Medical applications of nuclear sciences up for debate

Next Friday, April 27, FCT and Instituto Superior Técnico are organizing the symposium New Horizons for Nuclear Sciences and Technologies in Portugal: Health and Cancer Applications. The event, which will take place at the Nuclear and Technological Campus in Loures, from 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., marks the commemoration of 60 years of research in the field of Nuclear Sciences and Technologies in Portugal.

The session will feature a lecture by the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Yukiya Amano, as well as speeches by the Minister of Health, Adalberto Fernandes, and the Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Manuel Heitor. On the occasion, a memorandum of cooperation will be signed between Portugal and the IAEA to strengthen technical and trilateral cooperation, which will focus, among other areas, on collaboration for the creation of a health unit, integrated into the National Health System, for the treatment of cancer patients using high-energy particle beam therapies, including a strong research and development component, and on Portugal's support for the training of professionals from African countries, especially from Portuguese-speaking African countries (PALOP), in the areas of nuclear medicine and radiotherapy, among others.

The event will also recognize the work of researchers in nuclear sciences, with the awarding of scientific medals. There will also be a session dedicated to proton therapy, with an opening speech by Professor João Seco, from the German Cancer Research Center - DKFZ, followed by a debate with the participation of doctors and researchers working in the field in Portugal.

See the program.