News 2026

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.