Meet the Team

Ashish Ranjan, B.V.Sc., Ph.D.

Vice Chair for Comparative Oncology and Research Innovation; Director of the Veterinary Research and Oncology Clinic

Ashish Ranjan, B.V.Sc., Ph.D., Endowed Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology, earned his B.V.Sc. degree (DVM equivalent) from Madras Veterinary College, in Chennai, India, followed by a Ph.D. in biomedical and veterinary sciences from Virginia Tech. Dr. Ranjan was then a visiting fellow at the Center for Interventional Oncology, Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Dr. Ranjan's research interests are in the application of device-directed nanoparticles for solid tumor chemo-immunotherapy. His lab is actively engaged in preclinical and bench-to-bedside veterinary clinical trials and has received funding from several federal, state, and private sources. Dr. Ranjan has received several distinguished awards, including the NIH Merit Award. He also serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of Focused Ultrasound Foundation, UK's Humanimal Trust, and NIH panels.

Catherine Wallace

Assistant Director of Clinical Operations

After graduating from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center with a bachelor's degree in radiation therapy in 2003, Catherine Wallace began her career in UT Southwestern's Department of Radiation Oncology. She worked as a radiation therapist until 2011. She then moved into leadership roles where she served as a chief therapist, clinic/practice manager and now, since 2021, Assistant Director of Clinic Operations where she supports and oversees more than 220 staff including scheduling, nursing, medical assisting, radiation therapy, dosimetry and support services. Catie was certified as medical practice executive in 2014, and completed her MBA from Texas A&M Corpus Christi in 2020. 

In her spare time she loves spending time with family and friends, reading, bingewatching true crime and period-piece dramas, and spending time with her best buddies, Gizmo and Cricket.

LaChandra Wilcox

Chief Radiation Therapist and Program Manager

LaChandra Wilcox graduated from the University of South Alabama in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science in Radiation Therapy. Following her graduation, she began her career as a radiation therapist in Mobile, Alabama, where she honed her skills in patient care and treatment delivery until 2014.

In 2014, LaChandra relocated to Texas to serve as the radiation services director at Collom & Carney Cancer Center in Texarkana, where she worked until 2017. During her tenure, she demonstrated leadership in managing clinical operations and enhancing patient care protocols.

In 2017, she joined UT Southwestern Medical Center as a senior radiation therapist. Through her dedication and expertise, she advanced to her current role as chief radiation therapist in 2021. In this position, LaChandra oversees a team of over 60 radiation therapists, ensuring the highest standards of clinical care while addressing the daily needs of both staff and patients.

Outside of her professional responsibilities, LaChandra enjoys spending quality time with her husband and three children, as well as their beloved Lhasa Poo, Smokey. She also enjoys binge-watching new crime series and relaxing by the pool.

Isabelle Vanhaezebrouck, D.V.M., M.S., DACVR (Radiation Oncology), ECVDI (Radiation Oncology)

Associate Professor

Isabelle Vanhaezebrouck, D.V.M., M.S., DACVR (Radiation Oncology), ECVDI (Radiation Oncology), is an Associate Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at UT Southwestern Medical Center specializing in veterinary radiation oncology. She earned her doctorate degree in veterinary medicine from École Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort in France and is accredited by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in the United Kingdom (UK). She completed her radiation oncology residency training at University of California, Davis and is board certified in radiation oncology by both the American College of Radiology (ACVR) and the European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging (ECVDI). Additionally, she holds a master’s degree in molecular oncology which she completed in Spain.

Dr. Vanhaezebrouck owned and operated her own veterinary clinic in Le Havre, France for 10 years, and followed with five years in emergency practice before relocating overseas to specialize in veterinary radiation oncology. Following her board certification, she served as an Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and practiced in several specialty centers across Europe, including a role as Head of Radiation Oncology at the Animal Health Trust in the UK. She later returned to the United States as a Clinical Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology at Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

Sara D. Allstadt, D.V.M., DACVIM (Oncology)

Clinical Associate Professor

Sara D. Allstadt, D.V.M., DACVIM (Oncology), is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology specializing in veterinary medical oncology. She is board certified in medical oncology by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. Dr. Allstadt earned both her bachelor’s degree in zoology and her doctorate degree in veterinary medicine from Auburn University. She completed her oncology residency training at University of California, Davis.

Upon completion of her residency, Dr. Allstadt stayed at UC Davis as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Medical Oncology in the Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences. She followed this by serving as an Assistant Professor of Oncology at the University of Tennessee’s Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences. Prior to joining UT Southwestern Medical Center, she worked as a medical oncology specialist for nine years at Veterinary Specialists of North Texas. Dr. Allstadt’s research focuses on identifying novel therapies and repurposing drugs for cancer treatment.

Claire Lemons, D.V.M.

Veterinarian

Claire Lemons, D.V.M., is a clinical veterinarian who specializes in coordinating the clinical care of canine and feline oncology patients in VROC.

Dr. Lemons received her bachelor’s degree in veterinary science from the University of Arizona and her doctorate degree in veterinary medicine from Oregon State University. Before joining UT Southwestern, she worked for several years in a small animal practice. She has worked in a wide range of positions including primary and emergency care and enjoys the constant challenge of the job as well as the opportunity it provides to promote the human animal bond.

Kai Jiang, Ph.D.

Lead Physicist

Kai Jiang, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, is a medical physicist in the Department of Radiation Oncology. He earned his Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Case Western Reserve University and completed a research fellowship at the Mayo Clinic. He went on to complete his medical physics residency at the University of Maryland Baltimore, where he later served as a faculty physicist.

