Scientist for a day ー student masterclass on tumor therapy
05.05.2025 |
Interested high school students had the opportunity to spend a day in April at the GSI/FAIR campus to learn more about tumor therapy with ion beams. The event was organized by scientists from the Biophysics research department. All Particle Therapy Masterclasses (PTMCs) are coordinated by GSI/FAIR as part of the International Masterclasses of the IPPOG (International Particle Physics Outreach Group), of which GSI is an associate member.
After an introduction to particle therapy, the students learned about tumor therapy with carbon ions, which was carried out at GSI from 1997 to 2008. During this time, over 440 patients were treated on campus with ions from the particle accelerator. Afterwards, the students were able to explore the campus on a guided tour and also take a look at the former therapy site.
During a subsequent “hands-on” exercise, they had the opportunity to create radiation treatment plans themselves using the professional software MatRad, developed by the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg, and learned about the advantages of different methods. They then had the opportunity to share their experiences with participants from other research institutions in Germany, Switzerland, Ukraine, France, Romania, Brazil, Italy (Milano, Consenza, Pisa), Kosovo, Georgia and Algeria (6 institutes/schools) in a video conference. The PTMCs were set up at GSI/FAIR and are run internationally. Since the first pilot project at GSI/FAIR, 70 different institutes from 37 countries participated. They reach more than thousand students every year.
In the superordinated IPPOG Masterclass events, every year more than 13,000 students participate to unlock the secrets of particle physics. The Masterclasses in Germany take place in cooperation with the Netzwerk Teilchenwelt, to which GSI/FAIR also belongs. The aim of the nationwide network for teaching particle physics to young people and teachers is to make particle physics accessible to a wider public. The PTMC is another building block that demonstrates the benefits of basic research for society and the role of particle physics in tumor therapy. (LK/LW)
