Penn Medicine at the 2026 ASTRO Annual Meeting

Leading experts in radiation therapy from the Abramson Cancer Center (ACC) of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine will give several high-profile presentations at the American Society for Radiation Oncology's (ASTRO) 68th Annual Meeting, taking place Sept. 26-30 in Boston.

At the meeting, Neha Vapiwala, MD, FACR, FASTRO, FASCO, the Eli J. Glatstein Professor in Radiation Oncology, will address attendees as president of ASTRO. She is the first Penn faculty member to lead the premier society for radiation oncology professionals and recently shared her insights for advancing a medical career at any stage—from applying to medical school to professional development.

Visit the Penn Radiation Medicine Institute (PRMI) at Booth #1722 and the University of Pennsylvania Radiation Oncology Education Programs at Booth #1759. Follow Penn MD Forum on X and Instagram, and the Department of Radiation Oncology on LinkedIn and Instagram for updates from the meeting.

Key presentations

Dozens of Penn trainees and faculty members will participate in the meeting by presenting their research and moderating scientific, educational and workshop sessions. Additionally, James Metz, MD, chair of Radiation Oncology, will moderate the second Keynote Address with former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, on Tuesday, Sept. 29. Penn presentation highlights include:

Keynote Address

Ezekiel Emanuel, MD, PhD, Vice Provost for Global Initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania, will deliver the first keynote session, sharing his perspective in relation to the 2026 meeting theme: "Data to Dialogue: Communicating Radiotherapy's Value to Advance Care."

• Session info: Monday, Sept. 28 at 9:15 a.m. in the Grand Ballroom.

Presidential Address

Neha Vapiwala, MD, FACR, FASTRO, FASCO, the Eli J. Glatstein Professor in Radiation Oncology, will share priorities and insights from ASTRO leadership to advance the value and perceptions of radiotherapy’s role in clinical care, and to address challenges and opportunities for strengthening professional development and patient outcomes.

• Session info: Monday, Sept. 28 at 1:00 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom. 

Scientific Session (SS27)

Michelle Alonso-Basanta, MD, PhD, a professor of Radiation Oncology and chief of the Central Nervous System Service, is presenting on “Advances in Multimodal Therapy for Glioblastoma: From Phase I to Phase III Trials.” She is also co-moderator of the session and was recently named to the 2026 Class of ASTRO Fellows.

• Session info: Tuesday, Sept. 29 at 12:30 p.m. in Room 153.

Contact for interviews

Experts from the Perelman School of Medicine are available to comment on a wide range of topics in radiation oncology care and research during the meeting on site and by video, phone, or email. To arrange interviews, please contact Meagan Raeke at Meagan.Raeke@pennmedicine.upenn.edu or 267-693-6224.