Gerard Ariño Estrada, researcher at the Institut de Física d’Altes Energies (IFAE), has secured funding for the VERSATILE project (Voxelized Emission tomogRaphy Scanner with Augmented TIme, spatiaL, and Energy resolution) through the highly competitive ATRAE call under the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities. Building on his extensive expertise in nuclear medicine and radiation detectors, Ariño’s project focuses on developing a detector concept with high versatility to address several unmet needs in the field.

The VERSATILE project introduces a gamma detector equipped with Cherenkov Charge Induction (CCI) detectors, a pioneering technology championed by Ariño. This innovation allows for exceptional energy, time, and spatial resolution, providing the potential for simultaneous Compton camera (CC) and TOF-PET imaging. The system’s fine segmentation and high energy resolution enable dosimetry for Targeted Alpha Therapy (TAT) and Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BCNT), contributing to safer and more effective cancer treatments.

Ariño Estrada will execute the VERSATILE project in parallel to the ERC Starting Grant he has just started at IFAE and that consists of developing a detector technology for TOF-PET imaging. Both are high-risk high-impact projects that aim to tackle different unmet needs in medical imaging with an emphasis in the improvement of detection and treatment of cancer.

The ATRAE call, backed by the Ministry and earmarking 27.5 million euros, aims to incorporate 30 globally recognized researchers into the Spanish R&D+I system.