Update Your ProfileAcademic Title:
Assistant Professor
Primary Appointment:
Radiation Oncology
Additional Title:
DABR
Email:
Location:
University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center
Phone (Primary):
410 553 8102
Education and Training
Education
1997-2000 BSc., Physics (Honors), Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, India.
2000-2002 MSc., Physics, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, India.
2003-2005 M.S., Physics, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas.
2006-2008 M.S., Medical Physics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
2008-2014 Ph.D., Biophysical Sciences and Medical Physics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Post Graduate Education and Training
2014-2016 Residency, Therapeutic Medical Physics, University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland.
Certifications
2014 American Association of Physicists in Medicine. Certificate in Magnetic Resonance guided Radiation Therapy
2016 American Association of Physicists in Medicine. Certificate in Application of Risk Analysis Methods to Radiotherapy Quality Management
2019 American Board of Radiology, Certificate in Therapeutic Medical Physics
Biosketch
Dr. Kalavagunta received his Ph.D. in Medical Physics at the Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, MN. Dr. Kalavagunta is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. In 2016, Dr. Kalavagunta completed his two-year residency at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Research/Clinical Keywords
Radiation Oncology, Physics, Radiation Therapy,
Highlighted Publications
Kalavagunta C, Xu H, Zhang B, Mossahebi S, MacFarlane M, Jiang K, Woo-Lee S, Chen S, Sawant A, Gopal A, Yi B, “Is a weekly qualitative Picket Fence test sufficient? A proposed alternate EPID based weekly MLC QA program”, JACMP J Appl Clin Med Phys. 2022;e13699.
Diwanji, T, Mohindra P, Vyfhuis M, Snider J, Kalavagunta C, Mossahebi S, Yu J, Feigenberg S, Badiyan S, "Advances in radiotherapy techniques and delivery for non-small cell lung cancer: benefits of intensity-modulated radiation therapy, proton therapy, and stereotactic body radiation therapy." Translational Lung Cancer Research 6, no. 2 (2017): 131.
Mossahebi S, Kalavagunta C, Chung H,” Current technological state of radiation therapy for the treatment of lung cancer”, Internal Medicine Review 2 (2016).
Metzger GJ, Kalavagunta C, Spilseth B, Bolan PJ, Li X, Hutter D, Nam JW, Johnson AD, Henriksen JC, Moench L, Konety B, Warlick CA, Schmechel SC, Koopmeiners JS,” Detection of Prostate Cancer: Multiparametric MR Imaging Models Developed by Using Registered Correlative Histopathologic Results”, Radiology 279.3 (2016), 805-816.
Kalavagunta C, Zhou X, Schmechel S, Metzger GJ, "Registration of in vivo prostate MRI and pseudo‐whole mount histology using Local Affine Transformations guided by Internal Structures (LATIS)." Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging 41.4 (2015): 1104-1114.
Kalavagunta C, Michaeli S, Metzger GJ," Invitro GdDTPA Relaxometry Studies in Oxygenated Venous Human Blood and Aqueous Solution at 3 and 7T", Contrast Media and Molecular Imaging. 9.2 (2014), 169-176.
Gasparian PBR, Ruan C, Ahmad S, Kalavagunta C, Cheng CY, Yukihara EG," Demonstrating the use of optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters (OSLDs) for measurement of staff radiation exposure in interventional fluoroscopy and helmet output factors in radiosurgery", Radiation Measurements. 45(2010), 677–680.
Yukihara EG, Gasparian PBR, Sawakuchi GO, Ruan C, Ahmad S, Kalavagunta C, Clouse WJ, Sahoo N, Titt U," Medical applications of optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters (OSLDs)", Radiation Measurements. 45 (2010), 658–662.
Yukihara EG, Ruan C, Gasparian PBR, Clouse WJ, Kalavagunta C, Ahmad S," An optically stimulated luminescence system to measure dose profiles in x-ray computed tomography", Phys. Med. Biol. 54 (2009), 6337.
