Todd DeWees, Chief Scientist
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About
Dr. Todd DeWees currently serves as Chief Scientist at the Radiation Effects Research Foundation. He has more than 15 years of experience in research involving radiation.
Dr. DeWees graduated with a Ph.D. in Statistics from the University of Missouri (Columbia, USA). He has worked in the fields of Radiation Oncology (RO), Surgery, and Diabetes. Dr. DeWees’ contribution to trial design, protocol development, data management, data monitoring, statistical analysis, and reporting has led to numerous peer-reviewed publications and presentations in the fields of Radiation Oncology, Surgery, Neuro-Oncology, Cell Biology, and Medical Physics.
Dr. DeWees’ work on the use of technology to improve trial adherence and clinical research has had significant public health impact. Through creation of online/interactive dashboards to access a Unified Data Platform to collate patient data, he has established linked data systems that have improved patient care and research.
His methodological research has focused on quality of life and patient-reported outcomes (PROs), yielding analytical methods to determine relationships between patient-reported toxicity and clinical outcomes. His deep learning/neural network models for predicting toxicity and clinical outcomes based on PROs were awarded with the Cutting-Edge Research Plenary at ISOQOL. Additionally, Dr. DeWees has used institutional and national databases to address health disparities in clinical access and outcomes, including development of spatial Poisson point process models for incidence and severity of breast cancer for the American Indian population (AI/AN) in Arizona and Nevada as well as a Phase III prostate cancer clinical trial with an emphasis on the African-American population and quality of life outcomes.
Dr. DeWees serves as a statistical expert on the ASTRO Science Council, shaping the goals and future direction of the organization, with emphasis towards research for residents and early investigators in Radiation Oncology and Medical Physics.
Dr. DeWees graduated with a Ph.D. in Statistics from the University of Missouri (Columbia, USA). He has worked in the fields of Radiation Oncology (RO), Surgery, and Diabetes. Dr. DeWees’ contribution to trial design, protocol development, data management, data monitoring, statistical analysis, and reporting has led to numerous peer-reviewed publications and presentations in the fields of Radiation Oncology, Surgery, Neuro-Oncology, Cell Biology, and Medical Physics.
Dr. DeWees’ work on the use of technology to improve trial adherence and clinical research has had significant public health impact. Through creation of online/interactive dashboards to access a Unified Data Platform to collate patient data, he has established linked data systems that have improved patient care and research.
His methodological research has focused on quality of life and patient-reported outcomes (PROs), yielding analytical methods to determine relationships between patient-reported toxicity and clinical outcomes. His deep learning/neural network models for predicting toxicity and clinical outcomes based on PROs were awarded with the Cutting-Edge Research Plenary at ISOQOL. Additionally, Dr. DeWees has used institutional and national databases to address health disparities in clinical access and outcomes, including development of spatial Poisson point process models for incidence and severity of breast cancer for the American Indian population (AI/AN) in Arizona and Nevada as well as a Phase III prostate cancer clinical trial with an emphasis on the African-American population and quality of life outcomes.
Dr. DeWees serves as a statistical expert on the ASTRO Science Council, shaping the goals and future direction of the organization, with emphasis towards research for residents and early investigators in Radiation Oncology and Medical Physics.
Education
- 2009
- Ph.D., Statistics, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
- 2003
- MS, Statistics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
- 2001
- BA, Mathematics/Computer Science, Spanish, Dana College, Blair, Nebraska
Experience
- 2025 –
- Chief Scientist, Radiation Effects Research Foundation
- 2023 – 2024
- Professor, Division of Biostatistics, Department of Computational and Quantitative Medicine, Beckman Research institute at City of Hope, Duarte, California
- 2023 – 2024
- Section Head, Department of Radiation Oncology, Department of Surgery, City of Hope, Duarte, California
- 2022 – 2023
- Associate Professor of Biostatistics, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science
- 2020 – 2023
- Senior Associate Consultant II-Research, Cancer Center Statistics Unit, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona
- 2020 – 2023
- Senior Associate Consultant II-Research (Joint Appointment,) Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona
- 2018 – 2020
- Senior Associate Consultant I-Research, Cancer Center Statistics Unit, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona
- 2015 – 2018
- Assistant Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
- 2013 – 2015
- Instructor, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
- 2012 – 2016
- Statistical Analyst Contractor, Traxxsson L.L.C., St. Louis, Missouri
- 2011 – 2013
- Research Statistician, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
- 2011 – 2012
- Adjunct Faculty, Missouri College, St. Louis, Missouri
- 2010 – 2011
- Statistician, University of Dundee; Biomedical Research Institute, Dundee, Scotland
- 2008 – 2010
- Statistical Consultant, Social Science Statistical Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
- 2006 – 2009
- Statistical Analyst Contractor, Strategic One L.L.C., Overland Park, Kansas
- 2005 – 2010
- Research Assistant, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
- 2004 – 2008
- Adjunct Faculty, Columbia College, Columbia, Missouri
- 2003 – 2010
- Graduate Instructor, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
- 2002
- Statistical Assistant, Food and Drug Administration, Rockville, Maryland
- 2001 – 2003
- Graduate Instructor, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
Selected publications
- Huang J, Campian JL, DeWees TA, Skrott Z, …, Zipfel GJ. A Phase 1/2 Study of Disulfiram and Copper With Concurrent Radiation Therapy and Temozolomide for Patients With Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma. IJROBP. 2024 May 19. Volume 120, Issue 3, 738 – 749
- Gunn HJ, Zaniletti I, Breen WG, …, Vora SA, Merrell KW, Ashman JB, …, & DeWees TA. Establishing the minimal clinically important difference of the Brief Fatigue Inventory for brain or CNS cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. Neuro-Oncology Practice. 2024 Apr 27:npae034.
