February 18, 2026
About

About

The Arizona Chapter of The American Association of Physicists in Medicine consists of both diagnostic and therapeutic medical physicists with professional interests in the state of Arizona.

2024–2026 Officers

President
Yuxiang Zhou, PhD, DABR
Mayo Clinic

Yuxiang is a diagnostic imaging physicist at Mayo Clinic Arizona who has been an active member of AAPM for 18 years, 8 years as an Arizona chapter AAPM member and has served in several committees/task groups in the AAPM. He is also an active member of the RSNA Quantitative Imaging Biomarkers Alliance (QIBA) subcommittees/task groups, with a focus to improve the value and practicality of quantitative imaging biomarkers by reducing variability across devices, sites, patients, and time. Yuxiang desires to continue the excellent service to current Arizona chapter members. He desires to lead the chapter to establish strong collaborative relationships and partnerships with other organizations (RSNA, ISMRM, ASTRO...) with common interests that complement our strengths. He believes this will allow us to exchange ideas, rekindle old friendships, make new friends, and share our collective passion.

yuxiang-zhou
Past-President
Courtney Buckey, PhD, DABR
Mayo Clinic

Dr. Buckey served the president of the AZ chapter of AAPM from 01/2021 to 12/2023.

Secretary/Treasurer
Jonathan M. Thropay, MS, DABR
Arizona Prostate Cancer Center

Jonathan is the lead radiation oncology medical physicist and radiation safety officer for the two Arizona Prostate Cancer Centers located in Phoenix and Scottsdale Arizona. He is a guest on the AAPM's Professional Services Committee with a desire to give back by helping develop programs and services to support and enhance career opportunities for medical physicists.

jonathan-thropay
Board Representative
Jason Shen, PhD, DABR
Mayo Clinic

Jason is a professor and radiation oncology medical physicist at Mayo Clinic, Phoenix Arizona. He has been a member of the Arizona Chapter of the AAPM since 2013. He has been actively participating in the chapter events and has served as the treasurer/secretary of the Arizona chapter of the AAPM for three years (2018-2020). He also volunteered as the treasurer for a local garden club with more than 200 members from 2020 to present. Jason feels fulfilled by serving the professional society and the local community. It is his aim to serve the interests of the AZ AAPM at the board meetings and to report back to AZ AAPM of any significant news and important information.

jason-shen

To nominate someone for a future office, please fill out this form:

Chapter History

  • 2000 – Dr. Bob Metzger and Dr. Stephen Sapareto organized the first meeting of medical and health physicists in Arizona under the support of the Arizona Chapter of the Health Physics Society.
  • 2011 – The group sought to operate as an official chapter to The American Association of Physicists in Medicine. Dr. Stephen Sapareto was elected President and AAPM BOD representative for the Arizona Chapter and Tariq Mian was the first Secretary/Treasurer.
  • 2012 – With 66 Arizona AAPM members, the Arizona AAPM Chapter was officially granted chapter status by the AAPM. Until this time the chapter had been holding meetings 2-3 times per year. In 2011, at the urging of Chris Watchman from the University of Arizona, it was decided to hold an all-day Annual meeting in 2013.
  • 2013 – The first Annual Arizona Chapter meeting was held at Banner Desert Education Center and a group photo is included below.

  • More than 40 meetings have been held in Arizona since 2000 including more than 5 Annual meetings.
  • The Chapter is vibrant and active under the current leadership.  Please consider participating to keep it so.

Awards

2024 Outstanding Leadership Award

Stephen Sapareto, PhD

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