CP4CT w/s: International strategic review workshop; what will be the unique advantages of laser driven charged particles

Friday 27 Feb 2026, 10:00 → 17:30 Europe/London

Room 121, Sir Alexander Fleming Building (Imperial College London)

Richard Amos (UCL)

The unique properties of laser-driven proton and ion beams to transform particle beam therapy in automated, compact, high-throughput facilities will be discussed in the ‘Charged Particles for Cancer Therapy' workshop series.

The first workshop of the series, will:
• Review the state of the art in particle beam therapy together with the most advanced technological developments in the field; 
• Discuss the unique flexibility in the time and spatial properties provided by laser-driven beams which, when combined with advanced diagnostics and automation, can revolutionise particle therapy; and
• Identify the key biological and clinical science that must be addressed to develop a new personalised cancer therapy with laser-driven ions.

The discussion at the workshop and the conclusions drawn will be documented in a 'White Paper' that will be published to provide the basis and underlying strategy for the future development of laser-driven charged particle beams for cancer therapy.  This workshop will call on scientific, clinical and industry leaders in the field.

Future workshops in the series will address the key scientific and technological challenges that define the LhARA initiative.  The following workshops are presently under development: 
• Cylindrically-symmetric strong focusing of ion beams; 
• Novel time-resolved and high-resolution imaging; and
• Biology, measurement, simulation and interpretation of ion beams.
 

ZOOM: https://cern.zoom.us/j/68254902716?pwd=sIJmOMzsjflHLHdmeKD2mSvwbnrNOl.1

 

10:30 → 11:00 Arrival: Registration and refreshments

11:00 → 12:00 Session 1: Current status and technology

Convener: Kenneth Long (STFC)

11:00 Current status of particle therapy and priority areas for development

Speaker: Prof. Alejandro Mazal (Centro Protonterapia QuironSalud)

11:20 CNAO status, latest developments and innovations

Speaker: Prof. Sandro Rossi (CNAO)

11:40 Discussion

12:00 → 12:15 Break: Coffee

12:15 → 13:15 Session 2: Biological and clinical questions

Convener: Prof. Patricia Price (Imperial @ RTUK)

12:15 Novel insights into the radiobiology of PMBRT

Speaker: Prof. Yolanda Prezado (CiMUS)

12:30 Radiation chemistry insights into FLASH radiation: A novel interpretation of FLASH

Speaker: Prof. Joao Seco (DKFZ)

12:45 Immunological evidence supporting different mechanisms of action

Speaker: Prof. Marco Durante (GSI)

13:05 Discussion

13:15 → 14:15 Break: Lunch

14:15 → 15:15 Session 3: Clinical and commercial development

Convener: Richard Amos (University College London)

14:15 Increasing global access to radiotherapy"

Speaker: Prof. Manjit Dosanjh (JAI/Oxf)

14:30 Advancing beam delivery technology in particle therapy

Speaker: Prof. Konrad Nesteruk (Harvard)

14:45 Translating innovative radiotherapy technology into clinical practice

Speaker: Prof. Thomas (Rock) Mackie (Wisconsin)

15:05 Discussion

15:15 → 15:30 Break: Tea

15:30 → 16:30 Session 4: Roadmap for International development

Convener: Prof. Iain McNeish (Imperial)

15:30 Medical physics and radiation biology research at PARTREC

Speaker: Prof. Alexander Gerbershagen (PARTEC)

15:45 LhARA as an international research facility

Speaker: Kenneth Long (STFC)

16:00 Discussion

16:30 → 17:00 Adjourn: Departures