/Treasurer and chaired the ASTRO Finance/Audit Committee, playing a pivotal role in maintaining the Society’s financial health during the pandemic.
During her previous board tenure, she was instrumental in advancing initiatives related to radiation oncology workforce analysis, trainee resource expansion and early career member engagement. Before serving on the Board, she was president of the Association of Directors of Radiation Oncology Programs (ADROP).
