Current Research Project: High-precision dosimetry for ultra-short, high dose-rate irradiation sources.

Laser-driven, ultra-short, electron beams can access unprecedented regimes of cell response to radiation, with potential to provide significant benefit to patients undergoing radiotherapy treatments.  To precisely establish the effects of ultra-short irradiation on cells, it is mandatory to have accurate measurements of the dose delivered to both in-vitro and in-vivo samples.  While dosimetric techniques are well established for relatively long irradiation times, detailed work must be done to establish techniques for dosimetry at ultra-short timescales.  

My PhD research, under co-supervision with the National Physical Laboratory, will develop and test new methods for high-precision dosimetry using this novel regime of irradiating biological samples.   I will gain expertise in a wide range of physical and engineering techniques, such as generating laser-driven radiation sources and characterising them, with the end goal of establishing a new scheme for radiotherapeutic cancer treatment.

Biography:

In July 2023, I graduated from Queen’s University Belfast with a Master’s degree in Physics with Medical Applications achieving a First Class Honours classification.  I was awarded the O’Sullivan Prize for attaining the highest grade in the Medical Applications pathway.   I have always been interested in medical physics.  In my final year, I completed my Master’s research project in the Northern Ireland Cancer Centre alongside medical physicists to develop new quality assurance procedures to verify dose delivery from advanced radiotherapy treatment plans.  I thoroughly enjoyed my project and was able to produce work that had a clinical impact in the Cancer Centre. This PhD project proved to be a natural progression in my education as I want to continue research in the medical physics field.

Supervisors:

Professor Gianluca Sarri and Professor Giuseppe Schettino (NPL)