Brett I. Bell is an MD/PhD student who defended his thesis in February 2024 and has returned to the clinical phase of his training. Brett is a 2018 magna cum laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania where he received both a B.A. in Biochemistry and Biology, with distinction in both majors, as well as an M.S. in Chemistry. At Penn, Brett conducted research under the mentorship of Dr. Constantinos Koumenis into the role of Interleukin-6 in acute and delayed gastrointestinal toxicity using a novel mouse model of focal image-guided irradiation.
After joining the Guha lab, Brett studied how the physical characteristics of radiation can alter its’ biological effects. He investigated the impact of radiation energy on hematopoietic, gastrointestinal, and immunologic injury using orthovoltage X-rays and 137Cs γ-rays and identified an energy dependence of RBE using modern preclinical irradiatiors. In collaboration with the New York Proton Center, Brett studied the effects of pencil beam scanned FLASH proton therapy on gastrointestinal toxicity. Furthermore, Brett has coordinated multi-institutional collaborations with the Heidelberger Ionenstrahl Therapiezentrum and Brookhaven National Laboratory to elucidate the immunologic consequences of carbon ion radiotherapy in pancreatic cancer. He is currently funded by an NCI Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (F30CA278322).
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