The team you’ll actually want to call

Mike Cox grew up near São Paulo, Brazil, studied physics at Cedarville University, and earned his master's in medical physics at the University of Pennsylvania on an Air Force scholarship. Before he joined Unicon in 2019, he spent several years as an Air Force officer working in medical physics, before pursuing a PhD in biomedical acoustics from the University of Cincinnati. After passing his PhD qualifying exam, he followed his passion for clinical work and left academia to accept a full time medical physics position.

Mike first met the Unicon team when he was stationed at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, where they worked as diagnostic medical physics consultants. He joined them in 2019 and bought the company from Kish Patel in 2023. 

As owner, Mike oversees the team and day-to-day operations while staying active in the field. He is certified by the American Board of Radiology in Diagnostic Medical Physics and is a member of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine, the American College of Radiology, and the Health Physics Society.

Outside of work, he is a dedicated family man and church member, deeply involved in both his kids' lives and their church ministries. Sports and music are a big part of the Cox household, and the family is known to jump into friendly backyard games or break into song together on a regular basis.

Kennith Lovins, or ‘Duke’ to those who know him, has been with Unicon since 1995 and is the glue that keeps the team together. What that actually means is that Duke is the kind of person every physics team needs: deeply experienced, unflappable, and genuinely happy to help.

Before Unicon, Duke worked as a medical health physicist at the VA Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky. He holds a bachelor's degree in Radiological Health Sciences, a master's degree from the University of Cincinnati and is certified by the American Board of Health Physics. He is also the topic editor for Medical and Dental Equipment and Shielding” at the Health Physics Society's Ask the Expert program — a post that invites queries regarding radiation safety from across the country. 

Day to day, Duke specializes in radiation safety  and quality assurance, and is often the first call when a client gets a notice from the state. He has a talent for talking people off the ledge and walking them through exactly what they need to do. Duke stays sharp by keeping up with the latest in his field, sifting through the noise, and communicating the essentials to clients in plain English.

Outside of work, Duke is the proud father of twin daughters and likes to spend his time outdoors and at the farm, watching live music, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

Jessie Abazid came to medical physics by way of electrical engineering, a brief stint at NASA, and a friend who talked him into nuclear medicine technology at the University of Findlay. Jessie earned his bachelor's in electrical and computer engineering and his master's in nuclear medicine physics, both from Cleveland State University.

Jessie now specializes in nuclear medicine and ultrasound, having spent nearly a decade working alongside the Unicon team as a subcontractor before officially joining in 2023. He lives in Cleveland but spends Monday through Thursday in Cincinnati — a testament to his commitment to both his team and his family. 

Jessie most loves the variety within medical physics: different facilities, different people, different challenges every day. He is passionate about ensuring every patient gets exactly the dose and image quality they need.

Outside of work, Jessie is a devoted father of five and can often be found on his zero-turn mower, cutting the grass for his neighbors (no ask required).

Josh Hubbell spent 20 years as an Air Force officer before joining Unicon in 2024. He studied astrophysics at Michigan State University, was commissioned as a health physicist in 2004, and earned his master's in medical physics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2011 before transitioning into medical physics work for the Air Force.

When he was stationed at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Josh got to know Michael Cox and the Unicon team. He eventually rose to squadron command before retiring from active duty. When it was time for civilian life, the Unicon team was the obvious next call.

Josh brings to the work a level of precision and calm that comes naturally after two decades of military service. Day to day he covers a range of imaging modalities and is known for being easy to work with and thorough in his reporting.

Outside of work, Josh is a devoted family man and a big Detroit Tigers fan. He and his wife are making up for lost travel time now that the kids are older, with many stateside and overseas locations on their list.

Kish Patel was born in India, built his physics career in England, and made his way to Cincinnati in 1991, where he has been a fixture in the regional medical physics community ever since. He holds a PhD in medical physics and is double certified by the American Board of Radiology in both diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine.

Kish founded his own consulting firm in 1996, which gained significant traction in 2000 when he acquired Dr. Kereiakes’ medical physics company, forming the core of Unicon as it exists today. Kish ran it for 23 years, growing the team, deepening client relationships, and turning down every acquisition offer that came his way. In 2023 he sold the company to Michael Cox, a physicist he trusted to carry it forward the right way. He has stayed on as an active member of the team ever since.

After more than 45 years in medical physics, Kish still loves the work. He is known for his warmth, his dry humor, and his ability to get along with just about anyone — a fact he will tell you himself without a hint of modesty. By his own admission, he is a self-proclaimed boring guy with few hobbies outside of the work he still genuinely enjoys.

Harj Khaira's path to medical physics took him through biochemistry, a family retail business, and five years teaching high school mathematics before he earned his master's in medical physics from the Medical College of Ohio. He joined Unicon in 2004 and earned his certification from the American Board of Radiology in 2006.

He spent years specializing in CT and mammography before transitioning his focus to dental CBCT imaging, where he now does the bulk of his work. He has a gift for going deep on a modality and knowing it inside and out — which is exactly the kind of physicist you want checking your equipment.

Harj moved to Cincinnati from England more than 20 years ago when Kish convinced him to move stateside. He has called it home ever since, though he and his wife make it back to England every year. Outside of work, he is an avid photographer who brings his camera everywhere, and he has two grandkids in Columbus, Ohio, who keep him very busy and very happy.

Dr. James Kereiakes (1925-2017) was the kind of person who made everyone around him better. A scientist, a mentor, and by all accounts one of the warmest people you could ever meet, he spent more than four decades shaping the field of medical physics and the careers of the people who practice it.

Growing up in Bowling Green, Kentucky, Dr. Kereiakes was the son of Greek immigrants. A quick study, he earned his bachelor's in physics from Western Kentucky College in 1945, his master's from the University of Cincinnati (UC) in 1947, and his PhD from UC in 1950. Before joining UC's faculty, he spent nearly a decade at the Army Medical Research Laboratory at Fort Knox, KY, where he worked on some of the earliest space flight research programs.

At the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Dr. Kereiakes rose to full professor in less than 10 years and stayed for more than 30 years. He was a charter member of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine, organized its very first dinner in Cincinnati in 1959, and served as its president in 1970.

A few of his honors and accomplishments:

• AAPM William D. Coolidge Gold Medal (1981)
• RSNA Gold Medal (1988)
• University of Cincinnati Daniel Drake Medal (1994)
• Western Kentucky University Hall of Distinguished Alumni (2000)
• Ohio River Valley Chapter AAPM James G. Kereiakes Lecture, established in his honor (2006)
• 170 scientific publications and 30 book chapters
• 78 graduate degrees in medical physics awarded under his mentorship

When regulations began requiring facilities to have physics support, Dr. Kereiakes started helping the radiologists he had trained, showing up, answering questions, and helping to make sure things were done right. He didn't set out to build a business, but that commitment eventually grew into a medical physics consulting company, the foundation of Unicon. 

Despite his many accomplishments, Dr. Kereiakes stayed modest and deeply humble, passionate about and devoted to his entire family. He set the standard not by talking about his work but by doing the work and treating everyone with genuine care. That standard still holds true for Unicon today.