I am Ruoxu Xia and I am from Shanghai, China. I am a PhD student at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics of the University of Ljubljana. My UPLIFT host organization is with Cosylab d.d. I did my bachelor’s in physics and chemistry at Grinnell College in Iowa, USA and my master’s degree in medical physics at Duke University, Kunshan Campus.

Curiosity has always been my compass—it drives me to seek out new challenges and new experiences that help me grow professionally and personally. In my free time, I love exploring new places, diving into books, and listening to podcasts that challenge my thinking and broaden my perspective.

In my project, I am working on developing a comprehensive probabilistic optimization framework for radiotherapy treatment planning. I will be comparing traditional and upright patient positioning approaches, incorporating uncertainties in dose delivery through probabilistic modeling. A key focus is developing an optimization method that can account for the various uncertainties inherent in treatment delivery, ultimately improving treatment plan quality and patient outcomes.

My curiosity in physics and passion for applications that can meaningfully impact people’s lives led me to medical physics. The concept of upright patient positioning particularly excites me—it represents a paradigm shift in radiotherapy with the potential to improve patient comfort, reduce side effects, and expand treatment access. This research perfectly combines my interests in physics, mathematics, and programming while contributing to an approach that could fundamentally transform cancer treatment.