“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” — Albert Einstein
2022 – 2025 · McGill University, Canada
Postdoctoral Fellow in Radiation Physics & Radiobiology
Research in Monte Carlo microdosimetry and biological modeling for personalized cancer therapy.
Developed frameworks linking DNA damage patterns with optimized radiotherapy outcomes.
2019 – 2022 · Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
Postdoctoral Fellow in Medical Physics
Advanced Diffusing Alpha-Emitters Radiation Therapy (DaRT) for targeted cancer treatment.
Led preclinical modeling and dosimetry studies in collaboration with clinical research teams.
2014 – 2019 · Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
Ph.D. in Experimental Particle Physics
Conducted research within the ATLAS Collaboration at CERN.
Studied electroweak boson production to probe the Quark–Gluon Plasma and test fundamental QCD.
2009 – 2014 · University of Zagreb, Croatia
M.Sc. & B.Sc. in Physics
Focused on detector development and nuclear physics for the sPHENIX experiment at Brookhaven National Laboratory (USA).
Dumancic, M., Kalinowski, J., Díaz-Martínez, V. D., et al.
Microdosimetry calculations in situ for clinically relevant photon sources and their correlation with the early DNA damage response.
Medical Physics, 2025. [DOI: 10.1002/mp.17979]
Dumancic, M. (*), Chabaytah, N. (*), Asante, E. C., Connell, T., Witcher, M., Enger, S. A.
Assessing radiosensitivity through sublethal damage recovery: a comparison of survival-based and molecular repair kinetics.
Physics in Medicine & Biology, 2025. [DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/ade221]
(*) shared first author
ICRP Task Group 116 (Djukelic, M. et al.)
Cone beam CT (CBCT) in radiotherapy: Assessment of doses using a pragmatic setup in an international setting.
Physica Medica, 2025. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmp.2025.104937]
Dumancic, M.(*), Heger, G.(*), Luz, I., et al.
Diffusing alpha-emitters radiation therapy: In vivo measurements of effective diffusion and clearance rates across multiple tumor types.
Medical Physics, 2025. [DOI: 10.1002/mp.70052]
(*) shared first author
Dumancic, M., Enger, S. A.
Pioneering Women in Nuclear and Radiation Sciences – Beyond Marie Sklodowska-Curie.
Radiotherapy & Oncology, 2024. [DOI: 10.1016/j.radonc.2024.110374]
Dumancic, M.(*), Heger, G.(*), Luz, I., Vaterescu, M., Weizman, N., Miller, B. W., Arazi, L.
First measurements of radon-220 diffusion in mice tumors towards treatment planning in diffusing alpha-emitters radiation therapy.
Medical Physics, 2024. [DOI: 10.1002/mp.17020]
(*) shared first author
Heger, G., Dumancic, M., Roy, A., Arazi, L.
Alpha dose modeling in diffusing alpha-emitters radiation therapy. Part II: Lattice studies.
Medical Physics, 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/mp.16155]
Heger, G., Roy, A., Dumancic, M., Arazi, L.
Alpha dose modeling in diffusing alpha-emitters radiation therapy – Part I: single-seed calculations in one and two dimensions.
Medical Physics, 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/mp.16145]
Nishri, Y., Vatarescu, M., Luz, I., Epstein, L., Dumancic, M., et al.
Diffusing alpha-emitters radiation therapy in combination with temozolomide or bevacizumab in human glioblastoma multiforme xenografts.
Frontiers in Oncology, 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.888100]
ATLAS Collaboration (including Dumancic, M.)
Z boson production in Pb+Pb collisions at √sNN = 5.02 TeV measured by the ATLAS experiment.
Physics Letters B, 802 (2020): 135262. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physletb.2019.135262]
ATLAS Collaboration (including Dumancic, M.)
Measurements of W and Z boson production in pp collisions at √s = 5.02 TeV with the ATLAS detector.
European Physical Journal C, 79 (2019): 128. [DOI: 10.1140/epjc/s10052-019-6622-9]
H-index (Web of Science): 76
H-index (Google Scholar): 131
Citations: 25,000+ (Web of Science), 65,000+ (Google Scholar)
Teaching AP Physics 1 (algebra-based), AP Physics C: Mechanics, and AP Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism to international students preparing for competitive STEM degrees.
