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Our Team

Dr Richard Shaffer

President

UK-based clinical oncologist with a particular clinical interest in treating benign conditions with radiotherapy and runs weekly dedicated clinics. He holds the positions of clinical lead for skin and benign radiotherapy for GenesisCare UK, and is medical director of Xstrahl. He set up TheDupuytrensPractice.com and HeelPainPractice.com to provide radiotherapy to patients with benign conditions on their hands and feet.

He previously worked in the NHS for 25 years, including 10 years as a consultant treating brain tumours, skin cancer, prostate cancer, and bladder cancer. He held various leadership positions including clinical lead for radiotherapy and radiotherapy development, and developed and led the stereotactic radiosurgery program in Surrey.

Abe Elkinson

CEO

Over 30 years devising and providing business systems and processes. 18 years providing patient-centred real world and digital solutions, working with NHS, healthcare systems, government departments and the private sector. Founder of an award winning service provider to NHS, Government and HMOs. Founder and CEO of a Digital Technology company providing ‘patient centred’ solutions. Collaborating with NHS England and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). Supported by the Academic Health Science Network (AHSN) and Innovation Agency. Funded through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Private Enterprise. Technology enthusiast, entrepreneur, and business growth expert.

Prof M Heinrich Seegenschmiedt

Clinical Chair

Germany-based clinical oncologist with a particular clinical interest in treating benign conditions with radiotherapy for more than 30 years. He was the co-founder and has been the head of the German Cooperative Group of Radiotherapy for Benign Disorders (GCGBD) since 1995. He has organized and chaired national and international conferences on non-malignant disorders and is co-author of the German Guidelines on Radiotherapy of Benign Diseases (updated in 2018). He is also chief editor of the international textbook on “Radiotherapy for Non-malignant Disorders” (Springer Publishers 2008) and co-author of chapters on “Benign Diseases” in various international radiotherapy textbooks.

He has worked since 1990 as a radiation therapy specialist in various institutions and developed and led the radiosurgery program in Hamburg until 2018.  He has held various leadership positions including clinical lead for radiotherapy and radiotherapy development.

Prof M Heinrich Seegenschmiedt

Dr Silvia Gomez

Clinical Advisory Board

Dr Gomez is from Colombia and has been working in Switzerland as a medical professional since 2013.

She is currently the Senior Physician at the Radiation-Oncology Center in Kantonsspital Aarau-Kantonsspital Baden, where she specialises in benign radiotherapy, encompassing both clinical practice and research activities. 

Dr Gomez is also the principal investigator for the clinical trial “Evaluation of Pain Level Reduction after Low-dose Radiation in Symptomatic Facet Joint Arthritis – A prospective randomized clinical trial” (LORAFA), with the registration number NCT05852808 on ClinicalTrials.gov.

Her primary interest lies in applying radiotherapy for treating benign conditions and urological tumors and she has also contributed as a co-author to publications in these fields. Dr Gomez did her radiation oncology training at the Hospital 12 de Octubre in Madrid, Spain and, in 2015, she obtained her PhD in biomedical sciences from the Complutense University of Madrid. Prior to that, she gained experience working as a doctor in both Colombia and Spain and also in the pharmaceutical industry in Colombia.

Silvia Gomez

Jason Beckta, MD, PhD

Clinical Advisory Board

Residing on the East Coast of the United States, Dr Beckta discovered his interest in radiotherapy while completing the Medical Scientist Training Program at Virginia Commonwealth University. He conducted his dissertation work in the field of Molecular Radiobiology, for which he received the National Cancer Institute’s  Kirschstein National Research service F30 Award.
 
Dr Beckta subsequently attended Yale University for his residency training in Radiation Oncology, pursuing additional postdoctoral training in radiobiology via the Holman Pathway. It was during his time in the laboratory that he became fascinated with the use of radiation therapy in benign conditions. After completing his residency, he practiced in New York before joining the faculty of the University of Vermont where he is currently the Medical Director of Radiation Medicine at Rutland Regional Medical Center. 
 
As his interest in benign radiotherapy grew, Dr Beckta sought to advocate for its use in the USA, founding American Benign Radiotherapy (AMBER) and the associated nonprofit Cold Light Legacy. In working to build a community of like-minded allies, he was fortunate to find his way to the IORBC and the opportunity to advocate for benign radiotherapy on an international scale.
Dr Jason Beckta, PhD

Dr Bobby N. Koneru

Clinical Advisory Board

Dr. Bobby N. Koneru is a Northwestern University trained, board certified Radiation Oncologist and Radiation Medicine physician specializing in the treatment of cancer and functional disease.

Utilising advanced techniques such as IMRT, SBRT, SRS and Pulsed low dose rate radiation therapy, Dr. Koneru is able to deliver precision radiation therapy to all cancer sites.

Dr. Koneru also uses radiation therapy to treat various functional diseases such as osteoarthritis, Dupuytren’s contracture, plantar fasciitis, keloids, and various other inflammatory conditions.

He is a TEDx speaker and has given many national talks on radiation medicine.

Bobby Koneru IORBC

Francesco Cellini, Prof, MD

Clinical Advisory Board

Dr Cellini is an Associate Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology; Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS Rome, Italy.

He graduated in 2001 at Medicine Faculty of Universita’ Cattolica del S.Cuore in Roma. He is an active member of the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) and, in 2012, he gained the ESTRO Fellowship. Dr Cellini is an abstract reviewer for ESTRO Congress and, recently in 2024 became a tutor for junior Abstract reviewers.

Author of more than 150 publications (including peer-reviewed papers and book chapters), Dr Cellini’s primary research interests are in gastrointestinal tumours, palliative treatments and the non-oncological application of radiotherapy, particularly for refractory cardiac arrhythmias.

Prof. Dr. Francesco Cellini

Find out more

The need for benign radiotherapy

Find out more about the treatment

Information about our membership