Job offer:
Research Assistent at GRK 3043 “AMTEC-PRO”

Working at the University Medical Centre Essen

As a maximum-care university hospital with a capacity of around 1,300 beds, we treat 225,000 patients a year with over 6,000 employees in 26 clinics, 23 institutes and specialist centres. Our hospital offers medical care, state-of-the-art diagnostics and comprehensive treatment to the highest international standards. In addition, we offer a comprehensive range of research and teaching services at an internationally competitive level.

Working in the heart of the Ruhr region

In Essen, in the heart of the Ruhr region and the green capital of Europe in 2017, the WPE’s Particle Therapy Clinic offers a challenging field of work in the application of state-of-the-art proton therapy for the effective yet particularly gentle treatment of tumor diseases. Since 2013, the WPE has been successfully treating outpatients with CNS tumors, head and neck tumors, sarcomas, prostate carcinomas and childhood tumors with proton therapy. Since its opening, the WPE has acquired an excellent reputation recognized worldwide. Numerous collaborations at national and international level are proof of the high therapeutic and scientific standard of our work. The result: our patients come to us in Essen not only from all over Germany, but also from many other European and non-European countries. That is why we are looking for you to join our team.

Working at WPE

At our West German Proton Therapy Centre Essen (WPE), under the direction of Prof. Beate Timmermann, we offer state-of-the-art radiation therapy for tumor diseases using protons. The centerpiece of the facility is a 230 MeV cyclotron. The four treatment rooms contain three gantries that can be rotated through 360 degrees and a fixed-beam room with 2 fixed beam lines. Each of the rotating gantries weighs approximately 120 tons and yet ensures an accuracy of up to 0.25 degrees. The Pencil Beam Scanning method (PBS) and a state-of-the-art therapy planning system are used for Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy (IMPT). This means that the entire craniospinal axis (CSA, includes the brain and spinal canal) can be routinely irradiated in the WPE for tumors of the central nervous system (CNS). The availability of IMPT also enables a simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) – i.e. simultaneous boost irradiation.

GRK “AMTEC-PRO”

The Research Training Group aims to improve the existing standard of treatment in proton therapy through the use of innovative methods, novel treatment approaches and modern technologies and to train a new generation of interdisciplinary researchers. The basis of the scientific program is strong basic research in the STEM disciplines, which will be transferred to medical application in the long term. The research projects are located at the interfaces of medicine, physics and chemistry and use modern methods of particle technology and machine learning (IKIM – Institute for AI in Medicine, Essen).

Clinical implementation is carried out in collaboration with the West German Proton Therapy Centre Essen (WPE). Read more

Your Tasks

The field of activity includes research in one of the above-mentioned areas with the aim of a doctorate as well as successful participation in the qualification program of the Research Training Group.

Your Qualifications:

• A relevant Master’s degree, e.g. in (cell) biology, chemistry, chemical engineering, medical physics or physics, computer science, with a minimum grade of 2.5
• English language skills at B2 level
• The selection procedure is a two-stage process. The pre-selection will be made on the basis of the documents submitted, the final selection will be made after participation in a three-day assessment centre from 2 – 4 June 2025 (travel costs will be subsidized). Further information on the RTG and the research projects can be found at www.grk3043.tu-dortmund.de

Look forward to

• A challenging, diverse and application-oriented research in a highly qualified, interdisciplinary, open-minded and collegial team in one of Europe’s largest centres for proton therapy as well as practical experience in the physics team.
• You will work closely with a team of radiation therapy experts
• You will be part of a university, interdisciplinary environment with diverse scientific development opportunities
• Fair pay in accordance with the collective wage agreement (TV-Länder)

Further information:

Tel. +49 (0) 201-723 83929

All applications of all cooparation partner are collected centrally by TU Dortmund University. The joint assessment centre is also prepared there.

Please note that your application will be forwarded to TU Dortmund University!

Applications from people of all genders are expressly welcome. Applications from women will be given preferential treatment in accordance with regulations. Measures to promote gender equality in science and, if necessary, to create a more family-friendly workplace are supported.

Please note that applications from suitable severely disabled persons are welcome.