- Lucido JJ, DeWees TA, Leavitt TR, Anand A, …, Zverovitch A, Patel SH. Validation of clinical acceptability of deep-learning-based automated segmentation of organs-at-risk for head-and-neck radiotherapy treatment planning. Front Oncol. 2023 Apr 6;13:1137803.
- Yu NY, Patel SH, Schild SE, DeWees TA. Rational radiotherapy: The role in node-negative squamous cell carcinoma. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2023 Mar;88(3):e141-e142.
- Hoppe BS, Petersen IA, Wilke BK, DeWees TA, Imai R, …, Karim M, Ahmed SK. Pragmatic, Prospective Comparative Effectiveness Trial of Carbon Ion Therapy, Surgery, and Proton Therapy for the Management of Pelvic Sarcomas (Soft Tissue/Bone) Involving the Bone: The PROSPER Study Rationale and Design. Cancers (Basel). 2023 Mar 8;15(6):1660.
- Buras MR, Breen WG, Laack NN, Gross TV, …, Ahmed SK, Ulbrich A, Daniels TB, DeWees TA. Patient Versus Caregiver: Correlation and Differences in Pediatric Quality of Life Using a Prospective Registry in a Large-Volume, Multisite Practice. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2022 Nov 1; 114 (3):472-477
- Choi JI, Prabhu K, Hartsell WF, DeWees T, Sinesi C, Vargas C, Benda RK, Cahlon O, Chang AL. Outcomes and toxicities after proton partial breast radiotherapy for early stage, hormone receptor positive breast cancer: 3-Year results of a phase II multi-center trial. Clin Transl Radiat Oncol. 2022 Nov; 37:71-77
- Routman DM, Kumar S, Chera BS, Jethwa KR, Van Abel KM, Frechette K, DeWees T, …, Gupta GP, Ma DJ. Detectable Postoperative Circulating Tumor Human Papillomavirus DNA and Association with Recurrence in Patients With HPV-Associated Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2022 Jul 1; 113 (3):530-538
- Golafshar MA, Petersen M, Vargas CE, Samadder NJ, …, Cheng TW, Vargas M, DeWees TA. Utilizing open-source platforms to build and deploy interactive patient- reported quality of life tracking tools for monitoring protocol adherence. Qual Life Res. 2021 Nov; 30 (11):3189- 3197
- Zahrieh D, Golafshar MA, Patel SH, DeWees TA. Quantification of Potential Inequities in Breast Cancer Incidence in New Mexico Through Bayesian Disease Mapping. Prev Chronic Dis. 2021 Mar 11; 18:E23
- DeWees T, Golafshar M, Petersen M, …, Laack N, Dueck A, Vargas C. Proton therapy reduces patient-reported adverse events: a neural network for large-volume practice. Radiotherapy and Oncology. 2020 Nov; 152(Suppl 1):S242-3
- DeWees TA, Mazza GL, Golafshar MA, Dueck AC. Investigation Into the Effects of Using Normal Distribution Theory Methodology for Likert Scale Patient-Reported Outcome Data From Varying Underlying Distributions Including Floor/Ceiling Effects. Value Health. 2020 May; 23 (5):625-631
- DeWees TA, Vargas CE, Golafshar MA, Harmsen WS, Dueck AC. Analytical Methods for Observational Data to Generate Hypotheses and Inform Clinical Decisions. Semin Radiat Oncol. 2019 Oct; 29 (4):311-317
- Contreras JA, Spencer C, DeWees T, Haughey B, Henke LE, …, Thorstad W. Eliminating Postoperative Radiation to the Pathologically Node-Negative Neck: Long-Term Results of a Prospective Phase II Study. J Clin Oncol. 2019 Jun 27
- DeWees TA, Nikitas J, Rehman S, Bradley JD, Robinson CG, Roach MC. Defining Optimal Comorbidity Measures for Patients With Early-Stage Non-small cell lung cancer Treated With Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy. Pract Radiat Oncol. 2019 Jan; 9 (1):e83-e89
- Zaniletti I, Gunn HJ, Hallemeier CL, …, Leenstra JL, May BC, Ashman JB, DeWees TA. Determining the Minimal Clinically Important Difference of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Hepatobiliary Questionnaire to Evaluate the Change in the Quality of Life of Patients With Pancreatic Cancer During Radiation Therapy. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2023 Aug 14:S0360-3016(23)07747-7.
- Gunn HJ, Zaniletti I, Breen WG, …, Vora SA, Merrell KW, Ashman JB, …, & DeWees TA. Establishing the minimal clinically important difference of the Brief Fatigue Inventory for brain or CNS cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. Neuro-Oncology Practice. 2024 Apr 27:npae034.