1. Centre de Lutte Contre Le Cancer Leon Berard (France)
2. Cosylab (Slovenia)
3. Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum Heidelberg (Germany)
Delivering radiotherapy to patients positioned upright, rather than lying supine, represents a significant paradigm shift that could reduce treatment costs and improve clinical outcomes for certain patients. Many individuals struggle to tolerate, or feel uncomfortable, in supine radiotherapy positions: transitioning to upright body positioning presents a valuable opportunity to enhance patient comfort and make treatments more patient-centred.
In this interdisciplinary project, the successful candidate will use ergonomics and human factors investigations to enhance upright positioning and treatment workflows for radiotherapy. The project will evaluate the comfort of new immobilization devices for upright radiotherapy, for example arm supports. Additionally, treatment devices will be assessed according to the principles of inclusive design, to determine whether they are accessible and usable for a wide range of patients and clinical staff. Using human factors frameworks, treatment workflows will be evaluated to consider any possible “pinch-points” or safety issues.
This project will be co-supervised by Leo Cancer Care, an innovative company founded in 2016 that specializes in medical devices for upright radiotherapy. The company is developing upright patient positioning systems, imaging scanners, and treatment delivery systems. (Leo Cancer Care’s technology is not yet available for clinical use). Leo Cancer Care has offices in Crawley, near London (UK) and Middleton, Wisconsin (USA).
Human factors studies are now a crucial aspect of medical device regulation, and pursuing a PhD in this area will equip the candidate with skills that are highly sought-after within the medical device industry.
Goal:
To consider ergonomics and human factors, as applied to the management of comfortable, accurate and repeatable patient positioning for upright radiotherapy. To help develop immobilisation solutions that accommodate a diverse range of needs and preferences (for both patients and clinical staff), promoting equality and usability for everyone.
Tasks:
Where are you from: I’m from Peru
What were you studying: I recently completed my Master’s in Biosciences and Bioengineering Innovations for Precision Medicine, an Erasmus Mundus joint degree from Université Grenoble Alpes, University of Barcelona, and University of Naples Federico II. I also hold a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from the National University of San Marcos (Peru).
Why you decided for that topic: I’m interested in how engineering and human factors can improve patient experiences and the effectiveness of treatments. Upright radiotherapy represents an exciting step toward more patient-centred care, and I want to contribute to making these technologies comfortable, inclusive, and ready for clinical translation.
What are your expectations on that project: I aim to apply ergonomics and human factors methods to evaluate comfort, usability, and accessibility in upright radiotherapy systems. Through collaboration with clinical and industry partners, I hope to help develop safe, inclusive, and effective solutions that enhance both patient and clinician experience.
What is your personal motivation: I’m particularly interested in clinical translation, bringing innovations from the lab to real healthcare settings to benefit patients. The field of cancer care also holds a personal meaning to me, as I lost my father to cancer, which strengthened my commitment to making medical technology more accessible and patient-centered.
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