5 minutes with JESSICA LEIF ’97

Position: Associate director of the Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core – Houston Quality Assurance Center and senior medical physicist at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Degree: Master’s degree in physics, ECU; bachelor’s in physics, Union College, Schenectady, New York
Resides: Houston, Texas

Briefly describe your job responsibilities.

I collaborate with radiation oncologists, medical physicists, dosimetrists and radiation technologists to perform quality assurance on patient charts and the linear accelerators used to treat patients participating in National Cancer Institute-funded clinical trials.

What led you into this career?

During my undergraduate studies, I worked in several research labs, including those at Brookhaven National Laboratory. During my junior year my grandfather was diagnosed with colon cancer, and I had the opportunity to speak with his radiation oncologist, who introduced me to their medical physicist. This sparked my interest in medical physics. Subsequently, I met with another medical physicist who provided valuable guidance on master’s programs in physics. This ultimately led me to pursue my studies at ECU.

What’s most rewarding about your job?

It’s profoundly rewarding to know that I have contributed to someone overcoming cancer and have played a role in establishing the standard of care for cancer patients.

What are you working on that you’re most excited about right now?

I am collaborating with the Global Quality Assurance of Radiation Therapy Clinical Trials Harmonization Group to improve worldwide quality assurance of radiation therapy when dealing with multi-institutional clinical trials.

What professor at ECU influenced you most?

Jeff Shinpaugh was one of my favorite professors. He consistently demonstrated his passion for physics within and beyond the classroom. His class has assisted me multiple times in the applications of protons and heavy ions in particle therapy for cancer treatments.

We want to hear stories from alumni about how their experiences at ECU shaped them today and how they pass those lessons to others. Send us an email at easteditor@ecu.edu.