PhD-student Proton minibeam radiotherapy

The recently established PRESTO Consortium brings together leading institutes including Erasmus MC and HollandPTC to investigate the clinical feasibility and potential benefits of proton minibeam radiotherapy (pMBRT). Supported by the PianoForte Partnership, the consortium will explore pMBRT across four main scientific work packages. One of the main packages is treatment planning. In pMBRT, the radiation beam is split into multiple, narrow minibeams. pMBRT has the potential to reduce side effects and improve tolerance of high-dose radiotherapy.

We are seeking a highly motivated PhD student to contribute to the validation, implementation, and optimization of pMBRT within a commercial treatment planning system. You will also be involved in setting up preclinical minibeam experiments at HollandPTC in collaboration with the Danish Centre for Particle Therapy (DCPT). Your work will focus on treatment planning for cancer patients, evaluating plans using existing and newly developed dosimetric, radiobiological, and radiochemical criteria, and coordinating with other work packages in the project.

Why apply?

• Join a pioneering international consortium shaping the future of proton therapy.
• Work on cutting-edge translational research with real clinical impact.
• Collaborate with top experts across Europe and the UK in a multidisciplinary environment.
• Gain hands-on experience in treatment planning, preclinical experiments and proton therapy innovation.

The ideal candidate will have:

• A Master’s degree in applied physics, biomedical engineering, applied mathematics, technical medicine or a related discipline.
• Strong interest with affinity in programming (Python, C/C++) and problem-solving.
• Relevant experience in modeling and/or performing preclinical experiments. Motivation and willingness to learn are highly regarded.
• Practical, result-driven working attitude and excellent teamwork skills.
• Hands-on experience with hardware development and knowledge of proton therapy and radiation safety (with certification) is a strong plus, but not mandatory.
• Strong communication, academic writing and presentation skills in English (IELTS 7.0 – 8.0 / C1 or equivalent).
• Ability to provide a certificate of good conduct.

The Erasmus MC Cancer Institute houses one of Europe’s largest radiotherapy departments, treating over 5,500 patients annually. Our internationally recognized research program focuses on improving clinical radiotherapy through physics- and technology-driven approaches. The department is a world leader in radiotherapy research across multiple modalities and in preclinical experimental studies. HollandPTC, a leading proton therapy institute, offers cutting edge facilities, including clinical and experimental beamlines, biology and physics labs, and computational infrastructure supporting AI driven and TPS-supported pMBRT planning.

As a PhD student, you will work in a multi-disciplinary team of medical physicists, research physicists, scientific programmers, radiation technologists and clinicians. You will have access to Erasmus MC and HollandPTC postgraduate courses, the PhD educational program in medical physics, departmental journal clubs and R&D meetings.