Global Oncology

From Philly to Ghana: Dr. Shannon O’Reilly’s Global Mission in Medical Physics

Dr. Shannon O’Reilly never imagined that her curiosity about global oncology would lead her to meet kings. But there she was, standing in Ghana before Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene himself—flanked by local medical physicists and physicians—representing a dream that had been years in the making.

“When I was looking at residency programs, I searched for ones with a global component,” she recalls. “There was really only one, and I didn’t even end up going there.” But fate had other plans. At the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Stephen Avery — a towering figure in global health physics — took Dr. O’Reilly under his wing. That mentorship led to her first major global project experience: building a free, online training platform for medical physics trainees in low- and middle-income countries through Medical Physics for World Benefit.

Dr. O’Reilly found her calling in education. “That’s my passion,” she says. And it shows. At Penn, Drs. O’Reilly and Avery designed a rotation for graduate students to train in Ghana, rotating through four medical centers. “It was more than training — it was collaboration.” The program even secured a three-year grant which includes aims to implement AI tools that could streamline treatment planning, tailored for local workflows.

One trip to Ghana left a lasting impression — not just the warm welcome or the deep partnerships, but the resilience of the physicists she met. Inspired by this ingenuity, Dr. O’Reilly now dreams of tackling systemic issues, like the lack of equipment service contracts, with global surveys and advocacy to push vendors toward more equitable solutions.  “You can’t just throw AI at the problem,” she says. “Some centers are still using paper records. We have to start by understanding the infrastructure, the barriers—and then build from there.”

At the same time, she’s applying for funding to launch public education initiatives around cervical cancer prevention in Ghana, aiming to address misconceptions, cultural barriers, and a lack of awareness around screening and vaccination. She serves on two global committees under the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM). Through these committees, she’s helping develop a continuing education course for medical physicists across Africa and mentoring an early career physicist through the International Council Associates Mentorship Program, inviting the next generation into the fold.

Her advice? “Don’t be scared. I didn’t think I had any experience. I hesitated to apply to committees. But this community is so welcoming. If you care about global health, there’s space for you here.”

Even after leaving Penn, her course Introduction to Global Oncology lives on — now reaching students across medicine, engineering, and physics. “It’s about building bridges — across disciplines, across borders, across experience levels,” she says.

And if you ask her what’s next, she’ll probably smile and say, “Something big.” 

Robert Jeraj | April 2025 

Professor, Medical Physics and Human Oncology, Director of Entrepreneurial Fellowship Program

Chair, AAPM Global Research and Scientific Innovation Committee (GRSIC)

For Dr. Robert Jeraj, global oncology isn’t just about science, it’s about solidarity. “The world is strongest when we’re all working together,” he reflects. “We share the same challenges, and it’s only natural that we collaborate to solve them.”

Dr. Jeraj sees global partnerships not as an option—but as a necessity for meaningful progress. Whether it’s data, ideas, or innovation, he believes these should flow freely across borders, disciplines, and cultures.

His work reflects that belief. For more than two decades, Dr. Jeraj has been at the forefront of collaborative research across three continents, building teams that span time zones and perspectives. “I enjoy and value people working together. The challenges we face—like cancer—don’t stop at national boundaries. Our solutions shouldn’t either.”

Early in his career, Dr. Jeraj pursued collaborative research across Slovenia, Australia, and the U.S., experiences that shaped his belief in the power of cultural exchange and partnership. From helping creating Medical Physics for World Benefit (MPWB), to launching clinical trials in Australia and initiating global Networks of Imaging eXcellence (NIX), he’s embraced the discomfort of the unknown. “I never pretend I know anything. I throw myself into areas I don’t understand, because that’s where the learning happens,” he says. He sees resource-limited settings not as passive recipients of aid but as spaces where innovation flourishes.

Global work, to him, is deeply human. One of his favorite photos captures him and colleagues in Argentina drinking mate—a traditional drink passed around and shared through the same straw. “It’s symbolic of global partnerships,” he explains. “You make an effort, you share something, and you begin to really appreciate another culture.”

Currently, Dr. Jeraj leads a global program working across time zones and teams. His long-term vision? To build a “CERN for medical physics”—a collaborative international hub for oncology innovation, modeled after the world-famous particle accelerator on the France-Switzerland border. “CERN worked because people came together to build something bigger than themselves. We don’t have something like that in oncology yet—but data can travel, analytics can travel. We’ll get there. It’ll take time.”

His advice to those new to global health: “Find your strength and your passion—something you can offer that’s truly helpful. Some people can give time. Others build. I realized I love building things—programs, collaborations, systems and most importantly, possibilities.”

For more information about Dr. Jeraj’s research click here