Additional Publication Citations
Xu, J, Xu, J, Kalavagunta C,”Auto Analysis Commissioning On EPID Image Based Winston Lutz Tests”, AAPM Spring Clinical Meeting (2022)
Tehrani JN, Kalavagunta C, Lasio G, Chen S, Yi B,”Motion of Electronic Portal Imaging Devices and Clinical Implications for Multi-Leaf Collimator Quality Assurance” Joint AAPM and COMP Meeting (2020).
Kalavagunta C, Becker S , Gopal A, Prado K," A Lean Truebeam Commissioning Beam Dataset for Multi-Linac Facilities-The University of Maryland Experience", Proc. AAPM 59th Annual Meeting 2017.
Kalavagunta C, Lasio G," Using Robust Optimization in Raystation to Achieve Flash in Breast VMAT Plans", Proc. AAPM 59th Annual Meeting 2017.
Chen S, Zhang B, Yi B, Langen K, Nichols E, Langner U, Gopal A, Kalavagunta C, Prado K, D'Souza W," Post-Upgrade Quality Assurance of the Radiation Oncology Information System", Proc. AAPM 59th Annual Meeting 2017.
Gopal A, Xu H, Kalavagunta C, Chen S," Accuracy of Step-Function Based CBCT-Density Calibration and Dose Calculation in a Raystation Treatment Planning System", Proc. AAPM 59th Annual Meeting 2017.
Mossahebi S, Langen K, Guerrero M, Yi B, Lu W, Kalavagunta C, Prado K, Chen S," SU-F-T-286: Calculation-Based Patient Specific IMRT QA Detects Potential Errors That Measurement-Based QA Does Not ", Proc. AAPM 58th Annual Meeting 2016.
Snider JW, Kalavagunta C, Xu H, Schrum A, Vadnais P, Marter K, Lin MH, Suntharalingam M," Bolus effect of immobilization masks in head and neck radiotherapy mitigated by mask alteration and dosimetric optimization for skin avoidance", Proc. ASTRO 57th Annual Meeting 2015.
Snider JW, Kalavagunta C, Xu H, Schrum A, Vadnais P, Marter K, Lin MH, Suntharalingam M," Improved Skin Sparing with Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) in Head and Neck Irradiation Utilizing Skin-Avoidance Optimization", Proc. ASTRO 57th Annual Meeting 2015.
Kalavagunta C, Lasio G, Yi B, Zhou J, Lin MH," Characterization of Pacemaker/ICD Dose in SAVI HDR Brachytherapy", Proc. AAPM 57th Annual Meeting 2015.
Kalavagunta C, Lin MH, Snider J, Xu H, Schrum A, Vadnais P, Marter K, Suntharalingam M, " A Radiochromic Film Based Quantitative Assessment of Thermoplastic Mask Bolus Effect in Head and Neck IMRT/VMAT", Proc. AAPM 57th Annual Meeting 2015.
Metzger GJ, Kalavagunta C, Schmechel S, Bolan PJ, Konety B, Spilseth B, Warlick CA, Koopmeiners JS," Development of Quantitative Multi-Parametric MRI Models for Prostate Cancer Assessment Using Registered Correlative Pathology ", Proc. Intl. Soc. Mag. Reson. Med. 23 (2015), p3842.
Metzger GJ, Fossen B, Bolan PJ, Warlick CA, Konety B, Schmechel S, Kalavagunta C, Tkac I," Detection and Grading of Prostate Cancer Using Model-Based Spectral Fitting ", Proc. Intl. Soc. Mag. Reson. Med. 22 (2014), p4117.
Kalavagunta C, Zhou X, Schmechel S, Koopmeiners JS, Warlick CA, Konety B, Metzger GJ," Pixel-Wise Multi-Parametric Assessment of Prostate Cancer from Co-registered regions of Pathologically defined Disease", Proc. Intl. Soc. Mag. Reson. Med. 22 (2014), p 1066.
Kalavagunta C, Zhou X, Henriksen J, Schmechel S, Metzger GJ," Image Registration of Histopathology and MR and Prostate Cancer using LATIS", Fourth Annual Masonic Cancer Research Symposium. Minneapolis, Minnesota (2013).
Kalavagunta C, Warlick CA, Zhou X, Li X, Koopmeiners JS, Henriksen JC, Johnson AD, Schmechel S, Metzger GJ," Improved postprostatectomy pathology coregistration with invivo MRI by a novel deformable registration strategy", Donald Gleason Conference on Prostate Cancer (2013).