Develop and deliver an evidence-based, College Board–aligned curriculum that integrates conceptual understanding, quantitative analysis, and advanced problem-solving strategies.
Postdoctoral Fellow, Medical Physics Unit
Teaching Assistant, Nuclear Medicine (Department of Medical Physics).
Supported lectures, prepared course materials, and assisted in lab sessions on nuclear imaging and radionuclide dosimetry.
Teaching Assistant, Research Fundamentals for Medical Students (Faculty of Medicine).
Guided students in research methodology, study design, and scientific writing.
Mentored M.Sc. and Ph.D. students in medical physics and radiobiology research projects.
Postdoctoral Fellow, Nuclear Engineering Unit
Led preclinical training for collaborators and Ph.D. students on Diffusing Alpha-Emitters Radiation Therapy (DaRT).
Mentored students conducting in vivo radiation experiments and quantitative analysis for translational applications.
Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Particle Physics & Astrophysics
Supervised and trained junior research students within the ATLAS Collaboration at CERN.
Curietherapies 2025, Montreal, Canada
Comparative Analysis of Brachytherapy Utilization Across Canadian Provinces
(Oral Presentation, Young Investigator Award & Best Abstract Award)
Radiation Research Society (RRS) Annual Conference 2024, Tucson, Arizona, USA
Microdosimetry calculations in situ and RBE based on DNA double-strand breaks for clinically relevant photon sources
(Poster Presentation)
Center for Translational Research Horizons Conference 2024, Montreal, Canada
New experimental results from in-vivo studies in a variety of cancer cell lines for Diffusing Alpha-Emitters Radiation Therapy (DaRT)
(Poster Presentation)
12th Symposium RRCancer & MOH-Q 2024, Montreal, Canada
Radiobiological modeling for early damage in HeLa and PC3 cancer cell lines after irradiation with brachytherapy and external beam photon sources
(Poster Presentation)
International Conference for Radiation Research (ICRR) 2023, Montreal, Canada
Characterizing DNA Repair of Sublethal Damage as a Marker for Intrinsic Radiosensitivity using Split-Dose Irradiations
(Poster Presentation, Second Author with Naim Chabaytah)
American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Annual Conference 2023, Houston, Texas, USA
New Experimental Results from In-Vivo Studies in a Variety of Cancer Cell Lines for Diffusing Alpha-Emitters Radiation Therapy (DaRT)
(E-Poster Presentation)
Israel Physical Society Annual Meeting 2022, Tel Aviv, Israel
Results from main parameter measurements in Diffusing Alpha-Emitters Radiation Therapy
(Parallel Session Talk)
Invited Talk, Medical Physics Seminar 2021, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
DaRT Modeling and Experiments
Israel Physical Society Online Conference 2021
Modeling and Parameter Measurements in Diffusing Alpha-Emitters Radiation Therapy
(Parallel Session Talk)
European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) 2020, Online Congress
Approximate Modeling for Dose Calculations in Diffusing Alpha-Emitters Radiation Therapy
(Parallel Session Talk)
Initial Stages 2019, New York City, USA
Heavy Electroweak Boson Production in Pb+Pb Collisions with ATLAS
(Parallel Session Talk)
Hard Probes 2018, Aix-Les-Bains, France
Heavy Flavor Production and Flow in Large and Small Systems with ATLAS
(Parallel Session Talk)
Quark Matter 2017, Venice, Italy
Z Boson Production in 5.02 TeV pp and Pb+Pb Collisions with the ATLAS Detector
(Poster Presentation)
Israel Physical Society Conference 2016, Tel Aviv, Israel
Measurement of W and Z Boson Production in 5.02 TeV pp, p+Pb, and Pb+Pb Collisions with the ATLAS Detector
(Parallel Session Talk)
Hard Probes 2016, Wuhan, China
W and Z Boson Production in 5.02 TeV pp and p+Pb Collisions with the ATLAS Detector
(Parallel Session Talk)
Young Investigator Award – Curietherapies Conference, Montreal, Canada
Awarded for outstanding research presentation on brachytherapy utilization trends.
