My research focuses on evidence based radiation oncology and the development of novel strategies for optimizing radiation therapy outcome through personalized prescriptions of the 4D dose distribution using molecular risk profiling and functional imaging, so-called theragnostic radiation oncology. Theragnostic radiation oncology is the theme for our competitive re-submission of the DHO PO1 grant that I am coordinating. The aim is to provide a clinico-biological basis for rational prescription of non-uniform dose distributions in individual patients. The UW provides an exceptional environment for pursuing this research line, with strong functional and molecular imaging groups - expected to be further enhanced when the Interdisciplinary Research Center (IRC) comes on line.

Molecular risk profiling is directly linked with outcomes research, mainly based on data from clinical trials and we have pioneered the use of hierarchical clustering and competing risks analysis in this context. Most of our work so far, has been based on immunohistochemical markers or DNA gene expression arrays, but we are actively pursuing collaborations and seeking funding for expanding these approaches into proteomics and metabolomics together with the Biotech Center at UW.

My third major research area is bioeffect modeling and outcomes research. Bioeffect modeling includes the modeling of dose-response relationships, linear-quadratic time-dose-frationation models and NTCP / TCP models. I am also involved in the design, conduct, analysis and interpretation of several randomized controlled trials and have a long-standing research interest in long-term side-effects, health-related quality of life and functional outcomes. Active research lines also include surrogate endpoint in clinical trials and normal tissue radiobiology. Much of this research is pursued with a large network of national and international collaborators.

Selected publications (from a total of 267, abstracts not included):

Buffa FM, Bentzen SM, Daley FM et al. Molecular marker profiles predict locoregional control of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in a randomized trial of continuous hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy. Clin Cancer Res. 2004 Jun 1;10(11):3745-54.

Bentzen SM. Theragnostic imaging for radiation oncology: dose-painting by numbers. Lancet Oncol. 2005 Feb;6(2):112-7.

Bentzen SM, Atasoy BM, Daley FM et al. Epidermal growth factor receptor expression in pretreatment biopsies from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma as a predictive factor for a benefit from accelerated radiation therapy in a randomized controlled trial. J Clin Oncol. 2005 Aug 20;23(24):5560-7.

Bentzen SM. Preventing or reducing late side effects of radiation therapy: radiobiology meets molecular pathology. Nature Reviews Cancer 2006 Sep 1; 6(9): 702-713.

For a full listing of publications indexed for MEDLINE click the link above!

Rolf Wideroe Award, Radiumhospitalet, Oslo, Norway, 2006.

ESTRO-ICTR Translational Research Award, International Conference on Translational Research and Pre-Clinical Strategies in Radio-Oncology, Lugano, Switzerland, 2006.

Acta Oncologica Lectureship, Norwegian Society for Oncology, 2003.

Gold Medal (The Klaas Breur Medal) of the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ESTRO), 2003.

Emmanuel van der Schueren Award Lecturer, European School of Oncology, 2003.

Institute of Cancer Research Distinguished Lecturer, Sutton, 2003.

Allen S. Lichter Lectureship, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 2001.

Varian Lectureship, Harvard Medical School, Boston, 2001.

Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists Annual Lecturer, 1999.

The Clinical Oncology Award, Danish Society for Oncology,1998.

L.H.Gray Memorial Trust Lecture, Association for Radiation Research, UK, 1998.

Membership of scientific societies: ASTRO, AACR, ESTRO

Positions and Employment (selected):

1981-1987: Medical Physicist / Research Fellow, University Hospital of Aarhus, Denmark

1987-1988: Visiting Scientist, Dept. of Biomathematics, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

1988-1989: Senior Medical Physicist, University Hospital of Aarhus, Denmark

1990-1997: Senior Scientist / Associate Professor, University of Aarhus and Danish Cancer Society, Department of Experimental Clinical Oncology in Aarhus, Denmark

1998-2004: Head, Human Cancer Biology & Informatics, Gray Laboratory, Mt Vernon Hospital, Northwood, United Kingdom

2000-2005: Honorary Professor, Department of Oncology, University College London, United Kingdom

2004-2005: Visiting Professor of Human Oncology and of Medical Physics, UW Medical School, Madison, WI

2004-present: Director of Research and Education, Department of Human Oncology, UW Comprehensive Cancer Center, Madison, WI

2005-present: Professor of Human Oncology and of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI

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Committee Memberships etc. (selected)

2005-present: Member, International Scientific Advisory Committee, Academic Clinical Oncology and Radiobiology Research Network, UK

2005-present: Member of the Danish National Light-ion Therapy Steering Committee

2002-2005: Member, EORTC Translational Research Advisory Committee

2000-2004: Member of the Examining Board for the First Examination for the Fellowship in Clinical Oncology, Royal College of Radiologists, London, UK

1999-2005: External Examiner in Therapeutic Radiography (Chairman of Examination Committee, 2002-2004), Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland

1998-2003: member of the Local Research Ethics Committee for West Hertfordshire National Health Service Trust, UK

1998-2002: Head of Information Technology, Gray Laboratory, Northwood UK.

1997-2002: Chairman of the ESTRO Radiobiology Committee

1993-1996: Board member, Danish Cancer Society

1990-1997: Member of the ESTRO Radiobiology Committee

+ numerous Trial Management Groups, Independent Data and Safety Monitoring Committees, Trial Steering Committees

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Editorial activity;

2003-present: Editorial Board, International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics

1991-present: Editorial Board, Radiotherapy & Oncology

1991-present: Editorial Board, International Journal of Radiation Biology

1998-present: Editorial Board, Acta Oncologica

2004-2005: Associate Editor, British Journal of Radiology

2001-present: Editorial Board, Nowotwory, Journal of the Polish Society of Oncology