Nam JW, Kalavagunta C, Dankbar SC, Henriksen J, Schmechel S, Metzger GJ," JPStitch 2.0: a Software for Volumetric Reconstruction and Analysis of Digitized Pathology", Donald Gleason Conference on Prostate Cancer (2013).
Kalavagunta C, Warlick CA, Zhou X, Li X, Koopmeiners JS, Henriksen JC, Johnson AD, Schmechel S, Metzger GJ," Analysis of Quantitative MRI and Pathology based on Coregistered Regions of Prostate Cancer", Proc. Intl. Soc. Mag. Reson. Med. 20 (2012), p 2996.
Kalavagunta C, Zhou X, Henriksen JC, Schmechel S, Metzger GJ," Registration of Invivo Prostate MRI and Pseudo Whole Mount Histology using Local Affine Transformation with Internal Structures (LATIS)", Proc. Intl. Soc. Mag. Reson. Med. 20 (2012), p 2997.
Mangia S, Chamberlain R, De Martino F, Moeller S, Corum C, Kim T, Kalavagunta C, Michaeli S, Garwood M, Kim S, Ugurbil K," Functional MRI with SWIFT", Proc. Intl. Soc. Mag. Reson. Med. 20 (2012), p326.
Li X, Kalavagunta C, Nelson MT, Metzger GJ," Arterial Spin Labeling Perfusion Studies of the Prostate with an ERC", Proc. Intl. Soc. Mag. Reson. Med. 19 (2011), p3062.
Li X, Kalavagunta C, Metzger GJ," Prostate Perfusion Using Arterial Spin Labeling: Initial Experience", Proc. Intl. Soc. Mag. Reson. Med. 19 (2011), p3063.
Kalavagunta C, Metzger GJ,"A field comparison of r1 and r2* relaxivities of GdDTPA in aqueous solution and whole blood: 3T vs.7T", Proc. Intl. Soc. Mag. Reson. Med. 18 (2010), p4990.
Gasparian PBR, Yukihara EG, Ruan C, Ahmad S, Kalavagunta C, Cheng CY," Preliminary results on the application of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) to dosimetry in diagnostic radiology and radiosurgery", Proceedings of the 14th Brazilian Congress on medical Physics (2009).
Ruan C, Kalavagunta C, Yukihara EG, Gasparian PBR, Salahuddin A," Estimation of Radiation Dose from MultiSlice CT Using Optically Stimulated Luminescence Dosimeters: A Preliminary Study", Proc. RSNA 2008.
Clinical Specialty Details
Radiation Oncology Physics
Awards and Affiliations
- AAPM Mid-Atlantic Chapter Meeting Young Investigator Symposium Oral Session Finalist (2015)
- University of Minnesota Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship (2013-2014)
- AAPM North-Central Chapter Mtg Young Investigator Symposium Oral Session Finalist (2013)
- Donald Gleason Conference on Prostate & Urologic Cancers Poster Session Finalist (2013)
Grants and Contracts
- ISMRM 20th Annual Meeting & Exhibition Educational Trainee Stipend Grant (2012)
- University of Minnesota Otto Schmitt Biomimetic Foundation Travel Grant (2012)
Professional Activity
Institutional Service
2015-2016 Member, UMMC QA Committee
2016-present Interviewer, Medical Physics Residency Candidates for the University of Maryland School of Medicine
2016-present Interviewer, Faculty Candidates for the University of Maryland School of Medicine
2017-present Member, Siemens Committee, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Maryland School of Medicine
2020 Invited faculty reviewer, Varian Medical Systems AI Segmentation Usability Study
2020-present Member, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Maryland School of Medicine
2020-present Member, Lymphoma/Leukemia/Myeloma Clinical Practice Guidelines Review Committee, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Maryland School of Medicine
National Service
2014 Reviewer, International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery
2022-present Guest, AAPM Placement Service Subcommittee
2022-present Invited MLC QA expert and Guest, AAPM Medical Physics Practice Guideline 8b (Linear accelerator performance tests -TG364)