News 2026

The registration for the Hybrid Courses in the Field of Particle Therapy is open from April 27 to Sep. 24, 2026. The courses are aimed to physicians and Medical Physics Experts (MPE) who want to gain the “Fachkunde Partikeltherapie”. Furthermore, national and international students and scientists are welcome to register as well. 

We are happy to offer free course participation to a limited number of participants. More information about the courses, the registration and the free course participation is available here. 

Are you interested in the Federal Volunteer Service (BuFDI) and considering doing it at the German Cancer Research Center from September 1, 2026, to August 31, 2027? Our Division of Medical Physics in Radiation Therapy looks forward to hearing from you and receiving your application.

With us, you will gain exciting insights into the work of our division. This includes working with 3D printers, assisting with the design and development of medical models, and helping to organize and run scientific events and summer schools. You will also learn about the wide range of research topics we are currently working on.

Join our international team and get to know people from all over the world and their work.

If you have any further questions about your tasks in our division, please contact Wibke Johnen directly. She is the Deputy Head of the research group Medical Engineering of our division. 

You can find out how to apply on this website: https://www.dkfz.de/karriere/ausbildung/praktika/bundesfreiwilligendienst (in German). 

We were very happy to welcome ca. 40 students from schools around Heidelberg for the Particle Therapy Masterclass (PTMC) 2026 that took place at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg on March 13, 2026. The event was aimed at students and teachers and covered physical and radiobiological fundamentals of particle therapy. The students learnt how radiotherapy can be optimized using the software matRad, an open-source software developed at DKFZ. Guided by Prof. Jäkel, the group could also virtually visit the Heidelberg Ion Beam Therapy Center to get further insights on radiotherapy with particles. The tour consists of 360-degree photos so that participants can explore the facility virtually. The day was concluded by a Zoom Session with other schools e.g. from Marocco and Algeria to exchange their results, created with matRad. 

A big thank you to our speakers Prof. Seco, Prof. Jäkel, Dr. Wahl and Dr. Hardt for their inspiring talks and interactive sessions and to Elpida Theodoridou for moderating the final Zoom Session. We would also thank Dr. Yiota Foka and Nermine Muradi, the core team of all PTMCs 2026. 

The registration for our 7th Summer School in Medical Physics 2026 about  “3D Printing Techniques and Concepts” is now open. You can register by July 31, 2026. The summer school is aimed at students (BSc, MSc, PhD, MD) and young scientists with a background in medical physics, physics, medical technology or similar fields. It consists of an approximately five-week online phase (Aug. 24 - Sep. 27, 2026), followed by a hybrid attendance phase from 28 September to 2 October 2026. 

Participants can submit abstracts to present their research during our science slam or the poster session. Further information is available at www.dkfz.de/summer_school2026 .

The continuing education program “Medizinische Physik für Physiker*innen” (headed by Prof. Oliver Jäkel) will start in March 2026. The program is offered by the Department of Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning of Heidelberg University and it combines technical and physical fundamentals with medical and biological knowledge and prepares physicists for a diverse career field at the interface of medicine and technology. The teaching language is German. 

The program lasts approximately 1.5 years, is based on the curriculum of the 2022 continuing education regulations of the DGMP (German Society for Medical Physics), and is geared towards DGMP professional certification. It is aimed at graduates of physics programs and working physicists who would like to deepen their knowledge in the field of medical physics. 

Further information on registration is available on the course website here.

On March 13, 2026, the Particle Therapy Masterclass will take place at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg. The event is aimed at students and teachers from schools and will cover the physical and radiobiological fundamentals of particle therapy. Registrations are organized through schools only.

The program includes lectures on particle therapy and practical exercises on radiation planning using the matRad software. In addition, a virtual tour of the Heidelberg Ion Beam Therapy Center (HIT) will provide a brief insight into the center. The program is available here.

The masterclass is part of the International Particle Therapy MasterClass Program, which is organized under the leadership of CERN.