ABR Trustee Catheryn Yashar, MD, was voted president-elect by the membership of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) in July. She will begin her term during the organization’s annual meeting next month and will become president in September 2026.
Dr. Yashar is a professor of radiation medicine and applied sciences at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), where she also serves as chief medical officer and associate dean for UCSD Health. She specializes in brachytherapy and treating patients with breast and gynecologic cancers. A nationally recognized expert in health policy and economics, she serves on ASTRO’s board as health policy council chair.
“I am deeply committed to cultivating an environment that champions research, innovation, and the freedom to explore new approaches to improving tumor control while minimizing toxicities,” she said. “It is equally important that ASTRO continues to offer robust educational opportunities to address knowledge gaps among physicians, communities, and patients, and to promote technologies that support consistent, high-quality care.”
Dr. Yashar, who became an ABR Trustee in 2020, is past president of the American Brachytherapy Society and former vice chair of the Uterine and Cervical Cancer Panel for the National Cancer Comprehensive Network. She has served on the editorial boards of ASTRO’s three journals and as CPT advisor to the ASTRO society.
ASTRO’s board represents the medical society’s 10,000 members, including physicians, medical physicists, biologists, radiation therapists, and other professionals who treat patients for cancer and other diseases using radiation therapies.
