Gießener researcher inspires with innovative 3D therapy technology!

Gießener researcher inspires with innovative 3D therapy technology!

dr. Yuri Simeonov, a committed employee of the Technical University of Middle Hesse (THM) in Gießen, was awarded two significant prizes on January 24, 2025: the Behnkenberger Prize and the Christoph Schmelzer Prize. These honors appreciate Simeonov's outstanding research achievements in the field of medical physics. The Behnkenberger Prize, which is the highest award for young researchers in Germany, was given to him for his dissertation on particle therapy for tumor diseases.

The dissertation deals in particular with the development of an innovative 3D range modulator. This modulator was designed to optimize the treatment of moving tumors, such as in the lungs. Current radiation techniques are often lengthy and can lead to underdoses in the tumor and overdoses in healthy tissue. Simeonov's goal was to reduce the radiation time from over ten minutes to seconds or even milliseconds.

innovative 3D range modulator

The 3D range modulator consists of small, pinpen-like structures that reproduce the shape of the tumor. This makes it possible to shorten the radiation time without affecting the dose distribution. This new method is intended to significantly increase the effectiveness of cancer treatment. Leading companies have already shown great interest and plan to test the method in animal studies.

The award with the Behnkenberger Prize is not only a financial profit-the price is endowed with 9,000 euros-but also an important confirmation for Simeonov's research. The Christoph-Schmelzer Prize, which is also known for its high reputation, complements this award and further emphasizes Simeonov's work.

award ceremony and further recognitions

The HEBNKENBERGE Prize was awarded as part of the European Congress of Medical Physics in Munich. Other remarkable research work was also recognized. The second prize went to Dr. Ivan Domingo Muñoz Molina for his research on measuring the linear energy transmission with track detectors. The Behnkenberger Foundation is specifically promoting talented young researchers and attaches particular importance to gender equality in the allocation of funding prices.

These awards not only underline the excellent research work by Dr. Yuri Simeonov at the THM in Gießen, but also the advanced developments in the field of medical physics. His results could make a decisive contribution to improving the precision and effectiveness of cancer treatment.

The Bidrag of the Behnkenberger Foundation in the promotion of young scientists is essential to ensure continuous progress in medical physics and related areas. In addition to the prices awarded to Simeonov and Muñoz Molina, there are a variety of other awards and funding prices in this area, such as the Cuno Winkler Prize or the Georg of Hevesy Prize, which also help to support new talents and promote innovative research projects.