About Lindsay

Hometown:
Yorktown, VA

University Partner:
Northeastern University

Degree:
B.S. in Physics, 2006

Grant Partner:
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Senior Mentor:
Dr. Steve Sallan, Chief of Staff, Professor of Pediatrics and Dr. George Demetri, Director, Center for Sarcoma and Bone Oncology

"Starting a job with some of the top researchers in the country is intimidating. The Steamboat Foundation executives maintained constant contact with both the Scholars and the mentors at the internship sites, so they could solve problems dynamically and maintain a good working rapport. Having that sort of support behind you, as a student working in a real workplace, was very comforting."

Scholar Background

Growing up as a self-proclaimed "army brat," Lindsay lived in two different countries, four different houses, attended five different schools, and spoke three different languages in the first twelve years of her life. Ever since, Lindsay has been unabashed about facing challenges and adapting to new situations and environments. Her enthusiasm to learn and her aspiration to help others have paid off. Lindsay was a recipient of the prestigious Carl S. Ell scholarship, a full five-year scholarship for which only the top one percent of Northeastern applicants is considered. President of the Society of Physics Students, Lindsay interned and co-authored a paper at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, conducted atomic physics research at Old Dominion University, and aided others as a student tutor and teaching assistant. Her desire to help those around her by using applications of physics has led Lindsay to be involved with Engineers Without Borders, a humanitarian organization dedicated to improving quality of life in developing countries through the implementation of sustainable engineering projects.

Internship Highlight

Lindsay worked in the Adaptive Radiation Therapy research group of the Radiation Oncology Physics Department at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Her project, which continued for an additional three months after the ten-week internship as part of Northeastern's Co-op program, was to create an algorithm for automated registration of the position of the prostate for use in adaptive radiation therapy, using daily CT scans to more accurately target radiation therapy for prostate cancer. At the mid-point of her time at DFCI, Lindsay reported that the highlight had been seeing her project develop into a useful tool. She also found it particularly inspiring to attend general rounds, at which all members of the radiation oncology department (doctors, therapists, technicians, and physicists) discuss a particular case in great detail.

Where are they now?

Lindsay graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison with a Master's Degree in Medical Physics and is currently working as a Junior Medical Physicist at Matrix Physics Partners in San Francisco.