Narayan Sahoo, Ph.D., FAAPM, FACR
Department of Radiation Physics, Division of Radiation Oncology
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Professor, Department of Radiation Physics - Patient Care, Division of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Research Interests
Radiation dosimetry of small fields, dose distribution in inhomogeneous media, 3-D dosimtery and proton beam dosimetry.
Treatment plan optimization and evaluation.
Biophysical aspects of radiation therapy including biologically conformal radiation therapy planning and multiscale modeling of radiation response.
Electronic structure and properties of biomolecules.
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
1986 | State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY, USA, PHD, Physics |
1978 | Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar, IND, Diploma in Advanced Physics, Physics |
1976 | Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, IND, M.Sc, Physics |
1974 | Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, IND, B.Sc. (Honors), Physics |
Postgraduate Training
1990-1992 | Post-doctoral Fellowship, Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY |
Board Certifications
1995 | American Board of Radiology: Therapeutic Radiological Physics, Lifetime |
Experience & Service
Academic Appointments
Associate Professor, Department of Radiation Physics, Division of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2004 - 2010
Associate Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, 2000 - 2004
Administrative Appointments/Responsibilities
Director, Advanced Radiation Physics Fellowship Program for Proton Therapy, Department of Radiation Physics - Patient Care, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2009 - 2023
Member, Radiation Physics Resident Steering Committee, Department of Radiation Physics - Patient Care, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2008 - 2010
Institutional Committee Activities
Member, Education Committee for Health Professionals, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2009 - 2023
Honors & Awards
2011 | Fellow, American Association of Physicists in Medicine |
2007 | Outstanding Achievement Award for contributions in the field of Medical Physics, Department of Radiation Physics, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston |
2007 | Multi-year appointment award, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston |
1985 | Honors for academic excellence, State University of New York at Albany |
Professional Memberships
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Li Y, Niemela P, Liao L, Jiang S, Li H, Poenisch F, Zhu XR, Siljamaki S, Vanderstraeten R, Sahoo N, Gillin M, Zhang X. Selective robust optimization: A new intensity-modulated proton therapy optimization strategy. Med Phys 42(8):4840, 2015. PMID: 26233211.
- Liengsawangwong P, Sahoo N, Ding X, Lii M, Gillin MT, Zhu XR. Dosimetric characteristics of a two-dimensional diode array detector irradiated with passively scattered proton beams. Cancers (Basel) 7(3):1425-1435, 2015. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 26264024.
- Liu W, Liao Z, Schild SE, Liu Z, Li H, Li Y, Park PC, Li X, Stoker J, Shen J, Keole S, Anand A, Fatyga M, Dong L, Sahoo N, Vora S, Wong W, Zhu XR, Bues M, Mohan R. Impact of respiratory motion on worst-case scenario optimized intensity modulated proton therapy for lung cancers. Pract Radiat Oncol 5(2):e77-86, 2015. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 25413400.
- Wootton L, Holmes C, Sahoo N, Beddar S. Passively scattered proton beam entrance dosimetry with a plastic scintillation detector. Phys Med Biol 60(3):1185-98, 2015. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 25591037.
- Tabibian AA, Powers A, Dolormente K, Oommen S, Tiwari A, Palmer M, Zhu XR, Li H, Sahoo N, Wisdom P, Velasco K, Erhart K, Stanley H, Nguyen BN. Is there a clinical benefit with a smooth compensator design compared with a plunged compensator design for passive scattered protons?. Med Dosim 40(1):37-43, 2015. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 25263491.
- Zhu XR, Li Y, Mackin D, Li H, Poenisch F, Lee AK, Mahajan A, Frank SJ, Gillin MT, Sahoo N, Zhang X. Towards effective and efficient patient-specific quality assurance for spot scanning proton therapy. Cancers (Basel) 7(2):631-47, 2015. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 25867000.
- Granville DA, Sahoo N, Sawakuchi GO. Calibration of the Al2O3:C optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) signal for linear energy transfer (LET) measurements in therapeutic proton beams. Phys Med Biol 59(15):4295-310, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 25029434.
