The PhD defence and trial lecture will be streamed. The chair of the defence will moderate the disputation.
Ex auditorio questions: the chair of the defence will invite the audience physically present in the auditorium to ask ex auditorio questions.
→ Live streaming of trial lecture and disputation
→ Request for thesis copy (available until the disputation starts)
Trial lecture
Time and place: April 25, 2024; 10:15 AM, - Lille Fysiske auditorium (V232) - Fysikkbygningen
Title: "Ultra-high dose rate dosimetry in preclinical research"
Main research findings
Proton therapy, a cutting-edge approach for treating head and neck cancers, shows promise in revolutionizing cancer treatment. Its key advantage lies in the unique physical properties of protons, which enable highly precise targeting of tumors while sparing the surrounding healthy tissues from radiation exposure minimizing potential side effects after cancer therapy. However, unlocking the full potential of proton therapy requires a deeper understanding of its biological effects on normal tissues, especially in comparison to conventional X-ray treatment. This is the first head and neck mouse study that directly compares radiation-induced normal tissue effects and cytokine response following X-ray and proton radiotherapy. The findings shed light on crucial aspects of normal tissue effects after radiation. The results indicate that protons exhibit a significantly higher relative biological effectiveness in normal tissues compared to the current clinical standard of 10%, which should be considered in the future proton therapy clinical trials with head and neck cancers. The study also uncovered a surprising lower cytokine response (signaling molecules) following proton therapy compared to X-rays. This highlights the importance of further investigating the mechanisms underlying immune and inflammatory responses induced by proton versus X-ray irradiation.
Adjudication Committee
- Dr. Elke Beyreuther, HZDR, Germany
- Professor Crister Ceberg, Lunds University, Sweden
- Dr. Emil Espe, University of Oslo, Norway
Supervisors
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Associate Professor Nina Edin, Department of Physics, University of Oslo, Norway
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Professor Eirik Malinen, Institute for Cancer Research, OUH / Department of Physics, University of Oslo, Norway
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Professor Hilde Galtung, Institute of Oral Biology, University of Oslo, Norway
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Dr. Randi Syljuåsen, Institute for Cancer Research, OUH, Norway
Chair of defence
Professor Ørjan G. Martinsen, Department of Physics, University of Oslo, Norway
Candidate contact information
LinkedIn: Olga Zlygosteva
Contact information to Department: Line Trosterud Resvold