RAP 2020

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INVITED LECTURES

Click on the presenter’s name to see the biography, and on the lecture's title to see the lecture's abstract.

Raffaella Chiaramonte, Department of Health Science, University of Milan, Italy, Extracellular vesicle-mediated communication in the tumor microenvironment

Yiota Foka, CERN, Switzerland, Familiarising public and school students with radiation: A hands-on approach

Paddy Gilligan, Mater Private Hospital, Dublin, Ireland, Horizons for medical physics in Europe: technology, research and training

George Kitis, Department of Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, Accidental dosimetry by Thermoluminescence and Optically Stimulated Luminescence dosimeters

Theodoros Samaras, Department of Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, The evolution of telecommunications networks and human exposure to radiofrequency radiation

Raffaella Chiaramonte

Associate Professor in Experimental medicine and Pathophysiology of Milano University

Vice-director of the Department of Health Science of Milano University.

Education: Master Degree in Biological Sciences and Specialization School in Biotechnology, University of Milano.

Research activity: author of 49 high-IF papers (https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=6603574485).

The research was focused on the molecular mechanisms underlying cancer progression and the interaction between cancer cell and tumor microenvironment. Role of Notch pathway in hematological malignancies.

The most relevant scientific contributions have led to the identification of molecular mechanisms mediated by Notch signaling that promote key aspects in the progression of multiple myeloma: i.e. bone marrow localization, bone destruction and the ability of myeloma to induce behavior pro-tumor by stromal cells through the release of IL6 and the induction of RNA editing activity of tumor cells.

These works laid the rational basis for the development of an anti-tumor therapeutic approach based on anti-Notch small molecules. More recently, the study was focused on the role of Notch ligands in the pathological communication mediated by tumor-derived extracellular vesicles with healthy cells of the surrounding microenvironment and the pre-metastatic niche.

Financial Awards: fromNational Cancer Institute (NCI/NIH-USA), Italian association for cancer research, Italian Ministry of Education, University of Milano.

Teaching and Mentoring: Teaching of General pathology and Immunology and advisor of ~30 thesis of Bachelor Degree in Medical Biotechnology, Master Degree in Medical Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, PhD program in Molecular and Translational Medicine, PhD program of Experimental medicine, Specialization school in Medical Genetics. Mentor of 5 post-doc collaborators.

Scientific Societies: European Society of Cell Proliferation, Italian Society of Pathology and Translational Medicine, European School of Hematology Virtual Network, Italian Society of Extracellular Vesicles. Founding partner and member of EVIta the Italian Society of Extracellular Vesicles (2018).

Extracellular vesicle-mediated communication in the tumor microenvironment

Tumor-stroma interactions are key to tumor progression and dissemination. Multiple myeloma is the second most common hematological malignancy, still incurable mainly due to a tight interaction with the cells of the bone marrow milieu resulting in tumor growth stimulation, drug resistance, tumor angiogenesis and bone destruction.

This study is focused on two important factors involved in cell-cell communication. Extracellular vesicles are composed by exosomes and microvesicles and are key mediators in tumor-stroma communication due to their ability to transport proteins and RNAs. Circulating extracellular vesicles s from myeloma patients display characteristic size distribution and concentration, and their miRNA cargo is prognostic in this disease. Myeloma-derived vesicles modulate the bone marrow niche, promoting angiogenesis and immunosuppression.

We investigated the role of extracellular vesicles in two key features of multiple myeloma associated to tumor-stroma communication: bone marrow cell-induced drug resistance and osteoclastogenesis. We also explored how Notch, an oncogenic pathway with a recognized role in the pathological interplay between myeloma cells and tumor microenvironment, participates in extracellular vesicle-mediated communication.

