Dr. Mendenhall is a Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology in the University of Florida College of Medicine. Currently, Dr. Mendenhall is responsible for the day-to-day clinical operations of the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute as the Medical Director and is the Associate Chair of the UF Health Jacksonville Department of Radiation Oncology. A University of Florida College of Medicine faculty member since 1984, Dr. Mendenhall served as the chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology from 1993-2006 - the first female Chair in the College’s history.
Dr. Mendenhall has been honored as a top doctor in multiple publications throughout her career, as well as recent recognitions for her research and clinical excellence. In addition, she has been named in several leading women's magazines as one of the nation's top doctors for women with cancer. In 2020, she was honored with the Gainesville Women Who Make a Difference Award and the 2020 Paulus Award for Clinical Excellence from the University of Florida for ‘Making a difference for patient care; an unfailing moral compass; engagement at every level of patient care; and championing teamwork.’ She also won the University of Florida’s College of Medicine Clinical Science Researcher of the Year in 2018 and was included in the Wall of Fame for Distinguished UF College of Medicine Alumni in 2014.
As Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Particle Therapy (IJPT), the Official Journal of the Particle Therapy Cooperative Group, Dr. Mendenhall is a leader in proton therapy research. She has published over 260 peer-reviewed publications and more than 55 book chapters and invited articles. Dr. Mendenhall is an enthusiastic teacher who is invited to lecture at numerous national and international meetings, delivering more than 100 educational lectures in her career, and has become a sought-after visiting professor, panelist and refresher course lecturer. She is also an endless source of inspiration for young scientists in the field of radiation and has trained more than 87 residents and fostered over 75 resident peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Mendenhall’s primary focus since 2006 has been the expansion of the use of proton therapy. Her recent research focuses on comparing the quality of life, side effects, and cure rates for cancer patients treated with proton therapy versus photon therapy to help future patients make informed treatment decisions.
Board Certification
Radiology – Diagnostic – American Board of Radiology
Residency - Division of Radiation Therapy
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Internship - Division of Radiation Therapy
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Medical Degree
University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL
Bachelor of Arts - English Literature
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Dr. Mendenhall is a leader in research in the areas of breast cancer, Hodgkin's disease, lymphomas and pediatric cancers. She has extensive experience in cooperative group trials (COG) and has produced more than 260 published works, including articles in such publications as American Journal of Clinical Oncology, Cancer, and the Journal of the American Medical Association.
- COMPPARE: Prospective Comparative Study of Outcomes with Proton and Photon RT in Prostate Cancer
- Improving Breast Radiotherapy Setup and Delivery Using Mixed-Reality Visualization
- Prospective Pilot Cohort Study of Tracking Circulating Tumor DNA in Women Receiving Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer
- Prospective Trial of Regional Nodal Irradiation for Women with Residual Breast Disease after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy
- A Phase II Study of Dose-Escalated Proton-Based Radiation Therapy Delivered with a Simultaneous Integrated Boost (SIB) to Intraprostatic Tumors (IPT) Visible on Pretreatment Magnetic Resonance Image
- Postoperative or Salvage Radiotherapy for Node Negative Prostate Cancer Following Radical Prostatectomy
- RadTox II: Prospective Observational Exploratory Clinical Study to Determine the Assay Cut-Off for the RadTox Test in Prostate Cancer Patients to Predict Gastrointestinal Radiation Toxicity Using Circulating Cell Free DNA Directly from Plasma
- Proton and Photon Consortium Registry (PPCR)
David A. Paulus Award for Clinical Excellence
University of Florida (2020)
Gainesville Women Who Make a Difference Award
Girl Scouts of America (2020)
High Writer Award
University of Florida Health Cancer Center (2019)
Clinical Science Researcher of the Year
University of Florida College of Medicine (2018)
Wall of Fame for Distinguished UF College of Medicine Alumni
University of Florida College of Medicine (2014)
Listed as Top Doctor:
Newsweek Health; U.S. News & World Report Best Doctors; Castle Connolly; Ladies Home Journal; Redbook Magazine; Good Housekeeping; "The Best Doctors in America"
“I am grateful for the opportunity I have had to bring this wonderful technology to Florida, grateful to the patients who have entrusted us with their care, grateful to the dedicated staff and faculty who make UFHPTI what it is – a place of healing – and I am proud of the accomplishments of the past 16 years and hope to see 16 more years of advances in proton therapy for our patients.”
Find Dr. Mendenhall’s publications through PubMed*
*Please note, the resulting PubMed entries may not reflect a complete or accurate listing for faculty members. Many journals are not indexed by PubMed, and there may be articles by other authors of the same name listed for each search.
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