Ekaterina Aristovich

"As I am a Scientist, I was expecting to see an Explorer as one of my core personality types. However, I am a Coach, an Influencer and a Manager. And the more I think about the more I feel it's exactly what I do at my job. I teach trainees, explain to other members of staff dangers and bonuses of radiation. I influence decisions on the procurement of new x-ray equipment. And I do manage people from time to time. I think these are some of the other, less visible, sides of working for NHS. "

"As a Physicist who works in Radiological Physics and Radiation Safety, I test all sorts of x-ray equipment to make sure it is safe to use and it gives the best image quality with as little dose as possible. I also investigate any incidents when people get a wrong x-ray exam or when equipment breaks down. I may be asked to advise on how to make an x-ray or a CT room safe, or what kind of equipment to buy for certain types of medical examinations. So all of the things I do have a direct or an indirect effect on patients. I also get a chance to work with other medical specialists from different professions when we are working on the optimisation of patient imaging."

"I always wanted to work in healthcare, but I loved technology as well. Always trying to fix electronics around the house and trying to find out how things work. So when I finished school, a degree in physics applied to medicine seemed like the right choice. We had lots of hands-on experiments and were even simulating particle collisions like the ones happening in the Large Hadron Collider. But I made up my mind after visiting local hospital and seeing medical physicists and engineers in action. After an MSc I joined a group of scientists who were looking into ways to speed up cancer detection using x-rays for biopsies. I even joined them for an experiment to European Synchrotron Facility in France. After I finished my PhD I got my first job in healthcare and it was awesome. I have since learned how to operate most of the x-ray units in hospitals where I work."

"I like singing to the extent that I even joined a choir not so long ago. The last time I was in a choir was when I was in high school. So singing with a group of strangers did not seem like the most comforting idea of all. But since we started we managed to create a safe place where we can let go of all of our problems and just sing! "

"This varies a lot. I might be out all day testing x-ray equipment or spend most of my day answering emails and working on a computer. I use most common software like Office a lot, but I also had to learn how to use software for image analysis or the one that imitates the human body and x-ray interactions with tissues and organs."

"I did a BSc and MSc in applied physics, followed by PhD in Instrumentation and Meassurements"