Prof. Carine Michiels receives the Chair ‘Roger Van Geen’

The Chair ‘Roger Van Geen’ is, on the initiative of SCK CEN, awarded every two years by the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO) and the Fund for Scientific Research (FNRS). It rewards outstanding research in nuclear science and its societal applications. In this edition, Prof. Carine Michiels will receive the award. Her research focuses on radiotherapy, a commonly used treatment for cancer. She studies how radiation therapy destroys cancer cells and how this treatment can be further improved. Around half of all cancer patients receive this therapy. The therapy is used to treat local tumours in a targeted way, to shrink tumours before or after surgery, or to destroy any remaining malignant cells in combination with other therapies, such as chemotherapy. Radiotherapy is also used in palliative care to relieve pain and improve patients’ quality of life. 

In her research, she uses in vitro and in vivo experiments to better understand the underlying biological mechanisms of radiation. How do cancer cells and their environment respond to ionising radiation? How does that response contribute to cell death and tumour control? The goal of radiation therapy is to damage the DNA of cancer cells to the point that they die, causing the tumour to shrink.

Through experimental research, she aims to uncover how factors such as radiation dose, dose distribution, and angle of incidence influence the biological response of cells and tissues. In this work, Carine Michiels compares conventional photon radiotherapy with other forms of radiation therapy, including proton therapy. The insights gained from this contribute to improved patient care. In addition, they support the further development and optimisation of innovative treatments such as radioligand therapy.

The programme includes the following lectures: