FLASH-RT Physics-Biology consortium workshop

→ Europe/Zurich
Online (Zoom)

Online (Zoom)
Serena Psoroulas (PSI - Paul Scherrer Institut), Dirk Verellen (University of Antwerpen), Pierre Montay-Gruel (University of Antwerpen), Frank Stephan (DESY), Rudi Labarbe (IBA), Raphael Moeckli (IRA CHUV), Martin Grossmann Handschin (PSI - Paul Scherrer Institut)
Description

Overview of the workshop (date, format) 

This workshop on building-up a FLASH radiation therapy (FLASH-RT) consortium around data sharing and management will be held online over two afternoons: 
 

Day 1: June 6th 2023 1:00pm – 4:30pm (CEST) 

Day 2: June 20th 2023 1:00pm – 4:30pm (CEST) 

 

Background 

FLASH radiotherapy has become one of the hot topics in the radiation oncology field. While more and more data is accumulated, the complexity of this research field makes it sometimes challenging to keep oneself updated with the most recent and important results. Moreover, the difficulty to publish and share negative data might impact research effectiveness and increase experimental bias. These issues were raised by multiple researchers in the field during past workshops and ongoing collaborative networks, including the very successful ESTRO Physics Workshop on FLASH-RT. Building-up a consortium around data sharing, management and storage is a way to face these challenges.  

 

Goals of the workshop 

The goal of the workshop is to set the ground for a future FLASH-RT research consortium around data sharing, management, and storage.  

 

Different topics will be developed in the form of break-out rooms: 

  • Database structure: Literature review, biology practice, definition of the variables to be put in the database, data availability, their eventual dependencies…
  • Consortium organization: What are the possibilities for a multi-institutional consortium with possible industry cooperation/involvement? Possibility for funding and sustainability of the consortium (5(-10?) year timescale). 
  • Quality control: What QA strategies could we put in place to ensure data quality (including non-published data)? Small internal audit, or peer-review mechanism? How to audit biological models? 
  • Data sharing best practice, open access, and industry utilization: How to ensure a good data sharing practice? What mechanisms are already used by other collaborations/consortiums, and what could be the pitfalls? 

 

Representatives of current existing consortia will also share their experience in creating and organizing such research networks, to help identify the challenges and caveats.   

 

Who should attend 

All research professionals involved in ultra-high dose rate fundamental, translational and clinical research, physicists, biologists, chemists, clinicians... 

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