PhD position for enabling real-time adaptive proton therapy with a beamlet free Monte Carlo optimizer

Proton therapy (PT) has reached an extreme level of sophistication through the integration of portal 3D imaging devices. Some research groups are attempting to integrate magnetic resonance imaging at the treatment isocenter. Currently, arc proton therapy – where the gantry rotates continuously during irradiation (Arc-PT) – is under industrial development. Such convergence of technological developments opens the possibility to continuously monitor the anatomy of the patient and immediately update the treatment plan if substantial deviations from planned anatomy are observed, coined “real-time replanning”. Treatment plan adaptation could then occur at unprecedented time scales, provided that adequate treatment planning algorithms are developed. We propose here such an algorithm that will have the property by design to update the treatment at the shortest scale that is physically relevant – the time needed to deliver one pulse of radiation in the cyclotron. This will be performed with no loss of accuracy, as this algorithm will rely on a Monte Carlo dose engine (MC).

The core idea of the proposed algorithm is to perform dose calculation and treatment optimization simultaneously, without precomputing the beamlets – the so-called “beamlet-free MC optimization”. In such an algorithm, batches of protons that are sampled to accumulate the dose are also evaluated with respect to the treatment quality indicators, which strongly limits the number of particles to simulate. In the P4ulse project (Pulse-by-Pulse Proton therapy Planning), we aim at treatment plan adaptation at the timescale of the cyclotron pulse. For each pulse, we assume there is a new image and a new anatomy segmentation, which will impact the objective function and hence the treatment plan. The optimizer will be validated, and its clinical impact evaluated. We will then envisage the case of Arc-PT applied to pulse-by-pulse replanning.

Funding:

There is funding available for 1 PhD position, for a total of 4 years.  The typical contract is based on 2-year period renewable for 2 additional years. The starting date is around September 2023.

The candidate should:

1. Be interested in an intensive research experience of 4 years.
2. Have strong scientific and experimental background (master in physics is preferred, but all masters in science and engineering are eligible).
3. Have strong scientific programming background (knowledge of Python, Matlab and C/C++ is highly appreciated).
4. Average to good skills in oral and written English.

We offer:

1. A project in a hot topic that will ultimately lead to publications with high impact.
2. An enthusiastic multidisciplinary environment in the MIRO team of UCLouvain, which is deeply involved in the first Belgian proton therapy center UZLeuven-Gasthuisberg campus
3. A close collaboration with the IBA company, leader in proton therapy equipment.
4. Collaborations with our international partners.

Contact:

If you are interested, please send your CV, a motivation letter and a recommendation letter to Prof. Edmond Sterpin (edmond.sterpin@uclouvain.be), and Prof. John Lee (john.lee@uclouvain.be)