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17 Jan 2027, 18:00 → 22 Jan 2027, 20:30 Europe/Zurich

Auditorium (Paul Scherrer Institute)

Antony John Lomax (PSI - Paul Scherrer Institut), Damien Charles Weber (PSI - Paul Scherrer Institut)

Thank you for reserving the dates -
registration will open in July/August 2026.

Content of the course:     
·        Pediatrics and AYA
·        Basic physics of proton therapy
·        Radiation biology
·        Delivery & treatment planning
·        Therapy workflow
·        Uncertainty & motion
·        Specification, commissioning & Q.A.
·        New directions in proton therapy

Aim of course:
To provide detailed knowledge on the clinical, physics and technological aspects of proton therapy using pencil beam scanning

Target audience:
Radiation oncologists, medical physicists, physicists, engineers, radiation technologists and dosimetrists. No previous knowledge of proton therapy is necessary.

Important:
Kindly note that the course is designed for 45 external participants and registration will close when the number of participants has been reached, but latest by: Sunday, January 3rd, 2027

Sunday 17 January

18:00 Enjoy the finger food and drinks

1 Registration - and pictures to look at

Dry run if requested.

20:00 Time at your convenience - you may enjoy the thermal baths

Monday 18 January

08:30 Departure to Paul Scherrer Institute - Meeting point in front of the Parkhotel

2 Welcome (Introduction of faculty, logistics etc.)

Speaker: Damien Charles Weber (Paul Scherrer Institut)

3 A short historical overview of proton therapy

Speaker: Damien Charles Weber (Paul Scherrer Institut)

4 Basic physics for proton radiation

Speaker: Sairos Safai (PSI - Paul Scherrer Institut)

Coffee break

5 Basic radiaton biology of photons and protons

Speaker: Martin Pruschy (University Hospital Zurich)

6 How significant are RBE variations in proton therapy?

Speaker: Harald Paganetti (Massachusetts General Hospital / Harvard Medical School)

7 Second malignancies

Speaker: Uwe Schneider

12:15 Lunch break

8 Toxicity Clinical

Speaker: Esther Troost

9 Toxicity: Clinical impact of proton RBE

Speaker: Dirk Wagenaar

10 Outcome analysis - theory & modelling

Speaker: Harald Paganetti (Massachusetts General Hospital / Harvard Medical School)

15:00 Coffee break

11 Validation methodologies for the clinical benefit of proton therapy

Speaker: Johannes Langendijk (University Medical Center Groningen)

12 Treatment planning for pencil beam scanning and IMPT

Speaker: Antony John Lomax (PSI - Paul Scherrer Institut)

17:00 Group picture

17:05 Meeting point PSI West outside the auditorium

17:20 On the way to Parkhotel

17:50 Time at your convenience

18:30 Dinner at Parkhotel

20:00 Time at your convenience - you may enjoy the thermal baths

Tuesday 19 January

08:30 Departure to Paul Scherrer Institute - Meeting point in front of the Parkhotel

Physicians block

13 Tumors of the skull base and spine chordoma and chondrosarcoma

Speaker: Dominic Leiser (PSI - Paul Scherrer Institut)

14 Proton therapy for adult CNS tumors

Speaker: Damien Charles Weber (Paul Scherrer Institut)

15 Head and neck cancers

Speaker: Johannes Langendijk (University Medical Center Groningen)

10:30 Coffee break

16 Reirradiation

Speaker: Piero Fossati (EBG MedAustron GmbH)

17 Liver PT

Speaker: Piero Fossati (EBG MedAustron GmbH)

18 Breast

Speaker: Stéphanie Peeters

Physics block

19 Active scanning beam 1: Modulation delivery

Speaker: David Meer (PSI - Paul Scherrer Institut)

20 Active scanning beam 2: Controlling delivery

Speaker: Christian Michael Groh (PSI - Paul Scherrer Institut)

21 Active scanning beam 3: Checking delivery/dosimetry

Speaker: Michele Togno (PSI - Paul Scherrer Institut)

10:30 Coffee Break

22 Advanced physics

Speaker: Sairos Safai (PSI - Paul Scherrer Institut)

23 Accelerators and beam production techniques for proton therapy

Speaker: David Meer (PSI - Paul Scherrer Institut)

12:30 Lunch break

Physicians block

24 Proton beam therapy of NSCLC – best practice

Speaker: Esther Troost

25 Financial Toxicity

Speaker: Barbara Bachtiary (Dr. med.)

