Titles and Education

1. Professor
2. BA 1981, Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara
3. VMD 1988, University of Pennsylvania
4. Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Radiology (Radiology) 1993
5. Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Radiology (Radiation Oncology) 1995

Research

My research involves clinical trials using radiotherapy in client owned pet dogs with spontaneous tumors. These spontaneous tumors in dogs have similar biological behavior as their counterparts in humans. Information obtained from these clinical trials help advance and inform the design of future trials in humans. My collaborative work with medical physicist colleagues is advancing knowledge and utilization of molecular imaging in the form of positron emission tomography (PET) to design individual radiotherapy plans.
My research experience includes being a project leader on a previous grant investigating the conformal avoidance capabilities of Helical Tomotherapy: CA88960-05 (Mehta PI) Improving Cancer Outcome with Adaptive Helical Tomotherapy: Animal Clinical Trial of Conformal Avoidance: Dog Nasopharynx. I am currently a Co-I on a grant investigating molecular imaging as a basis for individualized radiotherapy: NIH-144-PRJ26QD (Jeraj PI): Dose Painting Based on Hypoxia and Proliferative Response.

Responsibilities

Radiation oncology; clinical radiology; radiographic anatomy and veterinary radiology; ultrasound; CT; MRI; nuclear medicine

Director of the Veterinary School TomoTherapy™ unit and Radiation Oncology Section Chief

Radiology Section Chief

Clinical Interests

My main focus is radiation therapy in companion animals using our newly installed (January 2011) TomoTherapy machine. This is a state of the art radiation therapy machine that is the marriage of a linear accelerator and a helical computed tomography (CT) scanner.  We are able to deliver precise, highly conformal treatments that target tumors and spare adjacent normal tissues and organs.

My other clinical interests include CT, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and general radiography.

Recent Publications

1. Forrest LJ, Mackie TR, Ruchala K, Turek M, Kapatoes J, Jaradat H, Hui S, Balog J, Vail DM, Mehta MP. The Utility of Megavoltage Computed Tomography Images from a Helical Tomotherapy System for Set-up Verification Purposes. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys, 2004; 60(5):1639-44.
2. Drees R, Forrest LJ, Chappell R. Comparison of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging for the evaluation of canine intra-nasal neoplasia. J Small Anim Pract 50(7):334-40, 2009 (NIHMS-103638). 
3. Deveau MA, Gutiérrez AN, Mackie TR, Tomé WA, Forrest LJ. Dosimetric impact of daily setup variations during treatment of canine nasal tumors using intensity-modulated radiation therapy. Vet Radiol Ultrasound, 2010, 51(1):90-96, (NIHMS-140066). 
4. Lawrence JA, Forrest LJ, Turek MM, Miller PE, Mackie TR, Juradat HA, Vail DM, Dubielzig RR, Chappell R, Mehta MP. Proof of principle of ocular sparing in dogs with sinonasal tumors treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy. Vet Radiol Ultrasound. 2010;51(5):561-570 
5. Kubicek LN, Chappell RJ, Seo S, Jeraj R, Forrest LJ. Helical Tomotherapy setup variations in canine nasal tumor patients immobilized with a bite block.  Vet Radiol Ultrasound. 2012;53(4):474-81.

6. Bradshaw TJ, Bowen SR, Deveau M, Kubicek L, White P, Bentzen SM, Chappell R, Forrest LJ, Jeraj R. Molecular imaging biomarkers of resistance to radiation therapy for spontaneous nasal tumors in canines. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2015 15;9(4):787-95. PMID 25752393. Financial Support: R01 CA136927

7. Bradshaw T, Fu R, Bowen S, Zuh J, Forrest L, Jeraj R.  Predicting location of recurrence using FDG, FLT, and Cu-ATSM PET in canine sinonasal tumors treated with radiotherapy.  Phys Med Biol. 2015. 60(13):5211-24.  Financial Support: R01 CA136927.