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Kyle Jon Lafata

Thaddeus V. Samulski Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology
Radiation Oncology
Radiation Physics, Box 3295 DUMC, Durham, NC 27710
Radiation Physics, Box 3295 DUMC, Durham, NC 27710

Overview


Kyle Lafata is the Thaddeus V. Samulski Associate Professor at Duke University with faculty appointments in Radiation Oncology, Radiology, Pathology, Medical Physics, and Electrical & Computer Engineering. He joined the faculty at Duke in 2020 following postdoctoral training at the US Department of Veterans Affairs. His dissertation work focused on the applied analysis of stochastic partial differential equations and high-dimensional image phenotyping, where he developed physics-based computational methods and soft-computing paradigms to interrogate images. These included stochastic modeling, self-organization, and quantum machine learning (i.e., an emerging branch of research that explores the methodological and structural similarities between quantum systems and learning systems).

Prof. Lafata has worked in various areas of computational medicine and biology, resulting in over 55 academic papers, 20 invited talks, and more than 60 national conference presentations. At Duke, the Lafata Laboratory focuses on the theory, development, and application of computational oncology. The lab interrogates disease at different length-scales of its biological organization via high-performance computing, multiscale modeling, advanced imaging technology, and the applied analysis of stochastic partial differential equations. Current research interests include tumor topology, cellular dynamics, tumor immune microenvironment, drivers of radiation resistance and immune dysregulation, molecular insight into tissue heterogeneity, and biologically-guided adaptative treatment strategies.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Thaddeus V. Samulski Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology · 2023 - Present Radiation Oncology, Clinical Science Departments
Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology · 2023 - Present Radiation Oncology, Clinical Science Departments
Associate Professor in Radiology · 2023 - Present Radiology, Clinical Science Departments
Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering · 2021 - Present Electrical and Computer Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering
Assistant Professor of Pathology · 2023 - Present Pathology, Clinical Science Departments
Member of the Duke Cancer Institute · 2020 - Present Duke Cancer Institute, Institutes and Centers

Education, Training & Certifications


Duke University · 2018 C.
Duke University · 2018 Ph.D.