Best Abstract Award (CBG-Curietherapies Resident Travel Award) – Curietherapies Conference, Montreal, Canada
Recognized for excellence in clinical translational research presentation.
EDIA Champion Grant – Digital Research Alliance of Canada
Awarded $27,000 for the project “Accelerating Computing for Underprivileged Groups at McGill University with an Open-Science Approach.”
Open Seeds (OLS-9) & NASA Transform to Open Science Certificates
Recognition for contributions to open science, inclusive research, and digital leadership.
Tremplin Ambassador Award – McGill Center for Translational Research
Received $2,000 for co-producing the “Translational Research Podcast” and advancing communication in cancer research.
Research Leadership and Management Mastery Certificate – Tremplin Consortium, McGill University
Fully supported for completing advanced training in academic leadership, mentoring, and faculty career development.
Radiation Research Society (RRS) Scientist-in-Training Travel Award
Recognized for the abstract “Microdosimetry studies for cancer cell irradiations with brachytherapy and external beam photon sources.”
ICRP Mentorship Program (Task Group 116) – International Commission on Radiological Protection
Selected as an early-career collaborator contributing to international radiotherapy dose assessment standards.
Women in Science Postdoctoral Fellowship – Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Two-year fellowship of $40,000 providing financial support for postdoctoral research at McGill University under Prof. Shirin Enger.
Aharon and Ephraim Katzir Fellowship – Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities
Awarded $5,000 for a collaborative research visit to McGill University, Canada.
National Nuclear Physics Summer School Fellowship – Yale University, USA
Selected participant presenting research on heavy-ion physics within the ATLAS Heavy Ion Group.
Open Seeds (OLS-9) Open Science Training Program – Digital Research Alliance of Canada (2025)
Completed advanced training in open science practices, inclusive research, and digital collaboration.
Presented final project lecture titled “Accelerating Computing for Underprivileged Groups at McGill University with an Open-Science Approach.”
Focused on promoting accessibility, transparency, and innovation in computational research.
Research Leadership and Management Training (RMFT Program) – Tremplin Consortium, McGill University (2024)
18-month leadership program preparing postdoctoral fellows for faculty and research management roles.
Training included modules in mentorship, grant strategy, teaching preparation, and team leadership.
Enhanced skills in supervising diverse research teams and fostering collaborative academic environments.
Clinical and Experimental Radiobiology Course – University of Toronto, Department of Radiation Oncology (2023)
Intensive five-day course covering molecular and cellular mechanisms of radiation response.
Focused on DNA damage and repair, dose–response relationships, and radiation oncology applications.
Co-inventor on a portfolio of U.S. patent applications related to Diffusing Alpha-Emitters Radiation Therapy (DaRT), describing preclinical and translational methods for targeted alpha-emitter delivery in solid tumors. These inventions form part of a broader research effort to optimize treatment planning and biological modeling for novel cancer therapies.
U.S. Patent Application No. 18/094,406 – Activity Levels for Diffusing Alpha-Emitter Radiation Therapy (Published as US 2023/0158328 A1; patent family includes U.S. Patent No. 12,070,620 B2)
U.S. Patent Application Nos. 18/094,408, 18/094,411, 18/094,416, 18/094,419, 18/094,424, and 17/343,784 – Related filings on diffusing alpha-emitter delivery and therapeutic modeling across multiple cancer types (All published and pending examination by the USPTO)
Member, McGill Center for Translational Research Student Committee
Contributed to student representation, program planning, and interdisciplinary collaboration within the MCTRC. Supported initiatives that improved trainee engagement and professional development opportunities, as well as special events and outreach programs.
Organizing Committee, CTR Horizons Conference 2024
Assisted in planning, logistics, and execution of the annual CTR Horizons Conference. Responsibilities included abstract review coordination, communication with speakers, supporting event operations, and enhancing the conference experience for early-career researchers.
STEM Community & Academic Service
Participated in outreach and mentoring efforts for undergraduate and graduate students interested in translational research or STEM career pathways.
Contributed to departmental seminars, journal clubs, and collaborative research events aimed at strengthening scientific community engagement.
Supported diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within the academic environment