R. Jason PhD

Dr. Stafford is an Associate Professor with tenure and is Chief of the Section of MRI and Ultrasound Physics in the Department of Imaging Physics at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. He is board certified in diagnostic medical physics and has been on the clinical faculty since 2002.

Dr. Stafford received his training and doctorate degree in Medical Physics from the Health Science Center at Houston and MD Anderson Cancer Center Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in 2001. His research was the design and validation of fast magnetic resonance imaging techniques for monitoring focused ultrasound thermal therapy. The work garnered awards locally (MD Anderson Alfred Knudson Outstanding Dissertation Award and the Aaron M. Blanchard Research Award in Medical Physics) and nationally (American College of Medical Physics Graduate Student Award and first place in the American Association of Physicists in Medicine John C. Cameron Young Investigator competition).

Dr. Stafford has over 81 peer reviewed publications, has served as primary or co-investigator and several grants, and speaks at national and international meetings. His research interests lie primarily in the use of magnetic resonance imaging for guidance of oncologic interventions and therapies. Over the years, much of this research has translated into clinical services, which he now supports at MD Anderson Cancer Center. He is the President-Elect for the Society for Thermal Medicine.

He has mentored five graduate students and six post-doctoral fellows over the last ten years as well as lectures and coordinates in core GSBS courses at MDACC.