The aim of the Masterclass package on Particle Therapy is to highlight the importance of fundamental research and its direct impact on society developing on the theme of using the acquired knowledge on particles and their interaction with matter in medical applications (notable example the PET scanning). In particular, to focus on the applications related to using particles for cancer therapy.
The Masterclass on Particle Therapy, PTMC, is based on the professional Treatement Planning software toolkit MatRad, developed for research and education by the German Cancer Research Center DKFZ in Heidelberg, Germany.
After successful pilots in 2019, the PTMC has been integrated since 2020 in the International Masterclasses and follows their usual pattern. Hence, it is performed in parallel at up to 5 different participating institutes and/or universities in the same day.
The schedule is announced every year: Schedule
The following link provides an overview of a Typical Day Agenda.
The PTMC, after the morning lectures, includes a hands-on session where students have the opportunity to work with MatRad in order to make treatement plans. Then, participants prepare a presentation on their work that they discuss during the common video-conference meeting, which closes the day.
The common video-conference is an excellent experience allowing to meet people from other institutes, discuss with experts, and, when possible, they include a virtual visit to the therapy centres or institutes of the experts.
An example of the common video-conference (March 2021) is here: Masterclass Event Example
Before the schedules PTMC training is ptovided for institutes tutors, as can be seen in the example: Training Sessions
