Dr Faye Wearing

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I have lived in Liverpool all of my life and I completed my masters degree at the University of Liverpool. I enjoyed my masters project so much that I chose to do a PhD in the same field. My work is based in the field of nuclear physics; I am specifically interested in the structure of nuclei far from stability.

Why did you choose your PhD project?
I chose my PhD project because it is experimental, which means I get to do a lot of hands on work in the lab. I have had the opportunity to travel to labs around the world to assist with experiments; so far I have been lucky enough to travel to Finland, Switzerland and Slovakia, which I have really enjoyed. The rest of my time is spent analysing data taken from an experiment carried out in Finland, it is challenging work but I am doing something different every day. There is a lot of satisfaction knowing that you are making new discoveries and adding to the pool of scientific knowledge.

Physics tends to be a male dominated field in the UK, but during my studies I have noticed an increase in girls choosing physics for their degree, and also choosing to continue on to a PhD. I think attitudes are changing towards women in science, and being a woman has certainly not held me back.

Faye is a Lecturer in Medical Physics at the University of Liverpool. With a background in nuclear physics, gaining her PhD in 2017, Faye went on to complete the NHS Scientist Training Programme, qualifying as a Clinical Scientist specialising in radiotherapy. After five years working in the NHS, she joined the University of Liverpool, one of only three institutions in the UK where trainees on the NHS’s Scientist Training Programme (STP) can complete their academic training in medical physics. Faye now teaches undergraduate medical physics students and serves as Deputy Programme Director for the postgraduate Clinical Science programmes, helping to train the next generation of NHS medical physicists.