PhD project on advanced upright treatment planning [EU project UPLIFT]

RaySearch develops innovative software solutions to improve cancer care. About 1000 clinics in more than 40 countries use RaySearch software to improve treatments and quality of life for patients. RaySearch was founded in 2000 and is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. The headquarters is located in Stockholm, with subsidiaries in the US, Europe, Asia and Australia & New Zealand. Today we are more than 380 employees with a common vision of improving cancer care with innovative software. Our great staff is crucial for our success and we offer a fantastic working environment in modern offices, flexibility and good opportunities for development. We believe in equal opportunities, value diversity and work actively to prevent discrimination.

RaySearch participates in the European doctoral training network UPLIFT, which addresses challenges and new opportunities in bringing upright treatments to the clinic. In total, 15 renowned partners from clinics, academia, and industry collaborate within the network with the aim of educating 19 PhD students. One of the young scientists will be located at RaySearch HQ in Stockholm and will work on upright treatment planning research.

More info about the network can be found here:

European junior scientists funding for UPLIFT radiation therapy project: RaySearch Laboratories participating in multi-million euro project | LinkedIn

About the project: Advanced upright treatment planning

RaySearch has been conducting research and development within advanced radiotherapy treatment planning for over 20 years. Our treatment planning system RayStation has support for a wide array of modalities, including photons, electrons, boron-neutron capture therapy (BNCT), protons and light ions. A transition to upright treatments could provide both clinical and cost efficiency gains for all modalities, with particular advantages for treatments where upright treatments omit the need for large and expensive gantries (e.g. protons and light ions).

The transition to upright treatments must be preceded by updates to important parts of the treatment planning process, and research is needed both to address new challenges and to develop new techniques. This PhD project will mainly focus on proton, light ion and photon treatments.

For protons and light ions, a main topic is upright arc therapy, where the beam is delivered from a multitude of directions, preferably while the patient is rotated. Advancements on the accelerator side, such as multi-leaf collimated arcs and machines with fast energy switching can push this development forward, and versatile optimization algorithms for such accelerators have the potential to set a new state-of-the-art in ion treatments.

For photons, the machines have the potential to become even more compact and allow for faster collimation, and the possibility to translate the patient vertically while rotating opens for helical arcs.

New uncertainties arising in upright positions, including challenges regarding patient positioning and organ motion, should be accounted for in the treatment planning process. Extension and use of the integrated algorithms for robust optimization in RayStation will be part of this research.

The goal of the PhD project is to develop prototype versions of RayStation, which will be used to perform research studies within the realm of upright radiotherapy. The prototype development will include implementation of new mathematical optimization algorithms in combination with dose computation for photon, proton and ion therapy. The project will involve mathematical optimization, and computer science, as well as radiotherapy physics. Software development in languages such as C++, C# and Python will be an integral part of the project.

Within the doctoral network there will be continuous collaboration with other doctoral candidates, especially from GSI (Germany), CNAO (Italy) and Centre Léon Bérard (France), where the doctoral candidate will have longer or shorter secondments. A natural point of collaboration will include evaluation of the newly developed methods by retrospective planning on clinical patient cases.

Applicant profile

• MSc with strong academic records in relevant field: physics, applied mathematics, computer science, medical physics or similar

• Interest in programming and strong programming skills

• Fluency in English

It is an advantage (but not a requirement) if you also:

• Have experience in C++ and/or C# programming
• Have experience from mathematical optimization and/or radiation physics

Application process

If you find this position interesting and would like to work in an exceptional, international, strongly innovative environment, please send your full application documents, including the filled application form, motivation letter, short CV, list of most important publications with explanation of your own contribution, and information of your earliest possible starting date. If you are applying for more than one UPLIFT PhD position, you may indicate your top 1-3 preferences in the application form by using the DC numbers associated with the projects. Please submit your application to info@uplift-project.eu until January 15, 2025.

We anticipate video conference interviews with candidates starting in the third week of February,
for start dates from March 2025. Applications submitted without any of the required documents will not be considered.

Candidates can be of any nationality but must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting beneficiary for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date. Applicants should be within the first four years of their research careers and must not have been awarded a doctoral degree. Submitted applications will be evaluated in accordance with the European Code of Conduct for Recruitment.