Senior Morgan Yee has researched cancer radiation treatment with a doctor at UCSF over the past two summers and is a co-author on the doctor’s research paper.

She interns with Dr. Dilini Pinnaduwage, a radiation oncologist whose job is to treat cancer with radiation therapy.

“In order to treat patients, you have to make a Magnetic Reasoning Image (MRI) and a Computerized Axial Tomography (CT) scan in order to determine the location of the tumor and how much dose to treat the tumor with,” said Yee.

These images are overlaid to treat the patient, but the dilemma arises in the co-registration.

“The problem with having both of these images is that they have to be co-registered and they’re taken at different times so they won’t really align properly,” said Yee. “And there’s errors in the co-registration algorithm so this results in errors in radiation dose and where it’s placed.”

This can lead to the mistreatment of cancers. The misplacement of the dose of radiation may not cover all of the tumor and instead, may treat other cancer-less cancer-free parts of the body.

“Critical structures like the brain stem or optic nerves could be overdosed and damaged,” said Yee. “So that’s a problem.”

Yee is working on research that eliminates the use of a CT. Instead, a pseudo CT is created off of the information from the MRI.

“This eliminates all of the errors from co-registration,” she said. “It results in safer treatment and less risk.”

Yee discovered the opportunity for this internship at a science day event at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

This event was for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts to learn about nuclear science. There were different events where the students could learn from professionals.

Doctor Martina Descovich, a researcher for the UCSF radiosurgery program, was there presenting about her research in Gamma Knife Radiosurgery.

“I thought her research was really interesting, so after her lecture I went up to her and asked her if she needed any help during the summer and if she could use a high school intern,” said Yee.

Yee was drawn to Descovich’s research involving Gamma Knife Radiosurgery because a close family member of hers had undergone the procedure.

Her great aunt received Gamma Knife treatment 30 years ago for acoustic neuroma. Acoustic neuroma is a benign tumor that grows in a nerve in the brain.

Yee traded contact information with Descovich and sent her letters of recommendations. Descovich hired her shortly after.

However, Descovich was pregnant at the time and was going on maternity leave, so she set up an internship with Pinnaduwage, her coworker on Gamma Knife research.

Yee works with Pinnaduwage on her research during the summers at UCSF.

Her parents are grateful for all of the support the university has given her.

“Morgan has been truly blessed with incredible mentors at both UCSF and the Cal High science department,” said mother Michelle Yee.

At her internship, Yee works with the technical aspects of the treatment on the computer.

“There’s a database of all these CTs and MRIs that I use to generate pseudo CTs using this new software called AdvantageSm MD by GE Healthcare,” she said. “I create radiation treatment plans off of the existing MRIs and CTs and I do data analysis through gamma analysis.”

Pinnaduwage is very impressed with Yee’s work on her research.

“Given her intelligence, dedication, and passion for innovation, I have no doubt that Morgan will someday become a pioneer in the medical field,” said Pinnaduwage.

Yee is not certain if she intends to pursue a career in this field, but she knows that she wants to work in health care.