Mahesh helped build the foundations of our department and served as Director of the (former) Division of Radiation Oncology. Mahesh was a kind, humble, and thoughtful man who was beloved by our learners and patients. He was a trusted colleague and friend and he will be missed by many. A more detailed remembrance from his family is provided below.

Dr. Mahesh Varia passed away on May 11, 2025, surrounded by his loving family.

Born and raised in Kampala, Uganda, Mahesh was a lifelong learner. His pursuit of knowledge led him to the University of Liverpool in England, where he earned his medical degree. After a magical walk at the Talav ni Pal in Jamnagar, India, he married the great love of his life鈥擠r. Indira (Indu) Ghatalia鈥攊n 1969. Together, they served as medical officers in rural Uganda.

In 1972, with their young daughter Rachna, Mahesh and Indu immigrated to the United States ahead of Uganda鈥檚 expulsion of Asians. He completed his radiation oncology residency at Hahnemann Hospital in Philadelphia, where their daughter Nisha was born. The family then moved to North Carolina, where Mahesh joined the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1976. Their youngest daughter, Smita, was born soon after.

Mahesh spent 41 years at 大象传媒 Hospitals as a clinician, researcher, and mentor. He treated thousands of patients with deep compassion. He directed the training program for residents in radiation oncology for 20 years, authored dozens of research publications, and was a national leader in clinical trial development and radiation biology research on tumor hypoxia. He led with quiet excellence and left an indelible imprint on his colleagues and patients alike.

Rooted in the Jain principles of nonviolence and compassion, Mahesh and Indu transformed their beliefs into action through building community and dedicating themselves to service. They helped establish the thriving Jain Study Center of North Carolina, built a primary school in Gujarat, and returned to rural India annually for 17 years to provide free medical care. A lifelong vegetarian, Mahesh became a committed vegan in his later years.

Mahesh was ever ready to explore the world and try new things, from traveling across all seven continents鈥攊ncluding Antarctica!鈥攖o taking line dancing classes. He immersed himself in his hobbies, including music, photography, and making slideshows. His eyes would light up when talking about one of his greatest joys鈥攑laying and teaching bridge.

Mahesh and Indu treasured connection and were central pillars of a large, extended family and a wide network of friends and community. All who knew Mahesh were touched by his kindness, gentleness, brilliance, and humility. He supported countless family and friends with advice and care. His tremendous example of quiet strength and equanimity, including after the loss of his beloved wife Indu in 2022, will be remembered always.

Mahesh is held in the hearts of daughters and sons-in-law, Rachna, Nisha, Smita, Junish, Ritchie, and Brad, and his cherished grandchildren, Siona, Simrin, Neel, Kaya, and Sejal.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the and their projects supporting healthcare in rural India.

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In addition, the department successfully recruited a candidate for the 3-year clinical and research program: Zach Gude, PhD (Duke University).

Per residency coordinator Sara Tinkham, “They are great applicants, and we are so excited to have them join our team!”

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DHE is making significant strides in improving clinician well-being through innovative initiatives that combine research and hands-on practice. Sponsored by the 大象传媒 Health Well-Being Program, DHE launched a 60-day blitz across 16 emergency departments in the 大象传媒 Health system, gathering more than 370 submissions from clinicians about their well-being concerns. These submissions provided valuable insights, ranging from workflow inefficiencies to staffing and physical work environment issues. Thanks to this feedback, immediate improvements were implemented, such as resolving Epic issues and enhancing equipment support. Work has begun on complex projects to address systemic challenges, such as boarding and throughput. Local projects also tackled practical needs, including revamped supply stocking, dual monitors for physicians, and portable phones for nurses.

With funding provided by the 大象传媒 Health Well-Being Program, DHE supported well-being initiatives across all participating EDs, and five hospitals successfully made requests for supplies to improve staff morale and comfort. These requests were promptly approved and fulfilled by August, demonstrating commitment to fast, impactful interventions. By combining real-time changes with research, DHE鈥檚 work was presented at the International Conference for Physician Health and submitted for publication, ensuring that the lessons learned here will benefit healthcare providers nationwide. As they move forward, DHE remains dedicated to sustaining and expanding these efforts to support clinicians in their vital roles.

Dr. Mazur, along with his team, Jennifer Bissram, and Dr. Emily Kertcher, pose with emergency department staff and leaders at 大象传媒 Rex after delivering chairs and other requested supplies to improve staff well-being.

Leading Human Factors Research in Workplace Violence Prevention

Meagan Foster has been at the forefront of advancing human factors research within DHE, focusing on critical issues faced by healthcare professionals. One of her key contributions has been spearheading efforts to analyze workplace violence in healthcare settings. Using an innovative electronic aggregate reporting tool, Meagan鈥檚 research captures the frequency of healthcare professionals experiencing or witnessing incidents of workplace violence.

