External Professional Activities

The Physics Department at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre is actively involved in the organisation and delivery of an MSc course in Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering. This course is being provided by a consortium led by the Department of Physics of the University of Liverpool, in collaboration with our department and the Department of Medical Physics & Clinical Engineering of the Royal Liverpool University Hospital (RLUH). Liverpool is one of three universities in England that was chosen to provide MSc courses in support of the Modernising Scientific Careers (MSC) Scientist Training Programme (STP) for clinical scientists. The STP consists of a three-year Masters degree combined with in-service training in hospitals throughout England. In-service training on Merseyside is provided by the Merseyside Training Consortium, with trainees completing placements at RLUH and at CCC. Further information about the MSc course (which can also be taken independently of MSC) is available on the University of Liverpool website.

We also participate in the organisation and running of the following course:

  • Advanced Imaging Clinical Schools on IGRT and RPM, delivered by CCC staff on behalf of Varian Medical Systems. IGRT/RPM Clinical Schools

We are involved in the mentoring of other departments around the country as they introduce or expand their services both for IMRT and for SABR.

The deprtment performs external SABR Lung Dosimetry Auditing on behalf of RTTQA. Please email Rob Biggar (r.biggar@nhs.net) to enquire.

Our Head of Brachytherapy Physics took part in an IAEA-sponsored trip to Myanmar to provide brachytherapy teaching and support. Lectures were given to medical physicists and radiation oncologists on the transition from LDR to HDR brachytherapy, with training in HDR commissioning, treatment planning, treatment delivery and ongoing QA.

Members of the department have representation on various national bodies, including the following:


John Brunt

Examiner for IPEM on MRI.

Honorary Fellow, University of Liverpool.

Andrzej Kacperek

Clatterbridge representative on the BIR Proton Therapy Working Group.

Member of the NPL-sponsored Working Party on UK Proton Therapy.

Member of the External Project Advisory Committee to LNS and LNL-INFN, Catania/Venetia, Italy.

Associate Editor of the British Journal of Radiology.

Associate Lecturer, University of Liverpool.

Chris Lee

Member of the IPEM HDR Brachytherapy Working Party.

Member of the joint IPEM-RTTQA+NPL National Brachytherapy Audit Group.

External advisor for IPEM part II trainees.

Honorary Lecturer, University of Liverpool.

Member of the RCR FRCR Part 1 physics examination board.

Helen Mayles

Member of the Trial Management Groups for CHHIP, IDEAL-CRT, ESPAC5F and ROAM Clinical Trials.

Member of the SABR UK Consortium.

Honorary Lecturer, University of Liverpool

Philip Mayles

Professional Group Chair for Medical Physics with the Academy for Healthcare Science.

Member of the NCRI RTQA group.

Trustee of Action Radiotherapy.

IPEM representative on the Medical Exposures Stakeholder Working Group.

Member of the Acoustics and Ionising Radiation Working Group, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Member of the Trial Management Groups for CHHIP, IDEAL-CRT and ISTART.

Member of the Trial Development group for SARON.

Member of the Trial Steering Group for START.

Member of Workstream 3 of CTRad.

Assessor for the Association of Clinical Scientists.