Dr Lauren Bell remembers always being interested by Maths and physics since she was a child.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The medical field also intrigued the University of Wollongong graduate, from a young age.
This intrigue turned to genuine interest when her sister Rachel was diagnosed with cancer.
"This peaked my interest but I was still drawn more to the Maths side of it than being a doctor," Dr Bell said.
"When I saw UOW offered the undergraduate course in medical radiation physics, I immediately applied for it."
On Thursday Dr Bell graduated from the School of Physics with a Doctor of Philosophy.
Over the years she has made significant inroads in the delivery of radiation therapy.
Her thesis drew on the expertise of doctors to develop an automatic computer program that outlines regions of cancerous tumours.
"Clinical patients with cancer often receive radiation therapy and my research is looking into part of the process in the delivery of that," Dr Bell said.
"The research looks at contouring. When a patient gets a CT scan a doctor will normally outline the region that they want to treat, and because that is based on what the doctor is doing, that is highly subjective.
"So, there is a little bit of variability in what contour you will receive or draw.
"I was looking for ways to make that a little bit more consistent in the hopes that it will provide a more consistent outcome for the treatment and ideally more optimal treatment.
"It is not that we are not delivering optimal treatment as it is now, it is just a little bit more variable.
"If we can make it more consistent then we will be able to use clinical trials and ways to ensure that we can track those trends.
"The ultimate goal is to provide better outcomes to the patient."
Dr Bell currently works at Wollongong Hospital as a registrar in medical physics.
"I've got a year to two years left in the training to do but hopefully I'll keep my finger in the research pie. I find research really interesting. It is really important," she said.
"Luckily for us in the clinical side, the clinical physicists have a lot of opportunity to do research as part of their day to day job as well, which is perfect for me."
Former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, the late Tim Fischer was also recognised with an Honorary Doctor of Letters on Thursday.
The posthumous honour highlights the immense contribution Mr Fischer made to Australian life, including his fight for gun reform laws and his dedication to regional and remote communities.
Mr Fischer passed away earlier this year after a battle with cancer. His wife, Judy Brewer AO, received the doctorate on his behalf.
Agron Latifi
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