- Frank SJ, Cox JD, Gillin M, Mohan R, Garden AS, Rosenthal DI, Gunn GB, Weber RS, Kies MS, Lewin JS, Munsell MF, Palmer MB, Sahoo N, Zhang X, Liu W, Zhu XR. Multifield optimization intensity modulated proton therapy for head and neck tumors: a translation to practice. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 89(4):846-53, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 24867532.
- Winey B, Shih HA, Sahoo N, Lee A, Vapiwala N, Both S. Core physics competencies for proton therapy training of radiation oncology and medical physics residents and fellows. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 88(4):971-2, 2014. PMID: 24606858.
- Li Y, Kardar L, Li X, Li H, Cao W, Chang JY, Liao L, Zhu RX, Sahoo N, Gillin M, Liao Z, Komaki R, Cox JD, Lim G, Zhang X. On the interplay effects with proton scanning beams in stage III lung cancer. Med Phys 41(2):021721, 2014. PMID: 24506612.
- Grant RL, Summers PA, Neihart JL, Blatnica AP, Sahoo N, Gillin MT, Followill DS, Ibbott GS. Relative stopping power measurements to aid in the design of anthropomorphic phantoms for proton radiotherapy. J Appl Clin Med Phys 15(2):4523, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 24710437.
- Kardar L, Li Y, Li X, Li H, Cao W, Chang JY, Liao L, Zhu RX, Sahoo N, Gillin M, Liao Z, Komaki R, Cox JD, Lim G, Zhang X. Evaluation and mitigation of the interplay effects of intensity modulated proton therapy for lung cancer in a clinical setting. Pract Radiat Oncol 4(6):e259-68, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 25407877.
- Liu W, Mohan R, Park P, Liu Z, Li H, Li X, Li Y, Wu R, Sahoo N, Dong L, Zhu XR, Grosshans DR. Dosimetric benefits of robust treatment planning for intensity modulated proton therapy for base-of-skull cancers. Pract Radiat Oncol 4(6):384-91, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 25407859.
- Mackin D, Li Y, Taylor MB, Kerr M, Holmes C, Sahoo N, Poenisch F, Li H, Lii J, Amos R, Wu R, Suzuki K, Gillin MT, Zhu XR, Zhang X. Improving spot-scanning proton therapy patient specific quality assurance with HPlusQA, a second-check dose calculation engine. Med Phys 40(12):121708, 2013. PMID: 24320494.
- Pugh TJ, Munsell MF, Choi S, Nguyen QN, Mathai B, Zhu XR, Sahoo N, Gillin M, Johnson JL, Amos RA, Dong L, Mahmood U, Kuban DA, Frank SJ, Hoffman KE, McGuire SE, Lee AK. Quality of Life and Toxicity From Passively Scattered and Spot-Scanning Proton Beam Therapy for Localized Prostate Cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 87(5):946-53, 2013. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 24139077.
- Dhanesar S, Sahoo N, Kerr M, Taylor MB, Summers P, Zhu XR, Poenisch F, Gillin M. Quality assurance of proton beams using a multilayer ionization chamber system. Med Phys 40(9):092102, 2013. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 24007171.
- Park PC, Cheung JP, Zhu XR, Lee AK, Sahoo N, Tucker SL, Liu W, Li H, Mohan R, Court LE, Dong L. Statistical assessment of proton treatment plans under setup and range uncertainties. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 86(5):1007-13, 2013. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 23688812.
- Li H, Sahoo N, Poenisch F, Suzuki K, Li Y, Li X, Zhang X, Lee AK, Gillin MT, Zhu XR. Use of treatment log files in spot scanning proton therapy as part of patient-specific quality assurance. Med Phys 40(2):021703, 2013. PMID: 23387726.
- Dinh J, Stoker J, Georges RH, Sahoo N, Zhu XR, Rath S, Mahajan A, Grosshans DR. Comparison of proton therapy techniques for treatment of the whole brain as a component of craniospinal radiation. Radiat Oncol 8:289, 2013. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 24344645.
- Kandula S, Zhu X, Garden AS, Gillin M, Rosenthal DI, Ang KK, Mohan R, Amin MV, Garcia JA, Wu R, Sahoo N, Frank SJ. Spot-scanning beam proton therapy vs intensity-modulated radiation therapy for ipsilateral head and neck malignancies: A treatment planning comparison. Med Dosim 38(4):390-4, 2013. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 23916884.
