FRPT-SFRT26 PRE-CONFERENCE COURSE – INTERACTIVE TEACHING SESSION

THE BASICS OF FLASH AND SFRT

The Essentials of FLASH and SFRT: Everything You Need to Know Before Starting Your Research

Are you new to FLASH or Spatially Fractionated Radiotherapy (SFRT)? This interactive pre-conference course will provide the essential knowledge needed to confidently enter one of the fastest-growing fields in radiation oncology.

Designed and delivered by internationally recognized experts, this course offers a comprehensive overview spanning the entire translational pipeline, from beam generation and dosimetry to radiation chemistry, biology, and the first clinical applications.

The course is designed to maximize interaction. Each lecture will be followed by a 20-minute discussion with the audience, encouraging questions, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary exchange. A concluding panel discussion with all speakers will provide an opportunity to integrate the key concepts, address remaining questions, and discuss future directions in FLASH and SFRT research.

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AIMS: Participants Will Gain a Clear Understanding Of:

  • How FLASH and SFRT beams are generated and which accelerator technologies are shaping the future
  • How dose is measured and calculated for these techniques
  • Why radiation chemistry matters
  • What the biological mechanisms are
  • Which experimental models are most relevant for studying FLASH and SFRT
  • Where the field is heading, including ongoing clinical translation and the most pressing unanswered research questions

Throughout the course, speakers will highlight the major scientific challenges, emerging technologies, and opportunities for innovation, providing participants with a roadmap to develop impactful research projects.

Who Should Attend?

  • PhD students
  • Postdoctoral fellows
  • Early-career researchers
  • Medical physicists
  • Radiation oncologists
  • Biologists and chemists entering the field

Why Attend?

By the end of this 0.5-day course, participants will have acquired the common language and multidisciplinary foundations needed to understand current literature and engage with experts. Whether your background is physics, chemistry, biology, or clinical radiation oncology, this course is the ideal starting point before attending the FRPT–SFRT26 scientific sessions.

  • FRANCESCO ROMANO (INFN Catania Division, Italy) – From Beam Generation to Dosimetry and Dose Calculation: Fundamentals of FLASH – 30 min Learning Objectives: Review current FLASH accelerator technologies, dosimetry procedures, and dose calculation methods. Understand the technological requirements for future clinical implementation and identify major challenges and research priorities in the field.
  • YOLANDA PREZADO (CiMUS-University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain) – From Beam Generation to Dosimetry and Dose Calculation: Fundamentals of SFRT – 30 min Learning Objectives: Review current SFRT technologies, dosimetry procedures, and dose calculation methods. Understand the technological requirements for future clinical implementation and identify major challenges and research priorities in the field.
  • EMANUELE SCIFONI (TIFPA, Italy) – The Basics of Radiation Chemistry Applied to FLASH and SFRT – 40 min Learning Objectives: Understand the role of experimental and theoretical radiation chemistry in investigating FLASH and SFRT mechanisms. Review current knowledge, available experimental and computational tools, and identify the major unanswered questions and future research challenges.
  • MARIE-CATHERINE VOZENIN (HUG-UNIGE, Switzerland) – The Basics of Biology Applied to FLASH – 30 min Learning Objectives: Understand current knowledge of FLASH biological effects in normal tissues and tumors. Identify the most relevant preclinical models for mechanistic and translational research. Recognize major unanswered biological questions and review the current landscape of clinical FLASH applications.
  • CRISTIAN FERNANDEZ-PALOMO (UNIBE, Switzerland) – The Basics of Biology Applied to SFRT – 30 min Learning Objectives: Understand current knowledge of SFRT biological effects in normal tissues and tumors. Identify the most relevant preclinical models for mechanistic and translational research. Recognize major unanswered biological questions and review the current landscape of clinical SFRT applications.

Looking Ahead

This pre-conference course provides a complete, interactive introduction to FLASH and SFRT, offering the knowledge, context, and multidisciplinary perspective needed to engage with the FRPT-SFRT26 scientific sessions and advance your research.

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