Her most recent publication, featured in the this fall, highlights the significant findings and actionable insights from this important work. By identifying trends and patterns, Meagan鈥檚 research continues to inform strategies that enhance safety and well-being for healthcare workers.

Research in Radiation Oncology Quality Assurance

Elizabeth (Liz) Kwong鈥檚 PhD research focuses on transforming pretreatment quality assurance in radiation oncology by developing and implementing an automated checklist for physicists. This innovation, designed in collaboration with the University of California at San Diego, aims to replace manual processes, improving usability and reducing the cognitive workload on physicists鈥攗ltimately enhancing patient safety and care quality.

In addition to optimizing workflow efficiency, Liz鈥檚 research explores the role of stakeholder engagement in the development and implementation of health technology tools. By involving physicists and other key stakeholders, this work identifies strategies for successful technology adoption, offering a blueprint for the effective implementation of digital health solutions to improve care quality and patient outcomes.

Liz, a PhD student in the Carolina Health Informatics Program (CHIP), has been with the Department of Radiation Oncology and DHE for 3 years and is scheduled to graduate in May, 2025.

Mazur Leads Efforts to Establish WHO Collaborating Center in Radiation Oncology

Dr. Lukasz Mazur is driving efforts for the Department of Radiation Oncology to become a designated World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center. This initiative focuses on an area in which the department is already recognized as a leader鈥攑atient safety in radiation oncology. This is a collaborative effort involving many leaders in the department, along with faculty from the School of Information and Library Science (SILS) and CHIP, who are contributing their expertise in areas such as artificial intelligence 聽and machine learning. An extensive report and technical documents are currently being prepared by a large team, with the first draft expected to be completed in February 2025. With this diverse range of knowledge and innovative practices, the department is well-positioned to contribute to WHO鈥檚 mission of enhancing global health standards.

As a WHO Collaborating Center, the Department of Radiation Oncology would join an international network of institutions working to advance patient safety, optimize treatment outcomes, and develop best practices in radiation oncology. This designation would not only recognize the department鈥檚 existing contributions but also allow it to share its knowledge on a global scale, helping improve radiation oncology safety standards worldwide.

Accomplishments

Dr. Mazur was selected to participate in the 2024鈥�2025 class of Leading Transformation in Academic Medicine (LTAM). LTAM is a 9-month, cohort-based leadership development program for midcareer faculty striving for increased levels of leadership. The program is housed in the School of Medicine鈥檚 Office of Faculty Affairs and Leadership Development.

Written by Jennifer Bissram, MSIS, MBA

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Shekinah Elmore, MD, MPH, passed away on July 24, 2024 at the age of 42. She was a pioneer in global oncology, a stellar physician, visionary in humanity, a wife, mother, sister, and beloved friend to many.

Dr. Elmore was a remarkably talented radiation oncologist who obtained her medical degree from Harvard where she received a Fulbright scholarship to work with Partners in Health in Rwanda, a radiation oncology residency also at Harvard, and an MPH at Columbia University. She joined the 大象传媒 Radiation Oncology faculty in 2020, where she has had an indelible impact already. In addition to being a radiation oncologist for patients in the United States, she has been strongly and consistently involved in global challenges to cancer care, working in Rwanda during medical school, then with 大象传媒 Project Malawi after joining our faculty.

Dr. Elmore brought a firsthand understanding of the cancer journey to the care of her patients and their families. Those with interest should watch her TED Talk about treading the line between being a patient and being a provider (). The 大象传媒 community will miss her passion for providing excellent care and advocating for her patients and will certainly miss her wonderful laugh and wicked sense of humor.

In 2023, Dr. Elmore聽, explaining how her experience with illness shaped her as a physician and patient advocate in the first episode of the podcast 鈥�.鈥�

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, August 10th 2024 at 10:00 AM at the Mt. Calvary United Church of Christ (1715 Athens Ave, Durham, NC 27707).

础听聽will directly support her family.

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The post RadOnc Welcomes New Chair, Dr. Jean L. Wright appeared first on Department of Radiation Oncology.

Dr. Wright received her MD from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and completed her residency at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.聽Before joining JHU, she was Associate Professor of Clinical Radiation Oncology at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

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Joining us in July of 2025:

Elizaveta 鈥淟iza鈥� Lavrova Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons

Jyotsna Natarajan Drexel University College of Medicine

On July 1, 2024, we will welcome the matched residents from 2023, the equally outstanding Emre Guvenli, MD, and Elitza Koutleva, MD.

Emre Guvenli, MD

Elitza Koutleva, MD

Congratulations, and welcome to 大象传媒 RadOnc!

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