Award winners 2026
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Christian Deglow at the PTCOG 2026 Christian Deglow – GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research GmbH, Biophysics Department, Radiobiological Modeling Group
Experience report PTCOG 2026:
Thanks to an international travel grant from DeGBS, I was able to attend the 64th conference of the Particle Therapy Cooperative Group (PTCOG). It took place from June 8-12, 2026 in Deauville, France.
The conference covered a wide range of subjects, which gave me valuable insight into current research directly relevant to my PhD work. For instance, Relative Biological Effectiveness (RBE) and Linear Energy Transfer (LET)-based treatment planning were discussed not only for carbon ion therapy, but also for proton therapy, where an RBE of 1.1 is traditionally assumed. Several research groups presented their approaches to addressing the limitations of current RBE models, along with directions for future development. I also had productive discussions with fellow PhD candidates and senior researchers in the field.
Beyond my current research area, the conference’s broad scope allowed me to explore topics of interest outside of my immediate field. Some sessions for example highlighted the perspectives of clinicians and medical physicists, emphasizing current challenges and innovations in their respective fields. In particular, I greatly enjoyed sessions on the practical application of radiotherapy and on clinical trials comparing different irradiation modalities, as well as studies on the cost-effectiveness of therapies for optimal resource allocation in public health.
As my first major conference, PTCOG 64 was a wonderful experience, and I can highly recommend participation. Also, I want to thank DeGBS again for providing me with the funds necessary to partake in this conference. I can only recommend application for the DeGBS international travel grant to finance such experiences when no other funding is available.
