I am Silvia Stocchiero, PhD student in the PAIR project at the Medical University of Vienna, employed by the FHWN University of Applied Sciences. I am a physicist with a master’s degree in Biosystems physics from the Sapienza University of Rome. My academic and working experience background is oriented towards medical physics and biophysics. The master’s thesis project, conducted at the Medical University of Vienna within the realm of proton therapy, motivated me to delve deeper into the field of particle therapy and medical imaging in their various applications.
Within PAIR, I am working on the project “Multiparametric MRI in pre-clinical research and related medical physics aspects”. The aim is to establish a pre-clinical imaging workflow encompassing morphological and functional mp-MR imaging utilizing a 15.2 Tesla Ultra-high field (UHF) MR scanner suitable to determine radiation effects after ion beam therapy. The establishment of robust MRI quality assurance for enhanced geometric accuracy, the development of mp-MR protocols along with image-post processing methods and MR image integration into treatment planning are some of the tasks I am tackling to subsequently assess tissue characterization and tumour models as well as radiation response in pre-clinical particle therapy. Combining the potential of mp-MRI on a UHF system and pre-clinical particle therapy will be the basis to complement current radiation physics, biophysics and radiobiological research.