- Robertson D, Mirkovic D, Sahoo N, Beddar S. Quenching correction for volumetric scintillation dosimetry of proton beams. Phys Med Biol 58(2):261-73, 2013. e-Pub 2012. PMID: 23257200.
- Wang LL, Perles LA, Archambault L, Sahoo N, Mirkovic D, Beddar S. Determination of the quenching correction factors for plastic scintillation detectors in therapeutic high-energy proton beams. Phys Med Biol 57(23):7767-81, 2012. e-Pub 2012. PMID: 23128412.
- Park PC, Cheung J, Zhu XR, Sahoo N, Court L, Dong L. Fast range-corrected proton dose approximation method using prior dose distribution. Phys Med Biol 57(11):3555-69, 2012. e-Pub 2012. PMID: 22588165.
- Kerns JR, Kry SF, Sahoo N. Characteristics of optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters in the spread-out Bragg peak region of clinical proton beams. Med Phys 39(4):1854-63, 2012. PMID: 22482607.
- Archambault L, Poenisch F, Sahoo N, Robertson D, Lee A, Gillin MT, Mohan R, Beddar S. Verification of proton range, position, and intensity in IMPT with a 3D liquid scintillator detector system. Med Phys 39(3):1239-46, 2012. PMID: 22380355.
- Li Y, Zhu RX, Sahoo N, Anand A, Zhang X. Beyond Gaussians: a study of single-spot modeling for scanning proton dose calculation. Phys Med Biol 57(4):983-97, 2012. e-Pub 2012. PMID: 22297324.
- Anand A, Sahoo N, Zhu XR, Sawakuchi GO, Poenisch F, Amos RA, Ciangaru G, Titt U, Suzuki K, Mohan R, Gillin MT. A procedure to determine the planar integral spot dose values of proton pencil beam spots. Med Phys 39(2):891-900, 2012. PMID: 22320798.
- Park PC, Zhu XR, Lee AK, Sahoo N, Melancon AD, Zhang L, Dong L. A beam-specific planning target volume (PTV) design for proton therapy to account for setup and range uncertainties. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 82(2):e329-36, 2012. e-Pub 2011. PMID: 21703781.
- Boehling NS, Grosshans DR, Bluett JB, Palmer MT, Song X, Amos RA, Sahoo N, Meyer JJ, Mahajan A, Woo SY. Dosimetric Comparison of Three-Dimensional Conformal Proton Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated Proton Therapy, and Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy for Treatment of Pediatric Craniopharyngiomas. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 82(2):643-52, 2012. e-Pub 2011. PMID: 21277111.
- Sha RL, Reddy PY, Sahoo N. A linear source table to determine the treatment times for cylindrical applicators used in high dose rate brachytherapy. Brachytherapy 10(3):249-252, 2011. e-Pub 2010. PMID: 20933480.
- Zullo JR, Kudchadker RJ, Zhu XR, Sahoo N, Gillin MT. LIF TLD-100 as a dosimeter in high energy proton beam therapy-can it yield accurate results?. Med Dosim 35(1):63-66, 2010. e-Pub 2009. PMID: 19931017.
- Arjomandy B, Sahoo N, Cox J, Lee A, Gillin M. Comparison of surface doses from spot scanning and passively scattered proton therapy beams. Phys Med Biol 54(14):N295-N302, 2009. e-Pub 2009. PMID: 19550003.
- Arjomandy B, Sahoo N, Zhu XR, Zullo JR, Wu RY, Zhu M, Ding X, Martin C, Ciangaru G, Gillin MT. An overview of the comprehensive proton therapy machine quality assurance procedures implemented at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center Proton Therapy Center-Houston. Med Phys 36(6):2269-2282, 2009. PMID: 19610316.
- Beddar S, Archambault L, Sahoo N, Poenisch F, Chen GT, Gillin MT, Mohan R. Exploration of the potential of liquid scintillators for real-time 3D dosimetry of intensity modulated proton beams. Med Phys 36(5):1736-1743, 2009. PMID: 19544791.
- Sahoo N, Zhu XR, Arjomandy B, Ciangaru G, Lii M, Amos R, Wu R, Gillin MT. A procedure for calculation of monitor units for passively scattered proton radiotherapy beams. Med Phys 35(11):5088-5097, 2008. PMID: 19070243.
