NARILIS lunch seminar | Dr. Pierre Montay-Gruel, UAntwerp, Radiation Oncology

  • When Mar 03, 2026 from 12:45 PM to 02:00 PM (Europe/Brussels / UTC100)
  • Where UNamur, L03 auditorium
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We are pleased to invite you to a seminar given by

Dr. Pierre Montay-Gruel

University of Antwerp, Antwerp Research in Radiation Oncology (AReRO)

Pierre Montay-Gruel      UAntwerpen     Home I Iridium Netwerk

Pierre Montay-Gruel is team leader of the AReRO radiobiology group at Iridium Netwerk and University of Antwerp. The main focus of his group is to develop fundamental, preclinical and translational research on (Ultra-High Dose Rate; UHDR) FLASH radiotherapy and other innovative methods to improve radiotherapy treatments for cancer patients.

His seminar is entitled

Radiobiological advantages (and challenges?) of ultra-high dose rates

For over a decade, FLASH radiotherapy (FLASH-RT) has captured the attention of the radiation oncology community, driven by its potential to transform cancer treatment through ultra-high dose rates (UHDR). The hallmark of FLASH-RT—the so-called "FLASH effect"—offers a compelling advantage: reducing normal tissue toxicity while maintaining the same antitumour efficacy as conventional radiotherapy. This breakthrough could significantly widen the therapeutic window, enabling safer and more effective treatments for patients battling cancer. This lecture will explore the radiobiological mechanisms underpinning the advantages of FLASH-RT, addressing both the opportunities and challenges presented by this innovative approach. We will critically examine the preclinical studies published to date, assessing how their findings across various models might guide the design and direction of future clinical trials. Key considerations—such as optimizing delivery methods, refining fractionation schemes, exploring re-irradiation possibilities, and integrating treatment combinations—will be discussed in light of the most recent advancements in the field. To conclude, we will share and analyze unpublished results from the AReRO group in Antwerp, focusing on the response of triple-negative breast cancer, lung, and heart tissues to FLASH-RT.

Invited by Prof. Anne-Catherine Heuskin, UNamur, LARN