14:45 Coffee break

26 Proton therapy for pediatrics and AYA patients (part 1 and 2)

Speaker: Anita Mahajan (Mayo Clinic)

Physics block

27 Technological innovation: From Eye to AI: Advances in Proton Therapy

Speaker: Zoltan Perko

28 Technological innovation part 1: Delivery

Speaker: Konrad Pawel Nesteruk (Massachusetts General Hospital / Harvard Medical School)

14:45 Coffee break

29 Gantry PT workflow

Speaker: Michelle van Heerden

30 Ocular PT

Speaker: Jan Hrbacek (PSI - Paul Scherrer Institut)

16:15 Departure to social event - Meeting point PSI West outside the auditorium

16:30 On the way to the social event

17:15 Bowling

19:15 Dinner

22:00 Back to Parkhotel Bad Zurzach

Wednesday 20 January

08:30 Departure to Paul Scherrer Institute - Meeting point in front of the Parkhotel

31 Commissioning a new facility: Specifications

Speaker: Alejandro Mazal (Centro de Protonterapia Quironsalud)

32 Commissioning a new facility: Clinical

Speaker: Arturs Meijers (PSI)

10:00 Coffee break and group allocation

10:30 On the way to the workshop

33 Workshop 1 to 4 in parallel

Speakers: Alexey Cherchik, Arturs Meijers (PSI), Nicola Bizzocchi (PSI - Paul Scherrer Institut)

11:45 Change workshop session

34 Workshop 1 to 4 in parallel

Speakers: Alessandra Bolsi (PSI - Paul Scherrer Institut), Michele Togno (PSI - Paul Scherrer Institut)

12:50 On the way for lunch

13:00 Lunch break

14:00 On the way to the workshop

35 Workshop 1 to 4 in parallel

Speaker: Antony John Lomax (PSI - Paul Scherrer Institut)

15:15 Change workshop session

36 Workshop 1 to 4 in parallel

Speakers: Christian Michael Groh (PSI - Paul Scherrer Institut), David Meer (PSI - Paul Scherrer Institut)

16:20 Coffee break

37 Site tour - Optional

18:10 On the way back to meeting point outside the Auditorium

18:25 On the way to Parkhotel

19:00 Dinner at Parkhotel

Thursday 21 January

08:30 Departure to Paul Scherrer Institute - Meeting point in front of the Parkhotel

38 Uncertainties in PT

Speaker: Francesca Albertini (PSI - Paul Scherrer Institut)

39 Motion / motion mitigation

Speaker: Ilaria Rinaldi

40 Rationale and implemenattion of online adaptive

Speaker: Francesca Albertini (PSI - Paul Scherrer Institut)

10:30 Coffee-Break

41 Technological innovation: Imaging

Speaker: Giovanni Fattori (PSI - Paul Scherrer Institut)

42 Technological Innovation: Treatment planning

Speaker: Jan Hrbacek (PSI - Paul Scherrer Institut)

12:00 Lunch break

43 Technological Innovation: Flash:: BIOLOGY

Speaker: Marie-Catherine Vozenin

44 Technological Innovation: Flash:: PHYSICS

Speaker: Robert Schäfer

45 Technological innovation: Spatially fractionated minibeams therapy

Speaker: Cristian Fernandez (University of Bern)

14:30 Coffee break

46 Protons versus "the competition"

Speaker: Antony John Lomax (PSI - Paul Scherrer Institut)

47 Closing Remarks

Speakers: Antony John Lomax (PSI - Paul Scherrer Institut), Damien Charles Weber (PSI - Paul Scherrer Institut)

15:45 Departure to the hotel - Meeting point PSI West outside the Auditorium

16:00 On the way to Parkhotel

16:30 Time at your convenience - you may enjoy the thermal baths

18:30 Dinner at Parkhotel

19:30 Time at your convenience - you may enjoy the thermal baths

Friday 22 January

07:30 Skiing day - Optional

The Skiing day will take place at Flumserberg.
For any further information about it, please see:
https://www.flumserberg.ch/en/Experience-winter

Tour within Paul Scherrer Institute - Optional

Wishing you a safe travel back to your home country.