Start of funding 01.01.2026

Development and Experimental Evaluation of a Hybrid PET–Compton Imaging System for Preclinical Proton Therapy

Prof. Dr. Katia Parodi
Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich
Fakultät für Physik - Experimentalphysik/Medizinische Physik

Dr. Javier Caravaca
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Applied Nuclear Physics



This project aims to integrate two complementary small-animal imaging systems developed under the leadership of the applicants at their respective institutions: a high-spatial-resolution in-beam positron emission tomography (PET) scanner developed at the Medical Physics Department of Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich) and a Compton camera prototype developed by the Applied Nuclear Physics Group at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The overarching objective is to demonstrate the potential of hybrid PET–Compton imaging for real-time proton range verification and dose reconstruction in proton therapy. The expected outcome of this collaboration is a proof-of-concept demonstrating that hybrid PET–Compton imaging yields more informative and robust images than those obtained with either modality alone.