DrRuth McLauchlan
Visiting Professor
Department of Physics - Faculty of Natural Sciences
Orcid identifier0000-0003-2418-2200 (opens in a new tab)
- Visiting ProfessorDepartment of Physics - Faculty of Natural Sciences
- Blackett Laboratory, South Kensington Campus, United Kingdom
RESEARCH
Overview
My research journey began as an undergraduate when I spent a summer working in a clinical nuclear medicine department at the Northern General Hospital, Sheffield. My research project resulted in my first conference abstract and publication in a peer reviewed journal.
On completion of my undergraduate degree I was accepted onto the Scottish Medical Physics and Engineering training scheme, based in Glasgow. I continued some research in nuclear medicine as part of my training placement at Glasgow Royal Infirmary but my MSc project under Professor Tom Wheldon ignited my interest in radiobiology applied to radiotherapy.
Looking for a new challenge, I left the NHS on completion of my initial Clinical Scientist training and undertook a full-time PhD in nuclear structure (experimental) physics with Professor Bob Owens at the University of Glasgow, completing my thesis entitled Coherent Neutral Pion Photoproduction on 16O and 208Pb in 2002. I returned to the NHS as a basic grade clinical scientist (radiotherapy physics) at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, progressing through a number of promotions to Acting Lead Clinical Scientist (Dosimetry & QA). I left to join Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (then Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust) in 2007 where I am one of a team of 12 Clinical Scientists providing scientific input to the Department of Radiotherapy. In addition to supporting the routine clinical treatment of patients, I am a key member in the clinical implementation of new techniques and evaluation of Departmental practices. I have worked in multi-disciplinary teams to lead in improvements of clinical use of Image Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT), Stereotactic Ablative Body Radiotherapy (SABR), gated treatments, and auto-contouring.
My background in nuclear structure physics and interest in radiobiology is an advantage in my work with the Centre for the Clinical Application of Particles (CCAP), a collaboration of leading UK and European HEIs, NHS departments and research bodies, with the mandate to “Develop the technologies, systems, techniques and capabilities necessary to deliver a paradigm shift in the clinical exploitation of particles." () The CCAP is leading the design for LhARA, the Laser-hybrid Accelerator for Radiobiological Applications. The LhARA consortium believes that the technologies demonstrated in LhARA have the potential to be developed to make “best in class” treatments available to the many by reducing the footprint of future particle-beam therapy systems.
My research journey began as an undergraduate when I spent a summer working in a clinical nuclear medicine department at the Northern General Hospital, Sheffield. My research project resulted in my first conference abstract and publication in a peer reviewed journal.
On completion of my undergraduate degree I was accepted onto the Scottish Medical Physics and Engineering training scheme, based in Glasgow. I continued some research in nuclear medicine as part of my training placement at Glasgow Royal Infirmary but my MSc project under Professor Tom Wheldon ignited my interest in radiobiology applied to radiotherapy.
Looking for a new challenge, I left the NHS on completion of my initial Clinical Scientist training and undertook a full-time PhD in nuclear structure (experimental) physics with Professor Bob Owens at the University of Glasgow, completing my thesis entitled Coherent Neutral Pion Photoproduction on 16O and 208Pb in 2002. I returned to the NHS as a basic grade clinical scientist (radiotherapy physics) at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, progressing through a number of promotions to Acting Lead Clinical Scientist (Dosimetry & QA). I left to join Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (then Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust) in 2007 where I am one of a team of 12 Clinical Scientists providing scientific input to the Department of Radiotherapy. In addition to supporting the routine clinical treatment of patients, I am a key member in the clinical implementation of new techniques and evaluation of Departmental practices. I have worked in multi-disciplinary teams to lead in improvements of clinical use of Image Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT), Stereotactic Ablative Body Radiotherapy (SABR), gated treatments, and auto-contouring.
My background in nuclear structure physics and interest in radiobiology is an advantage in my work with the Centre for the Clinical Application of Particles (CCAP), a collaboration of leading UK and European HEIs, NHS departments and research bodies, with the mandate to “Develop the technologies, systems, techniques and capabilities necessary to deliver a paradigm shift in the clinical exploitation of particles." () The CCAP is leading the design for LhARA, the Laser-hybrid Accelerator for Radiobiological Applications. The LhARA consortium believes that the technologies demonstrated in LhARA have the potential to be developed to make “best in class” treatments available to the many by reducing the footprint of future particle-beam therapy systems.