Dr. Jiang serves as lead physicist at VROC. His mission is to ensure safe and accurate delivery of state-of-the-art radiotherapy to our animal patients. Dr. Jiang has over a decade of experience working with animals, including laboratory rodents, rabbits, and swine. He is also engaged in preclinical research studies aimed at developing advanced imaging technologies for disease diagnoses, and innovating radiotherapy technologies for more effective cancer treatment. His research has led to publication of over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters.

Hao Peng, Ph.D.

Physicist

Hao Peng, Ph.D., Professor, joined UTSW from the Department of Medical Physics at Wuhan University in China, where he served as the Director of the Medical Physics Program. Dr. Peng earned both his B.S. and M.S. at Wuhan University, followed by his Ph.D. at the University of Western Ontario (Canada). He did his postdoc training in the Department of Radiology at Stanford University. Before joining UTSW, he held several visiting professorships including Stanford, McMaster University (Canada), and Hokkaido University (Japan). His research focuses include adaptive radiation therapy, artificial intelligence, PULSAR, and radiation therapy combined with immunotherapy.

Faraz Chamani, Ph.D.

HIFU Therapist

Faraz Chamani, Ph.D., earned his Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from Kansas State University in 2023. His research focused on in vitro measurement and mathematical modeling of hyperthermia-induced bioeffects in pancreatic cancer cells, contributing to the development of modeling tools for predictive treatment planning of thermal therapies and furthering understanding of the effects of energy-based interventions that involve perturbation of tissue temperature.

Dr. Chamani gained industry experience as a R&D radiofrequency engineer at Varian Medical Systems in Austin, Texas. During his one-year tenure, he expanded his technical engineering skills and computational modeling expertise, particularly in finite element analysis (FEA) in minimally invasive thermal ablation for cancer treatment. During this time, Dr. Chamani contributed to the development of a microwave thermal ablation system for the treatment of liver tumors.

With extensive research and industry experience in energy-based thermal ablation modalities, Dr. Chamani has published his work in peer-reviewed journals. Currently, as a post-doctoral researcher, his work focuses on optimizing high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) as a novel non-invasive therapeutic approach for cancer treatment. This includes both thermal ablation and non-thermal histotripsy techniques, with a particular emphasis on designing personalized treatment protocols for canine cancer patients.

Paige Neumann

Animal Research Study Coordinator

Paige Neumann attended Texas A&M University (Whoop!) and graduated with a B.S. in biomedical sciences in 2024. She worked as a veterinary assistant in several vet clinics during college to gain experience in animal care and safety, diagnostic testing and imaging procedures. She also has experience in biological and chemical laboratories. Paige’s research interests include investigating the use of nanoparticle treatments for tumor clearance, which she works on with Dr. Ranjan and the nanoimmune therapeutics lab team.

Tracy Cassidy

A born-and-raised New Yorker currently living in East Texas, Tracy has made Texas her home for the past two decades. She's been a veterinary technician for 17 years, spending the last seven years in emergency and critical care medicine. She specializes in small animal nursing with a special affinity for rabbits and turtles. Tracy has taken care of the mammals and reptiles at the River Legacy Science Center in Arlington, helped rehabilitate wildlife with local groups, and taught veterinary assisting at Northeast Community College. As part of her advocacy for the environment, she's given presentations on the topic of rodenticide (rat bait) and its lethal affects on wildlife. She also sits on the Board of Directors for the Texas Lobo Coalition. Tracy loves all animals and is very passionate about education. 

Rita Fohn

Rita is an experienced and dedicated veterinary technician with over 10 years of clinical experience spanning a wide range of specialties, including general practice, emergency medicine, ICU, and critical care. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a deep commitment to delivering compassionate care to every animal. Her professional journey has been fueled by her passion for ensuring that every animal under her care receives the highest standard of attention, comfort, and compassionate care.

Currently, Rita is furthering her education to become a licensed veterinary technician (LVT). She looks forward to expanding her skill set and continuing to serve as a trusted and compassionate healthcare provider. Rita shares her home with her husband, Nick, and their five beloved cats: Sterling, Opal, Siggy, Tofu, and Hiccup. In addition to her work in veterinary care, Rita is an avid equestrian, and loves to garden.

Hannah McComber

Hannah grew up in Iowa and moved to Texas in 2021. She graduated from Southern Illinois University in 2019 with a B.S. in zoology. In college, she assisted with various wildlife management research projects. Hannah found a passion for helping animals through internships in wildlife rehabilitation and had the opportunity to work with many different species of animals through work in wildlife rehabilitation hospitals, wildlife sanctuaries and the Dallas Zoo. She also has experience working in general practice veterinary clinics and a veterinary diagnostics lab. Outside of work, Hannah loves to hike, be at the lake or at home with her two cats.

Migxi Rodriguez

Since completing the Veterinary Technician Program at Cedar Valley College in Dallas in 2016, Migxi has had the opportunity to work in general practice veterinary clinics, veterinary oncology, and urgent care, which has helped her gain knowledge in animal care, diagnostics, anesthesia/surgery, chemotherapy administration, and urgent/emergency care. Migxi has a special love for oncology medicine and her patients. In her career, she has had the opportunity to work with two veterinary medical oncology teams in DFW, which has helped her understand the importance of chemotherapy, radiation treatment capabilities, and overall care — no matter the breed or age of the patient.

Outside of work, Migxi enjoys coffee shops and reading books. She has four pets at home: two super-active shepherds (Regina and Abbi), her senior dog, Taco, (a blind 15-year-old Chihuahua), and her cat, Leonardo DiCATprio.