uwamedicalphysics
- Feb 1, 2023
- 3 min read

Seonaid Rodgers, A UWA Medical Physics Graduate with Experience and Determination

In this page we are going to introduce Seonaid Rodgers who is one of our successful graduates.

Seonaid received her BSc in Physics from Curtin University and Master of Physics (Medical Physics) from UWA in 2020. Seonaid was working as a medical physicist at the department of Medical Technology and Physics (MT&P), Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital (SCGH) when she started masters. She has recently started her TEAP training program.

Seonaid’s thesis title was: “An investigation of added tin filtration for non-contrast chest CT studies for infants: A phantom study" supervised by: Janette Atkinson, Cameron Storm, Martin Ebert, Rik Nezich, and Pejman Rowshanfarzad.

Here is what Seonaid’s masters coordinator, lecturer, and supervisor, Dr. Pejman Rowshanfarzad, had to say about her performance: “Seonaid started her masters while she was working for the department of health and had some valuable experiences. She paid attention to details of coursework and assignments, and learned the subjects in depth. The outcome of her masters project was fantastic and quite useful for the department of diagnostic imaging. Seonaid has submitted her manuscript for publication which proves her commitment and interest in contributing to the field. She has recently started her TEAP at the department of Medical Technology and Physics (MT&P) at SCGH Hospital. I am sure Seonaid will fly through TEAP since she has a strong background and relevant experience.”

And here are comments from Seonaid’s research supervisor Adj/Prof. Martin Ebert:“Seonaid chose to undertake a research project, as part of her masters degree, which would refine her skills and knowledge in diagnostic imaging quality assurance whilst make a significant contribution to the quality of patient imaging. Seonaid focused on the quality of lung imaging in infants, an area notoriously difficult to assess due to the large range in tissue characteristics in infants compared to the ranges seen in adults. Seonaid designed a ‘phantom’ to represent infants by surveying past infant imaging studies and applying her knowledge of diagnostic imaging medical physics to the phantom’s configuration. She then oversaw the phantom’s construction and validated its utility. Through her determination and persistence, Seonaid created a novel device to help improve imaging quality in paediatric radiology, likely representing just the start of Seonaid’s contributions in the field. It was a pleasure to help guide Seonaid during the initial stages of her project and to see her then make it truly her own.“

Seonaid kindly accepted to answer a few questions about her experience in the UWA Medical Physics Research Group.

Introduction and your current position and role:

I completed My Bachelor of Physics (Astrophysics) in 2015. Since then I have been working in the field of diagnostic imaging medical physics. My clinical workload is split between Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital Perth Children’s Hospital. I am looking forward to commencing my accreditation journey as a DIMP TEAP registrar at the start of 2023.

What did you enjoy most about UWA, and Medical Physics research group?

The ongoing support from fellow students and course coordinators. All study materials are specifically tailored to future medical physicists. The course content is well prepared and well organised, this makes the learning experience very enjoyable. Getting hands-on experience with practicing medical physicists and clinical researchers, while networking at the same time.

Can you give us your top three reasons to study Medical Physics?

Medical physics has an important role within the medical setting, to be able to provide specialist knowledge on radiation and radiation safety within such an extended multidisciplinary setting is very rewarding.

Gaining a deeper understanding about radiation health, biology and anatomical processes allows you to open your mind, to understand your world more in depth, in such detail that you may have never considered before.

Studying medical physics could easily be one of the most challenging and rewarding things you may choose to do in your life.

How do you feel you have made a difference in your field of research?

Throughout my research I have worked in the field of paediatric phantoms used for diagnostic CT. I have investigated many materials and validated some to be equivalent to paediatric tissues under X-ray. I have fabricated a phantom that can be used to simulate chest for a newborn baby. I gained a greater understanding for paediatric CT, medical physics phantoms and bridging the gap between clinical CT.

What is your best advice to current students and Medical Physics applicants?

Work hard but enjoy the process. Work and learn together as a team. One of the best skills to develop may be giving and receiving help from others. Make friends with your classmates because the world of medical physics is small, and these students will likely be friends and colleagues far into your future.

Here is Seonaid’s recorded final research project presentation.

We wish Seonaid all the best in her career and life.