Trainer’s name: Dr. Thomas Berger
Trainer’s position: Head Biophysics Group, Radiation Biology Department, DLR                            
Trainer’s email and phone number: thomas.berger@dlr.de; +49 2203 60131 35          

Thomas Berger studied physics at the Technical University of Vienna (TUW), Austria and graduated with a PhD in radiation physics in 2003. In 2003 he joined the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine where he became leader of the Biophysics Research Group in 2009. At DLR his main research topic is radiation protection including the development of radiation detectors as well as investigations for the radiation load received by humans for missions beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO). He is currently the Principal Investigator (PI) for the DOSIS 3D experiment aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and the Matroshka AstroRad Radiation Experiment (MARE) project which flew to the Moon (and back) with the NASA Artemis I mission at the end of 2022.    

Trainer's name: Prof. Dr. Marco Durante
Tainer's position: Director, Biophysics Department, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung
Professor of Physics, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany
Trainer's position Email and phone number:  m.durante(at)gsi.de, +49 (0)6159 71 2009

Prof. Dr. Marco Durante has dedicated his research efforts to the biophysics of high-energy charged particles, with applications in cancer therapy and space radiation protection. He is generally recognized as world leader in the field of particle radiobiology and medical physics and is co-author of over 450 papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals (h-index=57) and one patent on proton therapy. He is currently chair of the ESA Topical Team on Space Radiation and of the Particle Therapy Co-Operative Group (PTCOG). Prof. Durante has been awarded several prizes for his contributions to charged particle biophysics, including the 2013 IBA-Europhysics Award for Applied Nuclear Science and Nuclear Methods in Medicine (European Physics Society), the 2013 Bacq & Alexander award of the European Radiation Research Society (ERRS), and the 2020 Failla award of the Radiation Research Society (RRS). He is recipient of an ERC Advanced Grant in 2020 on particle.

Trainer’s name: Paolo Ferri
Trainer’s position: Former Head, ESA Mission Operations (retired)
Trainer’s email and phone number: paonihon@yahoo.de / +49 170 2283200

Paolo Ferri studied theoretical physics at the University of Pavia (Italy). He joined ESA in 1984 at the European Space Operations Centre as visiting scientist, then soon moving to the field of mission operations, working on several scientific missions. In 2006 he became Head of the Solar and Planetary Missions division, and from 2013 to 2020 Head of ESA’s Mission Operations Department. From 1996 to 2016 he built and led the team in charge of the Rosetta mission operations. He is member of the International Academy of Astronautics, Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, and currently active in training, education and outreach activities. He has published several technical and scientific papers, and written three books for the general public, including one on the Rosetta mission: “Il cacciatore di comete” (Laterza, Italy, 2020).

Trainer’s name: Christian Graeff
Trainer’s position: Group leader Medical Physics
Trainer’s email and phone number: c.graeff@gsi.de, +496159711848

 Prof Dr.  Christian Graeff received his PhD in Biomedical Engineering at the Hamburg University of Technology in 2010. Since 2012, he is group leader of Medical Physics in the Biophysics department of GSI, Darmstadt, Germany, since 2018, he is the deputy scientific director of this department and since 2021 Professor for Technology of Radiotherapy at TU Darmstadt, Germany.
His main research interest are advanced treatment planning and delivery strategies for particle therapy, in particular for moving targets. Dr Graeff devised 4D-optimization strategies for conformal motion mitigation, which his group implemented in treatment planning and dose delivery systems.

Trainer’s name: Burkhard Jakob
Trainer’s position: Group Leader Molecular Radiobiology & Imaging
Trainer’s email and phone number: b.jakob@gsi.de; +49 6159 71 2608

Prof. Dr. Burkhard Jakob studied Chemistry and graduated with a PhD (Dr. rer nat) in 1998 from the Julius-Maximilians University of Würzburg in Germany. In 1999, he commenced his position at the DNA Repair Group within the Biophysics Department at GSI (Helmholtz Centre for Heavy-Ion Research) in Darmstadt. His research focused primarily on the molecular mechanisms of DNA repair and dynamic aspects of the DNA damage response  following the exposure of cells to densely ionising radiation by utilising advanced live cell microscopy techniques. Since Jan 2019 he is leading the group of Molecular Radiobiology & Imaging and was appointed as Honorary Professor in the Department of Biology at the Technical University of Darmstadt in 2021.

Trainer’s name: PD Dr. Christine E. Hellweg
Trainer’s position: Vice Director, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR) - German Aerospace Center Cologne, Germany
Trainer’s email and phone number: christine.hellweg(at)dlr.de; +49 2203 6013243

PD Dr. Christine E. Hellweg (2001 Dr. med. vet., 2012 Habilitation) is Vice Director of the DLR Institute of Aerospace Medicine. Until 2024, she was head of the Radiation Biology department of the same Institute. Major research interests: biological effects of space radiation (experiments at heavy ion accelerators GANIL, GSI and HIMAC) and other environmental stressors at the cellular and molecular level. She teaches at the Free University of Berlin (Immunology) and at the University of Bonn (Radiation Protection Courses, Radiopharmacy). She published 68 manuscripts in peer reviewed journals and is a referee for more than 30 journals, the European Science Foundation, the European Commission and the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR), France. She is member of the German Radiation Protection Commission since 2023.

Trainer’s name: Dr. Giovanni Santin

Trainer’s position: ESA Space Environment and Effects analyst

Trainer’s email and phone number: Giovanni.Santin(at)esa.int;  0031715656267

Dr. Giovanni Santin works in the European Space Agency Environments and Effects section, where his focus is project support in the understanding of radiation-induced risks, uncertainties and solutions. He manages R&D covering radiation transport and innovative shielding, and he oversees the development of radiation monitors for Earth orbits and interplanetary missions. He studied Physics in Trieste, Italy, where he also obtained his PhD, studying neutrino oscillations in reactor and beam experiments. After two exciting periods at CERN, Geneva, and in Lausanne, he joined the ESA team in 2002. Since 2014 he is Honorary Visiting Fellow at the University of Leicester.

Trainer’s name: Dr. Christoph Schuy
Trainer’s position:  Scientist GSI, Biophysics department, Dramstadt, Germany
Trainer’s email and phone number:c.schuy(at)gsi.de; Tel.: 06159-71-1558

Dr. Christoph Schuy graduated with a PhD (Dr. rer. nat) in physics from the Technical University of Darmstadt hosted by GSIs biophysics department in 2014. His main research focus as a PostDoc researcher in the Space Radiation Physics group of GSIs biophysics department is nuclear fragmentation experiments for particle therapy and space radiation protection. He has specialized mainly in cross section measurements and the development and verification of passive beam modulators for therapy and space applications.