We are honored to share the story of some of our own remarkable colleagues, whose journey in science is a testament to the pursuit of knowledge.
Kirsty Whitehurst, Scientific Officer
I have been with IRS for over 8 years now where I originally started out in the Technical Officer role. As a Technical Officer a key part of my role was to conduct medical physics quality control testing on both ionising and non-ionising medical equipment across the UK. This meant I got the chance to travel, whilst developing my scientific knowledge and skills in the medical physics field.
International Workshop on Breast Imaging (IWBI) 2022 – Leuven
In my current role as a Scientific Officer, there is more focus on the consultancy side of the work undertaken at IRS. I provide support to our team of certified consultants including RPA’s, MPE’s and Clinical Scientists. This includes advising our customers to ensure compliance and best practice with both IRR and IR(ME)R. I have a specialist interest in mammography and work closely with our customers of the NHS Breast Screening Programme (NHSBSP).
Currently I am sharing my time between my day-to-day role and responsibilities whilst working on completion of an MSc in physics and engineering in medicine on a part time basis. Whilst at times it can be a challenge balancing these two aspects of my career, I’ve found it to be a rewarding endeavour. I enjoy the research and development aspects of my career, as it has allowed for my contribution into the scientific community. I have undertaken several research projects relating to the field of mammography and presented my findings to conferences both inside and outside of the UK. My current research projects include developing testing protocols for contrast enhanced mammography systems.
International Workshop on Breast Imaging (IWBI) 2022 – Leuven
Hope Percival, Technical Officer
I have been working at IRS for 2 years as a technical officer. A large part of my role involves conducting Quality Assurance testing on medical imaging equipment in many hospitals, to ensure patient safety, safety of staff and to monitor equipment performance. Additionally, I train new starters in our QA testing and I conduct patient dose audits that establish assessed performance of systems in relation to National Dose Reference Levels (NDRL) throughout hospitals and trusts. I am specialising in mammography and I am leading a project focused on variation in qualitative and quantitative testing on ultrasound Quality Assurance methods.
I graduated with a degree in Environmental Science in 2021. My previous experience includes working as a geotechnical engineer, where I was involved in sampling materials and assisting with foundation specifications. My background has provided me with valuable skills in data sampling, generating reports, and data analysis. At IRS, I’ve been encouraged to pursue additional research projects within my specialism, helping me develop further expertise.
One of my main projects has been developing a QA template that is used locally by sites to monitor daily equipment performance to abide by NHS Breast Screening Programme’s guidelines and regulations. This template tracks equipment performance and ensures that the image quality of these systems is sustained to an appropriate clinical level.
I am currently leading a project to be presented at UKIO which aims to evaluate the variations in qualitative and quantitative testing methods on ultrasound Quality Assurance methods. The scope of this project is to establish improved testing methods. This project has a future goal of expanding our data set to track probe degradation and its relationship with specific tests.
IRS has played a role in my professional growth and development by providing me with invaluable support through mentorship and its workplace culture. I have been encouraged to pursue further research and have been able to engage in challenging and meaningful projects.
My goals for the future at IRS include furthering my professional development through additional training and courses. This will assist me in achieving my long-term goal of contributing to academic publications and earning professional accolades in the field.
Sophie Lonie, Technical Officer
I am currently in my third month in training for the Technical Officer role at IRS. My main responsibilities at the moment are gaining experience and understanding of the surveys we conduct, shadowing and learning from qualified Scientific and Technical Officers with the aim of completing these surveys independently in the future. I have thoroughly enjoyed the practical appliance of scientific theory I have studied previously and expanding my knowledge and technical skills in these areas. I am approaching sign-off in some capacities of radiographic surveys, which will allow me to conduct these independently.
Other areas of focus for me include experience in generating reports from surveys, which are then reviewed and sent onto clients, highlighting any areas of recommendation as a result of survey tests. Alongside this, I have begun to get involved in generating patient dose audit reports, generated via a coding software, strengthening my abilities in the administrative and customer-facing sides of my role, as well as providing me with new skills in various IT software.
As encouraged by my scientific mentor, I am currently conducting a further research project into exposure indices on radiographic detectors. This has provided fantastic insight for me into the precise context and rationale behind our testing of these factors and has again furthered my understanding into the physics behind the technical aspects. I am compiling an abstract for this to send off to UKIO, enhancing my professional development and experience in scientific writing.
I have really enjoyed my time at IRS so far- all of the staff have been incredibly helpful and encourage progression, both personally and professionally. There is always space to speak up and ask questions, and the culture here is incredibly friendly and open. Initially, I was a little worried about the fact that my background is that of biochemistry, not directly physics. However, the training and encouragement I have received has been incredibly valuable and thorough, and my education of conducting surveys and the relevant scientific knowledge behind them has provided me with the necessary skills and understanding to thrive in my role.
I very much look forward to continuing my career here!