UPMC Hillman Medical Physics Director’s global leadership in cancer care recognized

3/4/2026

PITTSBURGH – M. Saiful Huq, Ph.D., director of medical physics in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, has been awarded the Inaugural Gold Medal of the Asia and Middle East Society of Therapeutic Radiation and Oncology (AMSTRO). The recognition was presented during AMSTRO’s first meeting, held in Dubai in February, which gathered participants from 64 countries under the theme “Shaping the Future of Cancer Care: Regional Voices. Global Collaboration.”

The award recognizes Huq’s significant role in establishing AMSTRO and contributing to the organization of its inaugural conference, marking an important step in advancing oncology capacity and scientific collaboration across the Asia-Middle East region. His involvement reflects a longstanding commitment to ensuring that progress in cancer care, particularly in radiation oncology, extends across the globe and benefits regions where access and resources remain limited. The impact of Huq’s work builds on UPMC Hillman Cancer Center’s commitment to advancing equitable cancer care worldwide.

Huq said that this award has been deeply rewarding because it reflects a global movement to “build cross regional partnerships that advance patient care, education, research and outreach, thereby strengthening cancer care systems worldwide.” He added that “the work we pursue at UPMC Hillman has long embraced a global dimension, and AMSTRO reflects that shared commitment, ensuring that innovation and collaboration translate into better care and better outcomes for patients everywhere.”

Since 2004, Huq has been a key figure at UPMC Hillman, where he established the medical physics residency program for the application of medical physics to cancer treatment. Through his work with students, residents and postdocs, he continues to strengthen the bridge between research and clinical practice. This research adds to Huq’s ongoing commitment to improving cancer control in regions facing significant resource constraints. His five recent papers in The Lancet Oncology analyze barriers to care in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries and among the Rohingya refugee population in Bangladesh, and represents a continuation of this wide-reaching, global work.

Huq’s contributions have also been recognized with several major honors, including the William D. Coolidge Gold Medal from the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), and the U.S. Presidential Gold Medal and Lifetime Achievement Award.

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Caption: Huq receiving the AMSTRO Inaugural Gold Medal alongside Her Royal Highness Princess Dina Mired of Jordan and Dr. Abdalla Alnajjar, president of the Arab Science and Technology Foundation (ASTF), during the inaugural Global Oncology Conference, held February in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 
Credit: Asia and Middle East Society of Therapeutic Radiation and Oncology (AMSTRO)