PAIR - Pre-clinical Ion Beam Research

Ion beam therapy using protons and Carbon ion beam is the most advanced form of cancer treatment with ionizing radiation. Ion beams have superior physical as well as biological properties compared to photon therapy. Inter-disciplinary pre-clinical research based on tumor models is essential for future developments in the field of ion beam therapy. The PAIR project aims to close the gap in radiobiological knowledge of ion beams at the molecular, cellular and tissue level. Five complementary and interconnected PhD projects will link biology-physics-medicine, with a focus on genomics and proteomics analysis of models and high-resolution non-invasive imaging. A novel PhD program with interdisciplinary courses strengthens the academic education of PhD students. PAIR utilizes a unique ion beam research infrastructure at the Ion beam facility MedAustron and builds on the strengths of the Medical University of Vienna, the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna and the University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt with experts in medical radiation physics, imaging, molecular biology and computational sciences. The project strengthens innovation in Austria by creating an academic network for imaging and biology-oriented cancer research and education.