S3015
Invited Speaker
ESTRO 2026
clinical insights strengthen scientific work, while research results contribute directly to better patient care. This demonstrates the value of clinician-researchers in driving meaningful, practice-based innovation. 5356 Translating PhD skills into an academic RTT career Michael Velec Radiation Medicine Program, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Canada. Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada There has been a marked acceleration in PhD-trained radiation therapists (RTT) in recent years. In parallel, research-focused career pathways for RTTs have become clearer and increasingly well-travelled. Growth in roles for RTTs include clinician-scientists and principal investigators bringing both opportunity and responsibility to deliberately plan for the post-PhD era and for how RTTs fit within an evolving multidisciplinary research landscape. As a practical roadmap, RTTs should aim to develop a coherent, RTT- owned research identity that is independent of other disciplines, integrates clinical and technological leadership and aligns their research with cancer-system priorities. After the early-career phase of defining an area of research expertise, a critical transition from primarily “doing” research to leading research teams for growth and sustainability is essential. This involves developing new post-PhD skills that build teams through intentional mentoring and coaching, leveraging strategic collaborations, and securing funding that supports scale and clinical impact. With a focus on leadership, capacity building, and sustainability, this work aims to equip PhD-trained RTTs with a roadmap for long-term academic engagement and innovation within radiation oncology. 5357 Mount confidence peak: Early triumphs and cognitive pitfalls on the RTT PhD journey Sophie Boisbouvier Radiation oncology, Center Léon Bérard, Lyon, France. UMR INSERM 1052-CNRS 5286, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Lyon, France Beginning a PhD as a Radiation Therapist (RTT) represents both an exciting opportunity and a significant professional transition. Beyond acquiring advanced research skills, RTTs entering doctoral training often face a range of cognitive and emotional challenges that can influence their confidence, performance, and overall experience. This
and reproducibility of current decision-making processes. The presentation will conclude by highlighting the evident lack of robust, validated decision-support frameworks tailored to brachytherapy, particularly in complex clinical settings such as re-irradiation. It will argue for the development of more structured, evidence-based tools that can better integrate clinical data with patient values, thereby enhancing shared decision-making and optimizing treatment selection. Ultimately, this work seeks to stimulate critical reflection on what truly underpins decision-making in brachytherapy and to identify opportunities for advancing both clinical practice and patient-centered care. 5355 Learning from early clinical academic challenges Mirjam Mast Radiotherapy, Haaglanden Medical Center, The Hague, Netherlands For some researchers the thesis journey comes with a transition from clinical practice to a combined clinical– academic role. The latter brings several challenges, especially in the early stages. This presentation describes how working in a dual role can create uncertainty, as clinicians try to balance demanding clinical duties with the expectations and timelines of research. Common barriers include limited protected time for research, competing priorities, constant switching between clinical duties and analytical thinking, the extra workload and dealing with deadlines. Together, these factors make it difficult to maintain research progress and highlight how complex it is to combine research within a busy healthcare environment. As clinical experience grows, it becomes an important strength that supports and improves the research process. Regular contact with patients and daily clinical observations help identify gaps in care and generate research questions that are relevant to real practice. This experience also supports the design of practical and feasible studies. Through learning by doing, trial and error, and structured guidance, research activities become more organized, leading to greater confidence and independence. A stronger link between clinical work and scientific research creates new opportunities for innovation. The clinical environment allows for testing small interventions, evaluating feasibility, and gathering quick feedback from patients and staff. Working across disciplines further improves study quality and helps translate research findings into everyday practice. Over time, the dual role develops into a process in which both dimensions support each other:
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