We are proud to celebrate the graduation of Dr. Njood Alsaihati from CVIT, marking an important milestone in her academic and professional journey. Over the course of her PhD, Njood has contributed to advancing our understanding of CT imaging variability, data representation, and clinically meaningful interpretation of imaging information.
From her early days as a master’s student to completing her PhD and continuing into residency at Duke, her journey reflects both scientific growth and a deepening appreciation for the broader clinical context of medical imaging research.
As she reaches this milestone, she reflects on her experiences, growth, and the lessons that shaped her time at CVIT.
A journey shaped by curiosity and complexity
Njood’s PhD journey was driven by a growing curiosity about how complex clinical imaging data can be meaningfully understood and interpreted. “CT imaging is not just about generating images,” she explains. “It also involves patient characteristics, acquisition parameters, clinical intent, and workflow differences.”
Early in her research, she encountered the reality that many questions in this space do not come with predefined answers. Instead, progress required stepping back and building foundational understanding of how imaging data should be structured and interpreted within a clinical context. “A lot of the work involved asking foundational questions about how imaging data should be categorized, measured, and interpreted,” she reflects. Rather than following a fixed roadmap, her work evolved through continuous questioning, refinement, and learning how to think about imaging data in a broader clinical framework.
Where many of the challenges and ideas took shape.
Growing from technical thinking to a broader perspective
Having been part of CVIT since her master’s training, Njood describes a meaningful evolution in how she approaches research. “When I first joined CVIT, I viewed research mostly from a technical perspective,” she says. “Over time, my perspective shifted toward thinking more deeply about the bigger picture behind the work.”
She learned to place greater emphasis on clinical meaning, foundational questions, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Seeing how different perspectives come together to shape impactful research. “I started to appreciate the importance of asking the right foundational questions and understanding the clinical meaning behind the work,” she adds.
Research contributions with clinical relevance
Njood’s research focused on understanding variability in CT imaging and improving how imaging data are categorized, measured, and interpreted in a clinically meaningful way. Her work included virtual imaging trial frameworks to study how patient size relates to radiation dose, image quality, and risk estimation. She also contributed to ontology-based approaches for structuring and representing clinical imaging data and workflows. Rather than treating these as isolated technical problems, her work consistently aimed to support more consistent and meaningful interpretation of imaging practice, improve large-scale imaging analysis, and strengthen the connection between data and clinical decision-making.
Collaboration and growth through shared work
Collaboration played a central role in Njood’s development as a researcher. “Most of the projects I worked on were clinically focused and collaborative,” she says. “This constantly pushed me to think about why the work matters and what meaningful questions we should be asking.” She highlights her ontology-related work as particularly formative, as it required integrating multiple perspectives and stepping beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries. “That project brought everything together and pushed me to grow far beyond what can be learned from textbooks alone.”
Collaboration and discussion were central to her research journey.
Developing confidence and scientific independence
Over time, Njood experienced significant personal and professional growth, particularly in developing confidence and ownership of her work. “CVIT created an environment where students were encouraged to share ideas, think independently, and take initiative,” she says.
Being surrounded by high standards and strong mentorship helped her develop a more confident and structured scientific mindset, learning not only how to solve problems, but how to define the right ones.
Mentorship and lasting lessons
One of the most impactful lessons from her time at CVIT came from Dr. Samei, who encouraged independent scientific thinking. “He told me not to assume his suggestions were automatically the correct answer,” she recalls. “He encouraged me to question ideas, challenge reasoning, and develop my own scientific judgment.”
She also learned an important lesson about focus and prioritization: “I learned that saying yes to everything is not always the most effective way to grow or contribute meaningfully.”
CVIT as a community
Beyond research, Njood emphasizes the importance of the CVIT community throughout her training. “I experienced a transition from starting with very little confidence to eventually being trusted and treated more like a peer,” she says. “CVIT became much more than just a research lab to me. It became a community I am very proud to be part of.”
What stood out most was the consistent culture of support and collaboration, where people were approachable and genuinely invested in each other’s development. Some of Njood’s most memorable moments were the small, everyday experiences in the lab. “I somehow became known for my desserts over the years,” she says. “At some point, Dr. Samei even joked that if medical physics did not work out, I could always open my own bakery instead.”
She also recalls the intense but rewarding preparation periods before conferences and defenses, where students would spend hours giving each other feedback and refining their work. “These moments really captured both the supportive and high-standard culture of CVIT,” she reflects.
Everyday moments that shaped a strong and supportive community.
Looking ahead to residency
Njood chose to continue at Duke for her residency after experiencing a strong culture of mentorship and excellence throughout her PhD. “I was very grateful to match at Duke because over the years I experienced a culture of excellence that continuously pushed me to grow,” she explains. “The mentorship, collaboration, and high level of the work showed me the kind of medical physicist I want to become, both technically and professionally.”
As she begins her residency, Njood is excited to bring her PhD experience closer to clinical practice. “My PhD focused on imaging variability, data representation, and clinically meaningful interpretation of imaging information,” she says. “I hope to continue building on these ideas while developing as a clinical physicist.”
She is also eager to strengthen her clinical decision-making and continue learning in a collaborative, patient-focused environment.
Advice for future students
Reflecting on her journey, Njood encourages students to embrace environments that challenge them to grow. “Staying in the same environment can be incredibly valuable if it continues to challenge you and invest in your growth,” she says. “My advice would be not to confuse familiarity with comfort. Growth often comes with discomfort and being pushed beyond what feels easy or familiar.”
Congratulations to Dr. Njood Alsaihati on this remarkable achievement. We thank her for her many contributions to CVIT and wish her continued success as she begins the next chapter of her journey in residency and beyond.
