Job Description

PhD Vacancy: Quantifying the personalised impact of physical and biological customised radiotherapy

Location:

Teddington, United Kingdom

Group

Medical Radiation Physics

Salary Details:

Not Specified

Advertising End Date:

23 Jul 2023

Vacancy Type:

PhD

Vacancy Basis:

Full Time

• PhD Vacancy: Quantifying the personalised impact of physical and biological customised radiotherapy

About the Role

In the UK, one in two people born after 1960 will develop cancer, with an estimated 375,000 cases per year. Radiotherapy (RT) uses radiation to kill cancer cells and is a major modality in the management of cancer, either alone or in combination with other treatment options. The goal of RT is to deliver a high radiation dose to the tumour whilst sparing healthy tissue, thus aiming to give the highest probability of curing cancer while reducing the risk of side effects. Modern RT is characterised by the delivery of a highly localised radiation dose to tumour targets combined with a sharp dose reduction to spare normal tissues.

The treatment complexity is advancing at a rapid rate with technology constantly evolving to deliver higher precision RT, which comes at the cost of being more susceptible to various treatment delivery (physical) and patient response (biological) uncertainties.

The largest biological uncertainty is the individual sensitivity of patients to radiation. Additionally, these uncertainties are not currently combined. For example, where biological uncertainty exists, a small physical uncertainty, which is normally negligible, could significantly alter treatment outcome. Sensitivity to uncertainties varies by RT type and by treatment site. An accurate understanding of the sources and magnitudes of these uncertainties is therefore essential for producing clinical treatment plans which give the highest chance of delivering the desired treatment outcome. It is currently unclear how to incorporate all elements that contribute to plan uncertainty into a single protocol nor which assessment metrics to use. This project aims to quantify the personalised impact of physical and biological uncertainties in customising radiotherapy treatment planning.

The goal is to develop a future-proof formalism for the evaluation of uncertainty quantification, guidance on combining and incorporating uncertainties into personalised treatment plans to improve outcomes. The successful applicant will benefit from participating in meetings with both domestic and international collaborators as well as visits to the industrial collaborator NPL (the National Physical Laboratory) based in London (subject to contract). Furthermore, they will be trained in highly transferable modelling.

About You

Applicants should hold, or expect to receive, a First Class or good Upper Second Class Honours degree (or the equivalent) in a relevant physical science, mathematics, engineering, data science, or other numerate subject. A master\'s level qualification would also be advantageous. The ideal candidate will have a strong interest in problem solving and experience in a scientific programming language such as Python, MATLAB, etc. An interest or familiarity with radiotherapy is an advantage but not a requirement. Non-UK applicants must meet the English language entry requirements

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About Us

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is a world-leading centre of excellence that provides cutting-edge measurement science, engineering and technology to underpin prosperity and quality of life in the UK.

NPL and BEIS have strong commitments to diversity and equality of opportunity, and welcome applications from candidates irrespective of their background, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, or age, providing they meet the required criteria. Applications from women, disabled and black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates in particular are encouraged. All disabled candidates (as defined by the Equality Act 2010) who satisfy the minimum criteria for the role will be guaranteed an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme.

At NPL, we believe our success is a result of the diversity and talent of our people. We strive to nurture and respect individuals to ensure everyone feels valued by treating everyone on the basis of their own individual merits and abilities regardless of their own or perceived identity, as part of our commitment to diversity & inclusion, we hold memberships and accreditations to ensure we\'re creating an environment where all our colleagues feel supported and welcome, please see our page.

We are committed to the health and well-being of our employees. Flexible working and social activities are embedded in our culture to create a positive work-life balance, along with a broad range of . Our are at the heart of what we do, and they shape the way we interact, develop our people and celebrate success.

To ensure everyone has an equal chance, we\'re always willing to make reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss, please

National Physical Laboratory