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Cancer and neurodegenerative diseases are among the greatest health challenges facing our society today. As part of the new LOEWE focus ADMIT (Advanced Medical Physics in Imaging and Therapy) under the leadership of the Technical University of Central Hesse (THM), scientists from Philipps University Marburg, Justus Liebig University Giessen and THM are therefore working together on innovative medical-physical approaches to develop new possibilities for treatment and therapies. The official kick-off event for the new LOEWE project took place from August 29-30, 2024 at Rauischholzhausen Castle near Giessen, which was also attended by Science Minister Timon Gremmels. After welcoming the participants, a presentation on the project's research objectives and the official handover of certificates by the Minister, the floor was given to keynote speaker Prof. Dr. Joao Seco from the German Cancer Research Center, who spoke on the topic of “Quo vadis FLASH radiotherapy?”.

The approved ADMIT project is part of the 16th funding phase and will receive 4.8 million euros in LOEWE funding from January 2024 to December 2027. Prof. Dr. Boris Keil, the scientific coordinator of the project, was also awarded a five-year LOEWE transfer professorship worth one million euros to translate the results of his research into everyday clinical practice.

 “We want to use new medical physics methods to improve image-guided therapies and make them more patient-friendly,” explained Prof. Dr. Boris Keil from the Institute of Medical Physics and Radiation Protection in the Department of Life Science Engineering at THM. Keil is the scientific coordinator of the project together with Prof. Dr. Susanne Knake from the Faculty of Medicine at Philipps University Marburg. Susanne Knake is also Director of the Department of Neurology at the University Hospital Giessen-Marburg. Also involved are working groups led by Prof. Dr. Klemens Zink and Prof. Dr. Martin Fiebich from the THM, Prof. Dr. Rita Engenhart-Cabillic, Prof. Dr. Sebastian Adeberg, Prof. Dr. Andreas Mahnken from the Faculty of Medicine at the Philipps University and the University Hospital, and Prof. Dr. Kai-Thomas Brinkmann from the Justus Liebig University. The consortium is complemented by two junior research groups led by Dr. Kilian Baumann (THM) and PD Dr. Ulrike Theiß (UMR).  

Science Minister Timon Gremmels also expressed his enthusiasm during the official LOEWE certificate presentation: “Application-oriented research is traditionally particularly strong in Central Hessen and I am very pleased that the pioneering field of medical physics has now been included in the LOEWE program with ADMIT”. With ADMIT, which has been funded since the beginning of 2024, there is a “unique opportunity to improve the lives of many people”, Gremmels continued.

He also emphasized as a very special feature of ADMIT that with THM, a university of applied sciences (HAW) is in charge of a LOEWE focus. “Especially with such a complex and interdisciplinary topic, this is an outstanding distinction for an HAW. It became clear to everyone involved during the assessment that THM is excellently positioned for this,” he praised. THM President Prof. Dr. Matthias Willems passed on this praise to the researchers involved: “Professional excellence meets enthusiasm for the common goal. The cooperation creates synergies for top-class research. “Central Hessen is a globally unique and leading research location in the field of interdisciplinary applied medical physics,” Willems said with conviction.

LOEWE, the “State Offensive for the Development of Scientific and Economic Excellence”, is the Hessian program for the promotion of top-level research. The approved project is part of the 16th funding phase and will receive 4.8 million euros in LOEWE funding from January 2024 to December 2027. Keil was also awarded a five-year LOEWE transfer professorship worth one million euros to translate the results of his research into everyday clinical practice.