LhARA fortnightly Meeting 2^nd February 2021; 14:00 GMT

Notes

Present: See [raw=attachment:participants.png​ attachment](G.Jones joined after screenshot was taken).

1. Notes of previous meetings and actions
   
   • Status of actions:
     • None recorded.

2. Updates:
   • Any update: All
     • CW: Capture group; met with Mike Charlton (Swansea/ELENA at CERN). Brings depth of expertise in Penning-Malmberg traps. The team begins to appreciate the additional effort needed to stabilise the plasma in the Gabor lens. Moving forward plan to work together to understand issues.
     • WS: Simulation of beam line from source to end of stage 2 w/o space charge using BDSIM. Also planning to study stage 1 beam line with and without space charge using GPT and BDSIM.

3. Radiobiology programme and articulation of LhARA USPs: J. Parsons, A. Giacca

• JP presented slides summarising discussion at recent Rbio working group meeting. Points noted in discussion:
  • SG: What about the animal handling issues, e.g. can not take animals out of animal facility, irradiate and then expect to take them back. We agreed to take this discussion forward.
  • PP: raised issues to do with the choice of end-points in live-cell imaging. JP explained that goal is to move away from tumour-kill end point. We note the need to understand intentational experience of the type of facility that is required.

4. Status and progress in key LhARA development themes:
   1 Evaluation of the benefits of the initiative & optimisation of the R&D programme: S. Green, P. Price
   
   • SG: he and PP clear that LhARA initiative will benefit through the promotion of teh whole area of heavy ion therapy in the UK. SG/PP/KK and others have agreed to argue tha the goal shoudl be to start with referral of patients to trials of heavy ions overseas. KK has ahgreed to investigate the pitential through RADNET centre. Wpould need funding to support R&D to identify trials etc., then if successful need to generate resources to pay for treatment costs as this is ubklikely to come from the NHS.
     • PP and SG have agreed to try and make a white paper -- separate from the BJR paper of 2-years ago. Need to generate a briefing document fo people outside field who need to know what is giing on and how to influence.
   • We discussed the potential of developin a bid to the CRUK Grand Challenge: Brm has been asked to take part in 3--nLhARA and 2 others, all around paediatric grand challenge. In addition to LhARA, one is from microbeam group in Europe, one relates to BNCT. Question is how to get into biology. Can LhARA get into micro, mini, or ion beams. Need to understand how to interact with LhARA specificly. The value of joining in support of a proposal lead by others was also discused.
   • Agree to work towards a robust discussion of whether we could make a proposal under the Grand Challenges for the next meeting.
   2 Development of next steps in LhARA accelerator R&D programme: C. Whyte, J. Pasternak
   
   • CW: Now working to develop collaboration with Swansea and CERN group that have expertise in Penning-Malmberg traps for the study of antihydrogen. Signiticant diffenrences in parameters.
   • JPa: Noted that an effort is starting to update simulation of stage 1 using new results on beam distributions from laser-target interaction from HTL.
   3 Proton- and ion-acoustic imaging: J. Bamber, P. Beard
   
   • Group now meeting weekly to support MSc student who seeks to simulat in principle viability of proof-of-principle experiment. SG explained that Jamie Guggenheim newly arrived at Brm was excited to be involved.
   4 Outline Conceptual Design Report for the PoP biological-assessment facility: R. McLauchlan, T. Price
   
   • No report this time.

5. DoNM :
   • 16Feb21; 14:00 GMT

6. AOB
   • None.

1. Summary/outreach documents: Reminders:
   • Mission statement: S. Green
   • Timeline: today to clinical system: K.Long, T.Kolkalova-Wheldon
   • PPI Strategy: H.Hall, G.Jones
   • Industrial strategy: F.Jamieson, S.Towe
   • Stakeholder plan: P.Price, S.Green, K. Long

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Agenda

1. Notes of previous meetings and actions
   
   • Status of actions:
     • None recorded.

2. Updates:
   • Any update: All

3. Radiobiology programme and articulation of LhARA USPs: J. Parsons, A. Giacca

4. Status and progress in key LhARA development themes:
   1 Evaluation of the benefits of the initiative & optimisation of the R&D programme: S. Green, P. Price
   2 Development of next steps in LhARA accelerator R&D programme: C. Whyte, J. Pasternak
   3 Proton- and ion-acoustic imaging: J. Bamber, P. Beard
   4 Outline Conceptual Design Report for the PoP biological-assessment facility: R. McLauchlan, T. Price
   

5. DoNM :
   • 16Feb21; 14:00 GMT

6. AOB
   • None

1. Summary/outreach documents: Reminders:
   • Mission statement: S. Green
   • Timeline: today to clinical system: K.Long, T.Kolkalova-Wheldon
   • PPI Strategy: H.Hall, G.Jones
   • Industrial strategy: F.Jamieson, S.Towe
   • Stakeholder plan: P.Price, S.Green, K. Long

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