- Sahoo N, Kazi AM, Hoffman M. Semi-empirical procedures for correcting detector size effect on clinical MV x-ray beam profiles. Med Phys 35(11):5124-5133, 2008. PMID: 19070247.
- Arjomandy B, Sahoo N, Ding, X, Gillin, M. Use of a two-dimensional ionization chamber array for proton therapy beam quality assurance. Med Phys 35(9):3889-3894, 2008. PMID: 18841839.
- Titt U, Sahoo N, Ding X, Zheng Y, Newhauser WD, Zhu XR, Polf JC, Gillin MT, Mohan R. Assessment of the accuracy of an MCNPX-based Monte Carlo simulation model for predicting three-dimensional absorbed dose distributions. Phys Med Biol 53(16):4455-70, 2008. PMID: 18670050.
- Li Y, Zhang X, Lii M, Sahoo N, Zhu XR, Gillin M, Mohan R. Incorporating partial shining effects in proton pencil-beam dose calculation. Phys Med Biol 53(3):605-616, 2008. e-Pub 2008. PMID: 18199905.
- Wang B, Goldstein M, Xu XG, Sahoo N. Adjoint Monte Carlo method for prostate external photon beam treatment planning: an application to 3D patient anatomy. Phys Med Biol 50(5):923-35, 2005. e-Pub 2005. PMID: 15798265.
- Scheicher R, Cammarere D, Sahoo N, Das T, Briere T, Pratt F, Nagamine K. First-Principles Study of Muon and Muonium Trapping in the Protein Chain of Cytochrome c. . Physica B 326:30-33, 2003.
- Sahoo N. Measurement of transit time of a remote after-loading high dose rate brachytherapy source. Med Phys 28(8):1786-90, 2001. PMID: 11548950.
- Sahoo N, Ling CC, Anderson LL. Analysis of factors affecting the therapeutic gain in high dose rate gynecological implants relative to low dose rate implants. Med Phys 23(3):419-25, 1996. PMID: 8815385.
- Ling CC, Roy J, Sahoo N, Wallner K, Anderson L. Quantifying the effect of dose inhomogeneity in brachytherapy: application to permanent prostatic implant with 125I seeds. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 28(4):971-8, 1994. PMID: 8138450.
- Ling CC, Sahoo N, Leibel S, Anderson LL. High dose rate gynecological applications--radiobiological considerations based on the alpha-beta model. Radiother Oncol 25(2):103-10, 1992. PMID: 1438929.
- Sahoo N, Ramani Lata K, Das T. First-Principles Unrestricted Hartree-Fock Investigation of Electronic Structure and Hyperfine Properties of Heme Derivatives-Hemin. . Theoretica Chimica Acta 82:285-298, 1992.
- Ramani Lata K, Sahoo N, Das T. Nature of Second Hydration Shell in Mn2+-Aquoion System-Influence on Proton Relaxivity in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. . The Journal of Chemical Physics 91:3715-3721, 1991.
- Sahoo N Das T. Geometrical Arrangement of Water Molecules in Copper-Aquoion Complex-Influence on Shifts and Relaxivities in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. . The Journal of Chemical Physics 93:1200-1208, 1990.
- Sahoo N Das T. Hyperfine Interactions and Relaxivities in Divalent and Trivalent Aquoion Systems. The Journal of Chemical Physics 91:7740-7748, 1989.
Grant & Contract Support
Title: | "Development of a computational radiation biophysics program for studying the interaction of bio-molecules in normal and malignant tissues with ionizing radiation, contrast agents and nanomaterials, and for multiscale modeling of the radiation response" |
Funding Source: | UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Department of Radiation Physics |
Role: | Principal Investigator |
Title: | Optimizing Proton Radiation Therapy |
Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
Role: | Co-Investigator |
Title: | Evaluation of Enhanced Spot Beam Model for IMPT and Production of Library of Reference Measured Dose Distribution Data for Evaluation of Future Enhancements of IMPT Treatment Planning System |
Funding Source: | Varian Medical Systems |
Role: | Co-project leader |
Title: | Proton Radiography and CT Using a Novel Image Detection System and Approach Based on Monolithic Scintillator and Digital Cameras |
Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
Role: | Co-Investigator |