The recently established (2022) Center for Theranostics (CfT) is the flagship project of the Jagiellonian University in Kraków (JUK) dedicated to interdisciplinary research in the field of nuclear medicine. The center is a home to a globally unique project aiming at a construction of a multi-photon total-body positron emission tomography scanner consisting of plastic scintillators: TB-J-PET (Total-Body Jagiellonian PET). CfT conducts pioneering research in positronium and quantum entanglement imaging.  The first ever positronium images of the human brain were recently demonstrated using the TB-J-PET prototype.   

The J-PET international research group consists of approximately 50 scientists from 12 countries, including nuclear and medical physicists, biophysicists, also computer scientists, molecular biologists and nuclear chemists. The research conducted in two subgroups covers biomedical and medical engineering. The majority of our group are PhD students and early-stage researchers (ESRs), with 15 PhD theses currently in preparation. Our group is currently implementing 17 projects financed by the National Science Center, the Ministry of Science in Poland and Swiss National Science Fundation (SNSF). Center for Theranostics cooperates with the Cyclotron Center in Bronowice, the only hadron therapy center in Poland, in developing proton beam range monitoring  using a modular J-PET scanner during patient therapy.  

The PhD student will be admitted to study Physics or Biophysics education program in the Doctoral School of Exact and Natural Sciences at the Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Applied Computer Science in English as a language of education. We also offer our PhD students unique courses in Medical Physics and Theranostics as well. 

Project description 

Goal 

A cost-effective, modular perioperative detector for dose monitoring during hadron therapy in patients in the upright position. 

Tasks 

• Designing an upright version of the J-PET modular scanner 

• Developing a universal image analysis and reconstruction framework for multi-photon hadronic beam monitoring signals for upright Radiotherapy   

• Validating Proton Therapy to upright phantoms using the upright J-PET modular scanner 

• 3 months secondment @GSI (clinical workflow) 

• 3 weeks of research visiting @Raysearch (dose simulation) 

• 3 weeks of research visiting @HZDR (antropomorphic phantom validation)  

• Close collaboration with ESRs and PhDs students in the J-PET group (JUK) 

• Teaching assistant for JUK faculty in Physics, Astronomy and Applied Computer Sciences 

• Presentation of research in the form of peer-reviewed publications, reports and oral presentations in workshops, symposiums and conferences 

• Participation in Consortium training activities and secondment projects