The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) announced today that Rachel Jimenez, MD, will become the new editor-in-chief of Advances in Radiation Oncology, ASTRO's gold open access journal. Dr. Jimenez, an associate professor of radiation oncology at Harvard Medical School and the chair of quality and safety in radiation oncology at Mass General Cancer Center, will begin her five-year term in March 2024.

Dr. Jimenez will succeed Robert C. Miller, MD, MBA, FASTRO, who has served as editor-in-chief since the journal was founded in 2015. Dr. Jimenez currently is an associate editor of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology • Biology • Physics (Red Journal), ASTRO’s flagship journal, and she also serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Clinical Oncology: Oncology Practice.

A nationally recognized researcher who focuses on treating patients with breast cancer, Dr. Jimenez is the principal investigator of several ongoing clinical trials. In addition to her clinical and research work, she also specializes and volunteers extensively in medical ethics, is the former president of the Association of Directors of Radiation Oncology Programs (ADROP) and serves as faculty advisor to the Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology (ARRO).

As editor-in-chief, Dr. Jimenez said she plans to emphasize the “Advances” aspect of the journal’s name by “focusing on evolving technologies in our field while highlighting the biological advances that keep radiation oncology on the cutting edge of cancer research.” She said this could include the first reports of innovations that enhance the efficacy and safety of radiation treatments, such as radiopharmaceuticals or artificial intelligence. Dr. Jimenez also sees an opportunity to expand the journal’s coverage of practical advances in radiation oncology, including those pertaining to reimbursement, residency training and workforce sustainability.

ASTRO launched Advances to provide a forum for original research in radiation oncology that is widely accessible to providers, patients and others across the globe. As an open access journal, all articles in Advances are free to read. This format enabled the journal to become a resource hub for oncologists during COVID-19 pandemic by publishing first-hand accounts and advice from clinics in the hardest-hit areas, followed by best practices to modify treatment safely and effectively during the pandemic.

Dr. Jimenez said she plans to continue leveraging the journal’s open access platform to provide timely, valuable science to the field. “We rely on scientific journals more than ever to curate the most impactful, relevant scholarship for our field.”

ABOUT ASTRO
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is the largest radiation oncology society in the world, with nearly 10,000 members who are physicians, nurses, biologists, physicists, radiation therapists, dosimetrists and other health care professionals who specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. Radiation therapy contributes to 40% of global cancer cures, and more than a million Americans receive radiation treatments for cancer each year. For information on radiation therapy, visit RTAnswers.org. To learn more about ASTRO, visit our website and media center, and follow us on social media.