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DFG project HIGH ART started

20.12.2017

November 1st 2017: the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) project “Hybrid ImaGing framework in Hadrontherapy for Adaptive Radiation Therapy (HIGH ART)” has started

Research at the Chair of Experimental Physics – Medical Physics in the Faculty for Physics of the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) covers topics related to radiation therapy in oncology.

Different radiation sources are adopted in radiation therapy. Photons are typically used in conventional radiotherapy while accelerated ions (mostly protons) are adopted in ion beam therapy. The physical and biological characteristics of accelerated ions enable better targeting of the therapeutic dose to the tumour, thus potentially making ion beam therapy more precise and accurate than conventional radiotherapy. On the other hand, this advantage translates into an increased sensitivity to uncertainties. Uncertainties in ion beam therapy are intrinsically related to the use of X-ray imaging for treatment planning not simultaneous with the actual treatment delivery.

Ion imaging represents the keystone to “close the gap” between treatment planning and treatment delivery. On this topic, the recently approved national research grant of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) “Hybrid ImaGing framework in Hadrontherapy for Adaptive Radiation Therapy (HIGH ART)” has started on November 1st, 2017. Co-applicant Prof. Dr. Katia Parodi and principal investigator Dr. Chiara Gianoli will explore state-of-the-art and innovative radiographic and tomographic imaging methodologies combining ion and X-ray imaging to tackle  uncertainties in ion beam therapy with scanned ion beams.

In the context of the LMU workshop program "Meet the Reviewer" Dr. Chiara Gianoli reports in an interview on her experiences with the LMU program to support young researchers towards successful DFG grant application writing. The interview can be found here (accessible only for LMU employees with Campus login ID).