NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR PROTON THERAPY HONORS YVES JONGEN AS THE 2021 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENT

Washington, DC, Feb. 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In recognition of his pioneering work in the field of proton therapy, Yves Jongen, world-renowned researcher and scientist, has been awarded the 2021 National Association for Proton Therapy's Lifetime Achievement Award. As the Founder and Chief Research Officer at IBA (Ion Beam Applications) for close to 35 years, Mr. Jongen has been a dedicated contributor to proton therapy's innovation and clinical development.

Mr. Jongen graduated cum laude from the University of Louvain in 1970 as a civil engineer in electronics and earned an additional certificate in nuclear physics. He was awarded the Georges Vanderlinden prize for science by the Belgium Royal Academy for his work in physics and electricity. He received the magazine Trends-Tendance "1997 Entrepreneur of the Year" honors. He was also nominated for the European Inventor Award by the European Patent Office for his efforts to increase Proton Therapy's accessibility to patients worldwide.

Mr. Jongen founded IBA with the vision to advance particle therapy by inventing and developing a cyclotron particle accelerator, which could accelerate charged particles up to half the speed of light through a magnetic field. His vision and dedication were rewarded in 1994 when Massachusetts General Hospital commissioned IBA's first cyclotron for proton therapy. This resulted in MGH treating its first patient in 2001 with IBA Proteus®, the first commercially available proton therapy system.

Convinced that cost was the largest impediment to making proton therapy available to more patients, Yves focused his attention on the development of a compact, energy-efficient proton therapy system, resulting in the development of a single room solution for IBA that dramatically reduced the total project cost associated with establishing a proton therapy center.

Dr. Nancy Mendenhall of the University of Florida Health Proton Therapy Institute states, “It would be difficult to think of anyone living who has been passionately interested in particle therapy longer than Yves. From his work in electrical engineering and physics in his early career and his early recognition of the potential value of protons for cancer treatment, Yves has worked tirelessly and creatively to develop technology to deliver proton therapy safely, effectively, and as inexpensively as possible” 

NAPT will present the Lifetime Achievement Award to Yves Jongen during a special program at the annual conference on April 15^th.  This year, the conference is virtual allowing participants from across the world attend.  Mr. Jongen will share his insight into the next generation for proton therapy during this event.  Learn more at www.naptconference2021.com.

About The National Association for Proton Therapy (NAPT):

The National Association for Proton Therapy is an independent nonprofit organization founded in 1990 to educate and increase awareness about the clinical benefits of proton therapy.  The NAPT's mission is to;

1. work collaboratively to educate and raise awareness of the clinical benefits of proton therapy among patients, providers, clinicians, payers, policymakers, and other stakeholders;
2. ensure patient choice and access to affordable proton therapy;
3. and encourage cooperative research and innovation to advance the appropriate and cost-effective utilization of proton therapy.

The NAPT's supporting members are world-renowned cancer centers, a number of whom are National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers and National Comprehensive Care Network (NCCN) members.  A full list of our members may be found at: http://www.proton-therapy.org/.

Jennifer Maggiore
The National Association for Proton Therapy
[email protected]