Radiation Therapy Technology Program Receives Grant for VERT System Upgrades

Manhattan College’s Radiation Therapy Technology program has received a $145,438 grant from the Gladys Brooks Foundation to purchase upgrades to its Virtual Environment Radiotherapy Treatment (VERT) room system and to purchase a proton therapy extension. 

With these upgrades, the department will be able to expand its undergraduate curriculum to include proton therapy, and design a continuing education program in proton therapy for licensed radiation therapists in New York City and beyond.

“The VERT system turns our classroom into a simulated radiotherapy treatment room, guiding students through using different cancer treatment delivery techniques,” said Kayla Valentino, chair and program director of the Radiation Therapy Technology program. “These upgrades will address job demands and provide increased system functionality and expanded curriculum for students and professionals.”

Radiation therapy technology students at Manhattan College use state of the art equipment in a rapidly advancing area of oncology to treat and manage cancer patients. While the majority of clinical instruction is completed in hands-on internship experiences at prestigious medical institutions, the on-campus lab experience using the VERT systems allows for unparalleled access to learning radiation therapy concepts and procedures. 

Manhattan College is one of 41 higher education institutions in the country to have the VERT system. There are only four other proton therapy extensions in the country.

For more information about Manhattan College’s Radiation Therapy Technology program, email Kayla Valentino at kayla.valentino@manhattan.edu.