RAPTOR (Real-time Adaptive Particle Therapy of Cancer): 15 PhD positions 1526 views

The RAPTOR (Real-time Adaptive Particle Therapy of Cancer) Innovative Training Network (ITN) is recruiting 15 highly motivated PhD students. The offered positions are available with a starting date in summer 2021.

About the project:

• Proton therapy (PT) is an advanced type of radiotherapy used to treat a constantly rising number of cancer patients.
• PT allows to target tumour with a high accuracy while sparing healthy surrounding tissue from dose. Adapting PT plans in real time has the potential to provide truly personalized treatments, allowing for better target control and less toxicity The main objective of RAPTOR is to advance the proton therapy(PT) for real-time use.
• The researchers recruited in RAPTOR will conduct research projects at both academic and non-academic health care facilities which will sharpen their focus on clinical needs with respect to real-time adaptive PT. The active involvement of industry ensures that the transfer of industry-relevant skills is an integral part of individual ESR projects. This will guarantee rapid translation of clinical needs into innovative and marketable solutions.
• A total of 15 PhD positions are available at 8 universities, 2 research centres and 3 companies, in the framework of the Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie InnovativeTraining Network (ITN) RAPTOR.

List of available PhDs

• ESR1: Dose accumulation and uncertainty estimation, Host: Center of Proton Therapy (CPT) at the Paul Scherrer Institute – PSI, Switzerland.
• ESR2: Automated segmentation and contour propagation, Host: Faculty of Mathematics and Physics of the University of Ljubljana (UL), Slovenia.
• ESR3: CBCT enhancement strategies for adaptive ion beam therapy, Host: MedPhoton, Austria.
• ESR4: Advanced use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Adaptive Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy, Host: Cancer Research Center Groningen (CRCG) Research Institute of the University Medical Center Groningen – UMCG, Netherlands.
• ESR5: 4D MR Imaging and motion modelling techniques for adaptive proton therapy, Host: Politecnico di Milano, Italy.
• ESR6: Optimizing the Plan of the Day, Host: University of Amsterdam, Netherlands.
• ESR7: Robust optimization for anatomical variations, Host: Aarhus University, Denmark.
• ESR8: Real-time 4D-dose calculation to assess the efficacy of motion mitigation strategies, Host: GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung in Darmstadt, Germany.
• ESR9: Automated and fast machine and delivery log-file based QA, Host: Cosylab, Slovenia.
• ESR10: Plan approval for daily plan adaptation, Host: Center of Proton Therapy (CPT) at the Paul Scherrer Institute – PSI, Switzerland.
• ESR11: Robust optimization considering uncertainties in the frame of proton adaptive radiation therapy, Host: Raysearch, Sweden.
• ESR12: Development of an end-to-end test workflow for all RAPTOR real-time adaptive PT components Host: Department of Radiation Oncology at the Medical University of Vienna – MedUniVienna, Austria.
• ESR13: Towards automated prompt-gamma treatment verification: Identification and classification of clinically relevant deviations, Host: National Center for Radiation in Oncology – OncoRay, Germany.
• ESR14: Dose quantification from PG imaging for adaptive planning, Host: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität – LMU, Germany.
• ESR15: Proton Radiography for real-time Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy plan adaptation, Host: Cancer Research Center Groningen (CRCG) Research Institute of the UMCG, Netherlands.

Requirements:

• Applicant must be holding a master’s degree (in physics, medical physics, mathematics, medical or biomedical engineer, computer science or software engineer or related studies.
• Applicant must not be having more than 4 years of equivalent research experience, i.e. working as a researcher after obtaining his/her master´s degree
• Applicant must not be awarded a doctoral degree
• Applicant must not have resided or carried out her/his main activity in the country to be recruited in for more than 12 months in the last 3 years
• Applicant must possess high level of proficiency in written and spoken English
• Research interest and ambitions for excellence in medical physics
• Good communication skills relevant for working in an international and interdisciplinary research group

Application:

Submit a single application which should include (in one single .pdf document):

• Complete CV,
• Detailed academic transcripts (including obtained grades)
• Motivation letter (specifying the willingness to be considered for other project),
• A selection of up to 3 projects
• Copies of University Master certificates or equivalents
• Contact details (name, title, address, telephone number, email address) and the capacity in which you know them for two referees
• The Consent Form for Applicants filled in and signed