Yiota Foka

Foka is a senior researcher at the European Laboratory for Particle Physics, CERN, the renowned international physics research center in Switzerland, and the Center for Heavy Ion Research, GSI, Darmstadt, Germany, where she holds a permanent position since 2000. Her career also included a postdoctoral position at the University of Geneva and a Marie Curie fellowship in Frankfurt. Her research focuses on the study of a primordial state of matter, which, according to current theoretical knowledge, must have existed shortly after the Big Bang, and which is created in energetic particle collisions in powerful accelerators at CERN. Her PhD, mentored by one of the founders of this field of physics back in early 80s, had a large impact, as her results revealed first indications of an important predicted signature of such a state of matter, called quark-gluon plasma. She has a long list of publications in major peer-reviewed physics journals spanning from experiments articles and reports to few authors reviews, and she is editor of several volumes of conference proceedings. She has been one of the 50 authors invited to contribute to the special CERN edition commemorating its 50th anniversary. Foka is conscious of the need to enhance awareness of benefits to society from fundamental research, which is one of her current activities.

Familiarising public and school students with radiation: A hands-on approach

The Particle Therapy Masterclass demonstrates the direct impact of fundamental research on medical applications. This Masterclass Project allows participants to familiarise with the actual operation technique used for cancer treatment employing x-rays, protons or carbon ions like a physical knife directed by software programs. A first idea can be given by a demo https://videos.cern.ch/record/2690592 of a professional research software toolkit matRad showing the different steps for a treatment planning for cancer therapy.

The Particle Therapy Masterclass is integrated in the International Physics Masterclasses https://physicsmasterclasses.org/index.php, a well-established outreach educational activity and flagship project of the International Particle Physics Outreach Group, IPPOG http://ippog.org/, spread around the world. It reaches out some 15 000 school children, in 55 countries and 250 institutes

Paddy Gilligan

Paddy Gilligan is chief physicist in the Mater Private Hospital, Dublin Ireland. He has over 30 years’ experience working in radiology including interventional, radiation protection, nuclear medicine, CT, dental ,MR Imaging and spectroscopy. He was involved in setting up a radiotherapy centre in the Mater Private Hospital. He was a board member on the Irish radiation protection regulator, the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland and a member of the patient radiation protection regulatory body: the National Radiation Safety Committee. He has served on the ESR radiation safety committee, the Eurosafe Imaging steering committee and as co-chair of the Irish faculty of radiologists radiation safety committee. In 2019 he chaired the European congress of radiology physics subcommittee. He was past president of the Irish NMO, the APSM (now IAPM). He organises the annual medical physics workshop at the Robert Boyle summer school and is a trustee of the Robert Boyle foundation. He teaches on various post graduate courses including a recent participation in the advanced QA in digital radiography as part of the IAEA/ICTP workshop in Trieste Italy. He was physics director of the M.Sc. in radiological sciences course in University College Dublin where he is associate Clinical Professor. In 2020 He was appointed as Vice president of the European Federations of Organisations in Medical Physics which represents 9000 Physicists in 35 Countries.

Horizons for medical physics in Europe: technology, research and training

The vocation of the medical physicist is to apply physics in healthcare for the benefit of the patient, staff and public. Many of the methods of achieving this aim use the application of non-ionising and ionising radiation. The role of the medical physicist in delivering healthcare has evolved and we are now an integral part of the medical team whilst also being involved in research and training. This has been reflected in particular in European Union legislation on ionising radiation mandating registration schemes for properly trained medical physics experts.

Since 1980 the European Federations of Organisations for Medical Physics (EFOMP) has sought to advance and coordinate the activities of national member organisations throughout Europe. EFOMP has grown to 9000 members in 35 countries in 2020. EFOMP has achieved the advancement of medical physics by a number of methods including dissemination of scientific information, educational progams , journal publications (Physica Medica), the European Congress of Medical Physics, the publication of policy documents and guidelines. This paper outlines some of these activities. The paper also outlines some key technologies being worked on by medical physicists that offer significant potential to maximise patient benefit/risk ratio in delivery of optimal diagnosis and treatments.

