From Classroom to Clinical Leadership: A Medical Physics Mentorship Comes Full Circle

SDSU associate professor Mauro Tambasco reconnects with his first master’s graduate, Dr. Chris Johnstone, at the AAPM Annual Meeting in Vancouver.

A mentorship that began in the classrooms of San Diego State University came full circle at the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Annual Meeting in Vancouver, where SDSU associate professor Mauro Tambasco reconnected with his very first master’s student.

The meeting provided a moment to reflect on the career trajectory of Dr. Chris Johnstone, who earned his Master of Science in Medical Physics at SDSU under Tambasco’s guidance before embarking on an extensive academic and clinical path across Canada.

Following his graduate studies at SDSU, Johnstone completed a Ph.D. under Dr. Magdalena Bazalova-Carter at the University of Victoria, followed by a clinical residency at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto. Johnstone now serves as a certified medical physicist at BC Cancer in Vancouver, holding credentials from both the American Board of Radiology (ABR) and the Canadian College of Physicists in Medicine (CCPM).

“So proud to see where his path has led,” said Tambasco, who serves as director of SDSU’s medical physics program and associate professor of physics.

Tambasco’s research at SDSU focuses on developing and optimizing medical imaging and radiation therapy techniques, as well as advancing educational standards in radiation oncology physics. The reunion at AAPM highlights the long-term impact of SDSU’s medical physics program in preparing clinical leaders and researchers across North America.