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: Rubén García Alía
Trainer’s position: Radiation effects physicist at CERN
Trainer’s email, phone number: Ruben.garcia.alia(at)cern.ch; +41 (0)754118490

Rubén García Alía is part of the “Radiation to Electronics” (R2E) project at CERN, which he leads since 2018. After having studied nuclear and high-energy physics in the Complutense University in Madrid (Spain), he started his career in radiation effects as a Young Graturate Trainee at the European Space Agency, in the Netherlands. From there, he moved to completing his PhD with CERN and the University of Montpellier, focusing on the effect of highly energetic particles on Single Event Effects in the LHC accelerator. During this period, he was recognized with the “Best Student Paper” award in RADECS 2012, and the Paul Phelps Award in 2015. Since then, he has kept a strong involvement in radiation effects research with, focusing on high-energy accelerator applications, and has co-authored more than 75 publications in peer reviewed journals. He has also co-authored a RADECS Short Course, has been session chair at NSREC and RADECS, and is currently technical chair for RADECS 2021. Recently he was elected Junior Member-at-Large of the Radiation Effects Steering Group (RESG).

At CERN, his main task is that of managing the R2E project, which is responsible for all aspects linked to radiation effects in the LHC accelerator and its injector chair, with the mandate of ensuring its successful operation with regards to stochastic failures and lifetime degradation induced by radiation. The project, which is composed of more than 50 members, embeds a rich variety of activities and expertise, ranging from the monitoring and calculation of radiation levels, through the operation of CERN radiation facilities, and up to radiation effects testing at both component and system level.

Rubén is also coordinating the RADSAGA Marie Curie PhD network since 2017, and led the RADNEXT proposal for creating a radiation test infrastructure network in Europe, which was accepted for funding and was kicked off in June 2021.

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: Dr. Radek Pleskac
Trainer’s position: FAIR/APPA coordinator for BIOMAT project
Trainer’s email and phone number: R.Pleskac(at)gsi.de, +49-6159-71 2432

Radek Pleskac obtained his PhD in nuclear physics at the Charles University in Prague, the Czech Republic in 2003. His work was devoted to experimental study of properties of hot and dense nuclear matter created during relativistic heavy-ion collisions within the TAPS and HADES scientific program.
In 2004 he was awarded with a EURATOM fellowship for 2-years stay at GSI Darmstadt to measure selected spallation cross-sections at FRS (Fragment Separator) relevant for future accelerator driven systems.
In 2007 he moved to the biophysics department at GSI Darmstadt and his fields of interest was experimental study of nuclear fragmentation processes relevant for space research and tumour therapy. He was a person of charge for the FIRST (Fragmentation of Ions Relevant for Space and Therapy) experiment performed in 2011 and also for the irradiation facility in cave A.
Since 2013 he is the resource and technical coordinator for the BIOMAT project within the APPA pillar. He coordinates planning and realization of the BIOMAT experimental facility at future FAIR.

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. Charlot Vandevoorde
Tainer's position: Space Radiobiology Group Leader
Trainer's position Email and phone number: vandevoorde(at)tlabs.ac.za; +27 66 2079647

Dr. Charlot Vandevoorde is a radiation biologist, who obtained her PhD in Health Sciences at Ghent University in 2015, followed by a post-doc at iThemba LABS in South Africa. In 2018, she was appointed as acting manager of the Radiation Biophysics Division at iThemba LABS, with research programs in particle therapy, nuclear medicine and radiation protection. During this period, she gained extensive experience in accelerator produced particle beams for biomedical applications, including ground-based experiments with different space stressors. Together with local collaborators, she launched the South African Space Neutron Initiative (SASNI) and organized an annual 2-weeks radiobiology course at iThemba LABS for postgraduate student from various (South-) African universities. In September 2022, she joined GSI-FAIR as group leader Space Radiobiology.