From research to therapy: Staff from the Heidelberg Ion Beam Therapy Center (HIT) visit GSI/FAIR
08.10.2026 |
Staff members from the Heidelberg Ion Beam Therapy Center (HIT) recently visited GSI and FAIR. The focus was on the close connection between heavy-ion therapy developed at GSI —a groundbreaking innovation in modern cancer treatment that is continuously being advanced at GSI/FAIR—and its successful implementation in clinical practice at HIT. The visit offered the guests—including HIT’s new Technical Director, Dr. Eike Feldmeier, and Professor Dr. Thomas Haberer, the former scientific and technical head of the heavy-ion therapy project at GSI—insights into current research as well as a look ahead at the future possibilities of particle physics. The guests were welcomed by Professor Dr. Thomas Nilsson, the Scientific Managing Director of GSI and FAIR.
Heavy-ion therapy is a milestone in modern cancer treatment. At GSI, this innovative method was developed through decades of basic research. Today, particle therapy is being continuously refined using cutting-edge approaches in the Biophysics Department at GSI/FAIR, led by Professor Marco Durante. The scientists are thus providing promising impetus for further medical applications. In addition, several research topics are currently being funded by high-profile grants from the European Union.
At HIT in Heidelberg, numerous patients benefit from this technology, which can precisely target various tumors. At HIT, selected cancers in adults, children, and adolescents are treated with radiation therapy that is both highly effective and sparing. Heavy-ion and proton therapy make it possible to target tumors located deep within the body or that are extremely resistant with maximum precision, while sparing surrounding healthy tissue. This advantage is particularly important for tumors located near sensitive tissues—such as the base of the skull, the optic nerve, or the intestine—as well as for tumors in children and adolescents.
The company visit to GSI and FAIR gave HIT employees the opportunity to experience the roots of this success story firsthand and to learn about the latest developments in cutting-edge research at GSI/FAIR. The program consisted of a guided tour of the existing accelerator facility, including a stop at the Biophysics Department’s experimental site, where tumor therapy was also developed and applied. Particularly exciting was the visit to the construction site for the future international accelerator facility FAIR, one of the largest research projects in the world. Here, new opportunities for cutting-edge research are emerging that will also benefit medicine in the long term. HIT staff were thus able not only to trace the historical development of ion therapy but also to gain insight into the next steps in research. (BP)
More information
The Heidelberg Ion Beam Therapy Center (HIT) is one of the leading facilities for the treatment of cancer using ion beams. The technology is based on the accelerator and irradiation technology developed at the GSI Helmholtzzentrum.
The GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung in Darmstadt operates a large unique accelerator facility for heavy ions. Researchers from around the world use the facility for experiments that help them gain new insights into the structure of matter and the evolution of the universe. In addition, they continually develop innovative applications in medicine and technology. The construction of FAIR will result in one of the largest and most advanced accelerator facilities in the world.
