From Hadrons to Therapy: Fundamental Physics Driving New Medical Advances

Scientific Programme

Modelling of radiation propagation, effects and radiobiology

• Development of radiobiological models for radiation effects in cells.
• Monte Carlo simulation of radiation transport in condensed matter on the macro-, micro- and nanometre scales.
• Fragmentation and decay models of nuclei.
• Radiation damage in biological (condensed matter as well as molecular) systems.
• Multiscale modelling comprising ab initio, Monte Carlo and/or radiobiological approaches.

Micro- and nanodosimetry

• Experimental devices for micro and nanoscopic distributions of energy deposition.
• Assessment of complex damage patterns in subcellular and DNA scales.
• Links of micro- and nanodosimetry to biological effects of radiation.
• Challenges in monitoring techniques for verification of radiation quality.

Hadrontherapy and associated technologies

• Measurement and fundamental understanding of nuclear reactions of ion beams in tissue and their impact on treatment and monitoring.
• Application of radioactive ion beams for combined treatment and monitoring.
• The role of nanoparticles as radiosensitisers in the enhancement of the relative biological effectiveness and in medical imaging.
• Challenges in monitoring and imaging techniques (PET and others) and for verification of ion ranges in tissue.

Targeted radionuclide therapy and associated technologies

• Decay channels of radioactive isotopes.
• Influence of the environment (condensed matter) in the emission spectra.
• Production of novel medical radioisotopes.
• Cancer cell targeting and radioisotope delivery.

Radiation sensitisers and enhancers

• Use of nanoparticles in radiotherapy.
• Use of nanoparticles in hadrontherapy.
• Use of sensitisers for imaging techniques.