From physics major to cancer researcher: Meet Dr. Jonas Fontenot

Written byAshley McClure-French

鈥淯ltimately, the physics department faculty helped shepherd me into a life and career after college that aligned with my strengths and interests.鈥

亚洲自慰视频 of 亚洲自慰视频 at Lafayette physics major Jonas Fontenot now leads cancer research at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center
Jonas Fontenot
Graduation Year
Class of 2002
Major
Physics
Hometown
Crowley, LA

Where I'm From

I鈥檓 from Crowley, La., where I knew I was destined for a career in science.

Where I Am

I am the chief of physics and chief operating officer of Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center.

Where I'm Going

I am researching methods of shaping radiation doses to treat cancer patients better.

Over the last 12 years, Dr. Jonas Fontenot has worked his way from being a staff medical physicist to becoming the chief of physics and chief operating officer at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center.

鈥淢edical physicists are interested in using ionizing radiation for the diagnosis and treatment of human disease,鈥 he said. 鈥淲ithin a cancer center, that means that a medical physicist is responsible for serving as an interface between the science of technology and the art of medicine.

鈥淭he day-to-day for that particular role involves working with radiation oncologists who see patients who would benefit from radiation therapy and coming up with radiation treatment plans that are customized, unique, and personalized to each patient鈥檚 disease and anatomy, and then coming up with strategies to actually deliver those radiation dose plans to patients each and every day,鈥 he said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a wild and fun ride,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 certainly one that I did not anticipate.鈥

The Road to Medical Physics

The start of his career in medical physics was also unanticipated.

鈥淚 knew I was destined for something in science,鈥 Dr. Fontenot said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know exactly what I wanted to do when I got to UL Lafayette, but I had lots of options.

鈥淚 started out in engineering but made my way to physics when I realized it was a better match for my interests,鈥 he said.

鈥淲hat I really enjoyed about physics is that if you know key concepts in a few key areas, you could apply that knowledge and understanding in lots of key areas."

鈥淲hat drew me to medical physics was accidental,鈥 Dr. Fontenot said. 鈥淚t was really through a path of discovery that I would attribute to the physics program at UL Lafayette. I think for any physics major at any university, there comes a point in time where you ask, 鈥榃hat am I going to do with this physics degree I鈥檓 working toward?鈥欌

When the time came for Dr. Fontenot to ask himself that question, the physics faculty were more than happy to help.

鈥淲hen I first asked myself that question, I had no idea what I might do with a physics degree,鈥 he said. 鈥淏ut the faculty provided a wealth of information about the possibilities that existed for somebody with a physics degree.

鈥淚 was made aware of the field of medical physics from Dr. John Meriwether (Professor Emeritus), who was aware of an alumnus of the department who had gone on to a career in medical physics,鈥 Dr. Fontenot said.

鈥淚t appealed to me that there was a social component of the career,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t also appealed to me that it was a field that I could apply physics concepts within applications that would benefit people with a diagnosis of cancer.

鈥淎fter talking through some of the general concepts of what medical physics was with Dr. Meriwether, he put me in touch with the alumnus that he had mentioned,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 reached out to him and spent some time with him. I found that time to be productive and interesting to the point that I decided it was something I wanted to pursue.鈥

Gaining Unanticipated Skills

Once he earned his bachelor鈥檚 degree from UL Lafayette, Dr. Fontenot started his graduate training in Houston where he learned more than he was expecting. He earned his Master of Science and his Ph.D. in Medical Physics at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

鈥淚 think a graduate education and a career in science means you鈥檙e often up in front of audiences, talking about research,鈥 he said, 鈥渟o the first few times I had to get up in front of a national or international crowd and talk about my ideas and things that I was pursuing, I was terrified.

鈥淏ut with repetition and practice brings confidence and being able to get up in that sort of setting,鈥 he said. 鈥淎nd being able to have a conversation with an audience about the ideas you have. I think that further honed and improved my ability to communicate with others about technically difficult concepts.鈥

This skill of effective communication has been one that has translated from large-scale audiences to Dr. Fontenot鈥檚 patients and staff. It continues to be an asset in his career today.

鈥淭he ability and the need to communicate effectively with patients and staff members and physicians in terms they can understand is something I did not expect to spend as much time on,鈥 he said. 鈥淏ut as I gained more experience in the field, I realized that鈥檚 really an essential component of this career. That comes with time and experience.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been what I expected in some ways and not what I expected in other ways,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t has certainly brought a large degree of satisfaction by being able to apply a skill set that I think not many people have, that benefits cancer patients and has a specific and unique and direct application. That鈥檚 been very satisfying.鈥

Dr. Fontenot's Current Radiation Research

Dr. Fontenot鈥檚 research is focused on improving radiation doses to target tumors better. He has numerous publications and received over $1 million in sponsored research funding. He was a key figure in bringing the to Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center.

鈥淭here is a lot of work that is done before a patient is ever treated with radiation therapy to make sure we get as much dose to the tumor as possible and spare as much normal healthy tissue as we possibly can from being irradiated,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 always a balance 鈥 it鈥檚 never possible to do all of one and none of another."

鈥淢y research is developing new strategies and refining current approaches to improve the balance between treating the tumor and avoiding normal healthy organs,鈥 he said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been a part of that avenue of research for a number of years.

鈥淎s a group, we鈥檝e been very successful,鈥 he said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been part of more than 50 papers that have been published in peer reviewed national and international journals. I鈥檝e been a part of more than $5 million worth of research grants that have helped support that avenue of research.鈥

The Role of UL Lafayette

Dr. Fontenot already had the ability to grow into someone great. Faculty and classes at UL Lafayette just provided the encouragement to pursue his interests.

鈥淚 attribute my experience in the physics program at UL Lafayette to creating the foundation of support upon which my career has ultimately grown,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 think with the physics knowledge itself, I鈥檝e gotten excellent instruction and training in undergraduate physics concepts.

鈥淚 was also afforded the opportunity as an undergrad to take graduate physics courses, which I think strengthened my application to propel me into the No. 1 grad program in medical physics in the country at M.D. Anderson in Houston,鈥 he said.

鈥淭he department also provided me with contacts that not only made me aware of the medical physics profession,鈥 he said, 鈥渂ut also connected me with a summer internship in Houston that opened the door for me to get introduced with some of the faculty at M.D. Anderson and ultimately contributed to me getting into that program.

鈥淯ltimately the physics department faculty helped shepherd me into a life and career after college that aligned with my strengths and interests,鈥 said Dr. Fontenot.

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