Current Research Project:

The applications of laser-driven particle accelerators for ultra-high dose-rate radiotherapy

My research is focused mainly on the use of laser-driven particle accelerators to produce ultra-short pulses of radiation for applications in radiotherapy. My research is focused mainly on laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA). LWFA can be used to produce electron beams with a duration of a few femtoseconds. These electron beams can then be used to produce photon beams though inverse-Compton scattering, with a duration equal to the electron bunch duration. These femtosecond pulses are of great interest in radiotherapy, as the response of the cell to radiation begins on these short timescales. Therefore, these femtosecond photon beams can be used to probe the initial response of the cell to radiation. 

Biography

I began my PhD in January 2020, after graduating with a Master in Physics with Medical Applications in the summer of 2019. My masters project was based in the cancer centre at the Belfast City Hospital and led me to apply for a PhD in physics with links to applications in radiotherapy.

Research interest

• Laser wakefield acceleration
• Femtosecond photon beams
• Radiotherapy