George Kitis

Dr George Kitis is a professor in Physics in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He is a staff member of the Nuclear and Atomic Physic laboratory since 1981. He is working on both teaching and research. Since 1981 teaches Nuclear Physics, Atomic Physics, Radiation dosimetry and Laboratory experiments in Nuclear and Atomic Physics. His research topics are Radiation dosimetry with Thermoluminescence (TL) and Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) and Dosimetric methods of Dating (TL and OSL). He has published more than two hundred scientific paper, two review articles, book chapters and a book of thermoluminescence. He is reviewers to many scientific journals and member of the advisory board of the journal Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research section B.

Accidental dosimetry by Thermoluminescence and Optically Stimulated Luminescence dosimeters

The interaction of ionizing radiation with natural and artificial inorganic materials makes these materials suitable to act as radiation detectors known as passive detectors with very widespread representatives the Thermoluminescence and Optically Stimulated Luminescence. This presentation deals with application of these kind of detectors for determination of doses delivered due to radiation accident (Nuclear or radiological) and even to a possible nuclear terrorist attack. Any kind of, mainly, inorganic mater is potentially a dosimeter in action. Therefore, what is important is to find materials that demonstrate radiation-induced TL or OSL signals, and therefore may be used for recovering accidentally released doses.

They can be used as retrospective dosimeters when their TL/OSL signals are stable over long periods of time (months/years) capable for recovering doses of about 100 mGy), or materials with potentially unstable signals but sensitive enough to measure doses of about 1-2 Gy within several days of the exposure.

The list of materials that can be used for retrospective dosimetry are quartz from different building materials, ceramics and any other material in close vicinity with human like salt. On the other hand, the list of materials that can be used for emergency dosimetry is much wider. It includes different paper and plastic cards, banknotes, items of clothing and shoes, as well as components of personal electronic devices.

Theodoros Samaras

Theodoros Samaras received the Physics degree from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, in 1990; the MSc degree in Medical Physics (with distinction) from the University of Surrey, UK, in 1991; and the PhD degree from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, in 1996. In 1998, he joined the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich, where he was mainly involved in studying the temperature increase, due to the absorption of electromagnetic energy in tissues, and the effect of heat diffusion in electromagnetic dosimetry. He subsequently moved to the Hyperthermia Unit, Erasmus Medical Centre of Rotterdam, where he conducted research on the quality assurance of superficial microwave hyperthermia for cancer treatment with a Marie-Curie Fellowship from the European Commission. In December 1999, he returned to the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, where he is currently a Professor.

His research interests include numerical techniques and computer modelling with applications in biomedical technology and telecommunications, as well as therapeutic applications and safety of non-ionizing radiation. He is the (co-)author of more than 120 papers (ORCID: 0000-0003-0170-4520) in peer-reviewed journals and proceedings (h-index 24; total citations > 1700; source SCOPUS).

He has been serving as a reviewer for several journals and funding organizations and as the national representative to European research co-ordination COST actions (BM0704, BM1309, TD1104, CA17115) and standardization committees (IEC TC106). He is currently member of the European Commission's Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks (SCHEER) and has been elected twice in the Council of the European Bioelectromagnetics Association (EBEA) and in the Board of the European Society for Hyperthermic Oncology (ESHO).

The evolution of telecommunications networks and human exposure to radiofrequency radiation

Since the introduction of the first mobile telecommunications network in the early 80's, a new generation (technology) of mobile networks emerges every about ten years. The fast adoption of mobile phones by the general public has rendered necessary the installation of base stations inside the urban environment and in densely populated areas, where demand for mobile services is higher. As a result, the anthropogenic radiofrequency radiation of portable devices and base station antennas has been exposing humans for some decades now, leading to concerns about the potential health effects of this radiation.

Exposure assessment to environmental radiofrequency fields is of importance to both epidemiological and compliance studies. In this talk I will present numerical and experimental techniques that are used for evaluating human exposure to the radiation of mobile telecommunications networks. I will also show the temporal and spatial changes of the electromagnetic environment at a short and long scale. The effect of introducing new network generations will also be discussed.