Bradley Ackerson MD

Bradley Ackerson MD

TEL: 503-216-2195
FAX: 503-216-2196

While in training, Dr. Ackerson connected deeply with his oncology patients. He decided early to dedicate his career to helping individuals navigate what can be an unexpected and unknown diagnosis. He was drawn to radiation oncology, a specialty that focuses on individualized treatment plans for each patient. Dr. Ackerson finds the relationships that he develops with patients and their families particularly rewarding. He also values the team-based approach that he has in the specialty. 

Dr. Ackerson has an interest in exercise medicine/oncology and earned his Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) certification while in training. He was fortunate to train at one of the largest brain tumor centers in the world where he completed a special certification in treating primary and metastatic tumors of the central nervous system. 

Dr. Ackerson truly values the personal connections that he makes with people. Helping patients navigate difficult situations like a cancer diagnosis creates a special bond that he is grateful for. He feels very fortunate to be in a field of medicine that strongly prioritizes compassion and connection.

Dr. Ackerson was born at Providence St. Vincent hospital and raised in Beaverton. A 15-year hiatus for school and advanced training gave him a deep appreciation for how wonderful it is to live in the Portland Metro area. Dr. Ackerson and his wife love the culture, food, professional sports, and access to the beautiful outdoors that Portland provides. He enjoys staying active through endurance running, biking, and playing tennis/soccer. He also likes to spend time with his wife and children by backpacking, traveling, and coaching youth sports. They all cheer hard for everything Duke, most notably college basketball. 

Volunteer Activities

Scientific Article Reviewer for the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics, Advances in Radiation Oncology, Cancer Biology and Therapy

Other Activities

Member, American Society of Radiation Oncology (ASTRO)

Member, American Board of Radiology

Member, American Medical Association

Member, International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC)

Member, National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)

EDUCATION & TRAINING

Chief Resident, Duke University School of Medicine Department of Radiation Oncology, Durham, NC, 2023

Residency, Duke University School of Medicine Department of Radiation Oncology, Durham, NC, 2022

Internship, Intermountain Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT, 2019

Doctor of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 2018

Bachelor of Science, Neuroscience, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 2013

BOARD CERTIFICATION

Radiation Oncology – Board Eligible

HONORS

Full Tuition Merit Scholarship, BYU, 2013

Duke University Henry A. Page Scholarship, 2014

Duke University Samuel Earl Upchurch Scholarship, 2015

Radiation Research Society Scholar in Training Grant, 2017

Duke School of Medicine Dean’s Choice Award Scholarship, 2017

Duke School of Medicine Senior Merit Scholarship, 2017

Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society, 2017

Duke Radiation Oncology Award for Outstanding Physics Research, 2022

Chief Resident, Duke University Radiation Oncology, 2022

Publications

Bradley G. Ackerson, William Sperduto, M.D., Rachel D’Anna, M.S., Donna Niedzwiecki, Ph.D., Jared Christensen, M.D., M.B.A., Pranalee Patel, B.S., Trey C. Mullikin, M.D., Chris R. Kelsey, M.D. “Divergent Interpretations of Imaging after Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Lung Cancer.” Practical Radiation Oncology, 2023.

Colin E. Champ, MD, CSCS, David J. Carpenter, MD, CSCS, Alexander K. Diaz, MD, PhD, CSCS, Jared Rosenberg, MS, CSCS, Bradley G. Ackerson, MD, CSCS, Parker N. Hyde, PhD, CSCS. “Resistance Training for the Cancer Patient: A Conceptual Framework for Maximizing Strength, Power, Functional Mobility, and Body Composition to Optimize Health and Outcome.” Sports Medicine, 2022.

Andrew Fairchild MD, Joseph K Salama MD, Walter F. Wiggins MD PhD, Bradley Ackerson MD, Peter Fecci. MD PhD, John Kirkpatrick MD PhD, Scott Floyd MD PhD, Devon Godfrey PhD. “A Deep Learning Based Computer Aided Detection (CAD) System for Difficult-to-Detect Brain Metastases.” International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics, 2022.

Brett Erickson, Bradley G. Ackerson, Yunfeng Cui, Fang-Fang Yin, Christopher Kelsey, Justus Adamson. The effect of various dose normalization strategies when implementing linear Boltzmann transport equation dose calculation for lung SBRT planning. Practical Radiation Oncology 12 (5), 446-456, 2022.

Bradley G. Ackerson, Qiuwen Wu, Oana Craciunescu, Colin Champ, Chris Kelsey. Treatment of Mycosis Fungoides using a Recumbent Total Skin Electron Beam Technique: A Comparison of Dosimetric and Clinical Outcomes. Advances in Radiation Oncology, Volume 6, Issue 4, 2021

AJ Petty, Bradley G. Ackerson, Reed Garza, Michael Peterson, Beyu Liu, Cindy Green, Michelle Pavlis. Meta-analysis of number needed to treat for diagnosis of melanoma by clinical setting. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 82 (5), 1158-1165, 2020.

Kyle Lafata, Julina Hong, R Geng, Bradley G. Ackerson, JG Liu, Z Zhou, Jordon Torok, Chris Kelsey, Fang-Fang Yin. Association of pre-treatment radiomic features with lung cancer recurrence following stereotactic body radiation therapy. Physics in Medicine & Biology 64 (2), 025007, 2019.

Bradley G Ackerson, Betty Tong, Julian Hong, Lin Gu, Junzo Chino, Chris Kelsey. Stereotactic body radiation therapy versus sublobar resection for stage I NSCLC. Lung Cancer 125, 185-191. 2018.

Daniel Tandberg, Betty Tong, Bradley G. Ackerson, Chris Kelsey. Surgery versus stereotactic body radiation therapy for stage I non-small cell lung cancer: a comprehensive review. Cancer 124 (4), 667-678. 2018.

Dan Tandberg, Y Cui, CN Rushing, Julian Hong, Bradley G. Ackerson, Brian G. Czito, Christopher W. Willett, Manisha Palta. Intratreatment response assessment with 18F-FDG PET: correlation of semiquantitative PET features with pathologic response of esophageal cancer to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, IJROBP 102 (4), 1002-1007, 2018.