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International Day of Medical Physics 2022
7 November 2022
This International Day of Medical Physics, we鈥檙e hearing about what inspired some of our community to work in this exciting and innovative field! Many thanks to Prof Jem Hebden, Dr Charlotte Maughan Jones, Dr Ziyan Guo and Carlos Navarrete Leon for sharing your journey!
Dr Charlotte Maughan Jones, Research Fellow
What inspired you to work in this field?听
I originally trained as a veterinary surgeon and I spent almost four years working as an equine vet and during this time I was really able to see the transformative impact that new medical technologies had on my own personal clinical practice and that was from the wider availability of digital X-ray systems, all the way to using portable ultrasonography out on farms and stables and even the development of amazing unique technologies, such as standing CT and MRI imaging. And to be honest, I just wanted to be a part of that community that brings these really exciting new technologies to clinicians around the world.
What's the most exciting thing about Medical Physics?
The most exciting thing about working in the field of medical physics for me, is how massively multi-disciplinary it is. You work with such a plethora of people, from a multitude of different academic backgrounds and there is really room for everyone. So, in my research group alone, we have or have had in the past; engineers, physicists, material scientists, medical doctors, mathematicians, and then me; a veterinary surgeon.
It really is an incredibly unique career and a unique department to work in.听
Prof Jem Hebden, Professor of Biomedical Optics
What inspired you to work in this field?听
Having originally trained in the field of Astronomy and worked for a few years as an Astronomer in the United States, I became inspired to work in medical physics when I discovered the huge creative opportunities that existed for physicists, like me, to apply their skills to healthcare. And to make a real difference to people鈥檚 lives.
I was a child when the Apollo missions landed on the moon, and this was a massive influence on my later choice to become a physicist. The Apollo mission required many thousands of physicists and engineers to create solutions to brand news technological problems and this still inspires me today.
Is there a Medical Physicist you admire?
Perhaps the Medical Physicist who had most influence on me during my early career, was Professor Robert Krueger, then of the University of Utah, who took a chance on me by offering me two years of funding to explore or create any new area of medical imaging. It was a fantastic opportunity.
What's the most exciting thing about Medical Physics?
The most exciting thing about Medical Physics? It鈥檚 probably working alongside doctors and other health workers and appreciating how advances in medical physics can have a major impact on patients.
Dr Ziyan Guo,听Lecturer in Interventional and Surgical Sciences
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What inspired you to work in this field?听
My mother is a doctor and as far as I can remember she was always very busy and tired. As a child, I always imagined that a robot could help her with all her work so he could spend more time with me. This little fantasy was like a seed that eventually led me into the field of medical robotics.
Is there a Medical Physicist you admire?
Richard Feynman is the Physicist I admire most, I admire his passion for research and exuberant curiosity.
What's the most exciting thing about Medical Physics?
The most exciting thing about medical physics is to investigate and see how scientific and technological advancements is changing people鈥檚 lives. 听
Carlos听Navarrete Leon, PhD Student
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What inspired you to work in this field?
Well I was trained originally as a physicist and I was always looking听to see the application of what I was learning and I think medical physics give me a very meaningful field in which I could apply my skills, to improve people鈥檚 health which I think is one of the most important things to work for at the moment.
Is there a Medical Physicist you admire?
This would very likely be Wilhelm R枚ntgen or Hounsfield, the first one discovered X-rays almost by chance and the second one pushed the technology to a level in which he found a bunch of applications across different fields in the medical sciences which was basically the invention of computer tomography.
What's the most exciting thing about Medical Physics?
At the moment, the most exciting thing about medical physics is being involved in a field in general healthcare that I believe, as many of us suffered because of the pandemic, is going to be a really key field to work in. Especially towards developing novel technologies that improve people鈥檚 health but also that make healthcare systems much more equal.
So, that鈥檚 it from me, thank you and happy Day of Medical Physics! 听
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