Personal Statement
I qualified as a therapy radiographer from the University of Liverpool in 1996 and enjoyed clinical work in a variety of departments including the Christie (Manchester), Auckland Oncology in New Zealand and the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary. I moved into academia in 2002 when I started work as a Lecturer for Sheffield Hallam University. At Sheffield I was the Course leader for the MSc Radiotherapy Planning and module leader for the first year Physics and Equipment modules for both BSc and Post Graduate Diploma courses. I quickly developed a keen interest in e-learning and published on a wide range of technology enhanced learning initiatives. Following on from this I was responsible for leading the initial development and evaluation of a Skin Apposition Simulator using a 3D Immersive Visualisation Environment; the results from my work led to the subsequent commercialisation and widespread use of VERT as a Radiotherapy training tool. I developed my passion for Physics, Planning and CT Anatomy and led the development of CPD Short Courses in CT Anatomy, Structure outlining and IMRT planning. Following from the success of these study days I co-authored the leading textbook "CT Anatomy for Radiotherapy" which continues to enjoy strong sales internationally.

From 2011 to 2015 I was employed as Course Coordinator at Queensland University of Technology where I had full responsibility for all aspects of the Radiation Therapy Course. I forged strong collaborative relationships with national clinical educators and my fellow Program Coordinators across the country, leading to several high profile research projects including a state-wide audit of practice. While working in Queensland I led a successful funding bid for $430,000 to develop a Medical Imaging Training Immersive Environment; this allows medical imaging students to practice a range of radiographic techniques in a realistic 3D virtual environment.

In 2015 I returned to these shores and was appointed to my current position back at the University of Liverpool where I enjoy a wide range of teaching duties as well as furthering my skills, experience and research interests in simulation-based learning, Virtual Reality (VR) and games-based learning. I have led a number of major funded projects around simulation and VR, including my pioineering work in simulated placements which led to my team winning a Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence, my mental wellbeing VR environment and my current work on clinical applications of VR for improving the radiotherapy patient experience. In my spare time, I am the Editor in Chief of the Journal of Radiotherapy in Practice. I am one of the 3 editors of the 9th edition of Walter and Miller's Textbook of Radiotherapy and in 2025 won the University of Liverpool's "Lecturer of the Year" award.

Research Overview
I have research interest and experience in the applications of VR including educational (clinical skills simulation) support for mental wellbeing (mindfulness) and clinical patient experience enhancement (head and neck immobilisation). I also have interests in a wide range of pedagogic and scholarship projects. My most recent project investigated the use of VR for Student Mental Wellbeing while on clinical placement; this funded project led to improvements in the student experience for learners attending remote placement and showed that students improved their mindfulness and enjoyed the ability to escape.

I am currently working on clinical research following my PhD relating to use of 3D virtual reality in radiotherapy which aims to improve the radiotherapy experience for head and neck cancer patients. This exciting project aims to use a VR delivery system as an immobilisation device, meaning that patients can experience an alternative reality during claustrophobic MR-based radiotherapy treatments.

In terms of expertise I have a wide range of research skills encompassing qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches. I enjoy leading and working within research teams and have a passion for inspiring engagement with research especially with novice researchers. My main area of pedagogical research expertise is the development and evaluation of educational 3D VR and simulation resources. I believe that VR and simulation both have plenty of potential for enriching the learning experience and improving understanding of clinical processes and techniques. The key priority in regard to this is establishing and measuring the educational gain as opposed to the user satisfaction feedback measures that are commonly used. This is quite a challenge!