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Four-Year Home Funded Studentship. Application Deadline: 30th May 2025
Optimising and Characterising Dose Distributions from Proton Beam Therapy
Primary Supervisor: Dr Sarah Gulliford, Associate Professor, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering (MPBE), UCL Sarah Gulliford Profile | University College London
Secondary Supervisor: Professor Andy Nisbet, Interim Dean, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, UCL Andy Nisbet Profile | University College London
Introduction
A four-year Home fee funded PhD Studentship is available in the UCL Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering. Funding will be at least the UCL minimum stipend rate. Details can be found here.
The successful candidate will join our Research Degree in Medical Physics (application portal here), and benefit from the activities and events organised by the department.
Project Background
Proton Beam Therapy (PBT), a specialised form of radiotherapy, has successfully been implemented at two NHS centres in the UK. The treatment is delivered using pencil beams of protons whose position and amount can be modulated. Each cancer patient treated with PBT receives an individualised treatment plan optimised on a CT scan using commercial software. The treatment plan is intended to produce the optimal balance between delivering radiation dose to the tumour to maximise tumour control whilst minimising dose to surrounding healthy tissues which could lead to side-effects. The relationship between physical dose delivered and corresponding biological effect is considered within the treatment planning process using summary metrics such as minimum, maximum or mean dose to a specified organ or structure. However, it is thought that the response is dependent on the spatial variation of the dose distribution within the specified organ which is not currently accounted for. This project is intended to extend the knowledge of the spatial variation of dose response and implement approaches to assessing and optimising treatment plans to further improve the reduction of side effects. This project will include collaboration between the Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering at UCL Proton Therapy Research Group | Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering - UCL – University College London and the Proton Beam Therapy Department at University College Hospital London Proton Beam Therapy (PBT).
Research aims
This project will develop PBT treatment planning methodologies in a research treatment planning system to:
• Characterise the dose distribution received by the tumour and organs at risk.
• Explore the ability to optimise PBT treatment plans which consider spatial variation of biological effect.
• Develop scripted solutions that can be transferred for clinical use in the treatment planning system.
Person Specification and Requirements
• This studentship is only open to Home Fee paying candidates. More information about fee status criteria can be found here.
• Candidates with a background in medical physics including a relevant MSc, NHS STP or comparable experience are welcome to apply.
• Hands-on experience in coding with python or similar would be advantageous.
• Candidates should have an interest in Radiotherapy research.
• Candidates should hold a UK (or international equivalent) first or upper-second Bachelor’s degree in Physics.
Funding
This is a full studentship available to Home Fee paying applicants only.
The successful student will receive a stipend starting from at least the UCL minimum (£21,237 in 2024/25) as well as the cost of tuition fees for Home Fee students (£6,035 in 2024/25).
The stipends awarded to PhD students at UCL are tax free and incur no income tax or national insurance contributions. The amount received increases each year over the duration of the studentship.
UCL’s fee eligibility criteria can be found by following this link.
Application Process
How to Apply
Please complete the following steps to apply:
• Send an expression of interest and current CV to s.gulliford@ucl.ac.uk and medphys.pgr@ucl.ac.uk, quoting Project Code 23044 in the email subject line.
• Make a formal application via the UCL application portal: Apply | Prospective Students Graduate - UCL – University College London. Please select the programme code ‘Medical Physics RRDMPHSING01 ’ and enter Project Code 23044 under ‘Name of Award 1’
• If shortlisted, candidates will be invited for an interview.
Application Deadline and Timeline
The deadline for this application is 30th May 2025.
• After the deadline, all applicants that expressed their interests and specified Project 23044 in their Portico application will be considered for interview.
• Candidates will normally be invited for interview within three weeks of the deadline. If you have not been contacted within this time-period, you have unfortunately not been successful in being shortlisted.
• The interview panel will normally consist of the supervision team on the project.
• Note that applications without specifying the project they are applying for and/or making a formal Portico application will be automatically rejected.
• If you are offered and accept a studentship position, a formal UCL Offer of Admission will be sent to you as well as an offer of studentship funding.