IPEM member shortlisted for prestigious award

20/11/2023

A CLINICAL technologist has made it to the finals of the West Country Women awards.

Leanne Moore, a clinical technologist in the Radiotherapy Physics Department at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, is one of the finalists in the Women in STEM category. 

The awards celebrate the achievements and contributions of exceptional women across the region.

Leanne, an Associate Member of IPEM who is on the Register of Clinical Technologists, is one of three women competing for the prestigious Women in STEM award. The award celebrates a variety of STEM roles and is designed to highlight work which has supported a worthy goal, solving a problem and with a successful response.

Eva McClean, IPEM’s EDI and Member Networks Manager, wrote a letter in support of Leanne’s nomination for the award, highlighting her volunteer role to help promote careers within medical physics in general, and radiotherapy in particular.

Promoting careers

Leanne said: ‘My nomination was a wonderful surprise and I would like to think I have been nominated due to my overflowing passion to promote careers in radiotherapy physics, creating networks within the local community here in the South West to encourage local talent to stay local in a worthwhile, challenging and advancing profession, designing radiotherapy treatment for cancer patients.

‘This has become really important recently as it is proving very difficult to recruit into the profession to ensure we can continue to provide high quality care to cancer patients. The world of radiotherapy physics is a mystery to many, hence the struggles to find new candidates to enter the profession, and I have made it my personal mission to seize every opportunity to create awareness about what goes on behind the scenes in the radiotherapy physics team.

‘Voice for the profession’

‘I have a reputation as being a voice for the profession of radiotherapy dosimetrists and I am always getting involved in open days, careers events, outreach and any other opportunity where I can share the amazing work of the radiotherapy physics team.’

Dr Anna Barnes, IPEM’s President, said: ‘I’m delighted Leanne has made the final. Her work to be an active voice for the profession to highlight what she does, and the wider radiotherapy physics team, is fantastic.

‘Her volunteer work with IPEM to raise the profile of careers in medical physics is exactly what we need to help encourage the next generation to enter the profession and we wish her ‘Good Luck’ for the final.’

The winners of the West Country Women awards will be announced at the grand final at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Plymouth on 1 December.