Emory medical physics faculty and residents at the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Annual Meeting, held July 19–22 in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Lyatskaya and Zhou were named AAPM Fellows
Faculty from the Division of Medical Physics in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine and Winship Cancer Institute were recognized with prestigious honors at the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Annual Meeting, held July 19–22 in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Yulia Lyatskaya, PhD, and Jun Zhou, PhD, both associate professors in the department, were named AAPM Fellows, one of the organization’s highest distinctions. This designation recognizes members who made outstanding contributions to the field of medical physics through research, leadership and service. Lyatskaya and Zhou are also members of the Discovery and Developmental Therapeutics Program at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University.
In addition, Hania Al-Hallaq, PhD, FAAPM, professor of radiation oncology and vice chair and division chief of medical physics, received the Society of Directors of Academic Medical Physics Program (SDAMPP) Distinguished Educator Award, which honors sustained excellence in teaching and a strong commitment to training and mentoring the next generation of medical physicists.
Al-Hallaq received the SDAMPP Educator Distinguished Award
Al-Hallaq is widely recognized as a leader in medical physics education and training. She founded the first Medical Physics Certificate Program in the United States, creating a model that has since been adopted broadly across institutions. Her longstanding leadership within AAPM and SDAMPP includes roles such as vice chair of the Education and Training of Clinical Medical Physicists Committee and chair of the Medical Physics Residency Training Program Committee. She has also played pivotal roles in advancing national initiatives, including the establishment of working groups focused on professional activities and multi-institutional journal clubs.
"I’m honored to be recognized by SDAMPP and proud of the collaborative efforts that continue to strengthen the chain of medical physics education," says Al-Hallaq. "Investing in trainees and fostering innovation in how we teach and mentor will remain essential to advancing our field.”
In addition to these honors, Emory faculty, staff and residents from radiation oncology were featured in invited and proffered programs and poster sessions, delivering more than 40 presentations at the 2026 meeting.
The AAPM annual meeting is the leading scientific gathering for medical physicists, bringing together researchers, clinicians and industry leaders from around the world to share the latest developments in the field. This year it was held jointly with the Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists (COMP) in Vancouver, BC.