AMTEC-PRO (GRK 3043) starts with a festive colloquium
The DFG-funded research training group AMTEC-PRO ("Advanced Methods and Technologies for
Proton Therapy", GRK 3043) began its work in fall 2025. To mark the occasion, the research training group hosted a celebratory colloquium at the end of October at the TU Dortmund University's Department of Physics. After words of welcome from the Rector, Prof. Manfred Bayer, and the second deputy president of the German Society for Radiation Oncology, Prof. Dr. Mechthild Krause, the Research Training Group introduced itself. In particular, the interdisciplinary approach of the planned basic research and clinical perspectives were emphasized.
The highlight of the event was the keynote speech by Prof. Dr. Harald Paganetti from Harvard Medical School, one of the world's leading experts in the field of proton therapy. He highlighted the role of computational physics as a connecting element between radiobiology and clinical care and emphasized the need for interdisciplinary collaboration in order to successfully answer the complex research questions associated with proton therapy and thus improve patient care in the long term.
Among the approximately 100 guests were the doctoral students of the first cohort, for whom the festive colloquium marked the start of a joint, interdisciplinary research journey.
The AMTEC-PRO Research Training Group is funded by the German Research Foundation. In the first funding phase (2025-2030), a total of 24 doctoral students from the fields of chemistry, physics, artificial intelligence, medicine and engineering are researching issues directly related to proton therapy. TU Dortmund University, the University of Duisburg-Essen and the University Medical Center Essen are involved in the Research Training Group; the West German Proton Therapy Center Essen (WPE) plays a special role as the central institution for clinical studies. The research group also benefits greatly from the University Alliance Ruhr (UA Ruhr) and will establish a cross-location guest chair for particle science in the coming year.
Contact persons for queries:
- Kevin Kröninger, Department of Physics, TU Dortmund University
- Beate Timmermann, West German Proton Therapy Center Essen (WPE), University Medicine Essen
- Stephan Barcikowski, Technical Chemistry I, University of Duisburg-Essen