Meet Dr Andrew Gill, Research Associate in the NCITA QA/QC Unit

Tell us about your role in NCITA?
I am a Research Associate in the NCITA QA/QC Unit working at the Department of Radiology, University of Cambridge. My time issplit 50% with NCITA and 50% working as an NHS Clinical Scientist at the Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust. At NCITA, my focus will be on writing code for data quality control and image analysis of tumours.

What is a typical week like for you as a Research Associate?
A typical week involves designing and developing software that can be used to improve detection of tumours using novel MRI techniques. I work with Professor Ferdia Gallagher’s group on software used in the analysis of images from hyperpolarized 13C MR imaging of several cancer types. I also provide a service to support the group at Cambridge with their software queries and attend weekly meetings with the NCITA QA/QC unit team and the MRI core lab.

What do you like most about your role?
I really enjoy writing software and the problem-solving aspect of designing code for image analysis. I also find it rewarding to help people with their software problems.

How did you get to where you are today?
I studied physics for my undergraduate degree and then
worked as a software engineer in commerce for 20 years. I then decided to retrain as a clinical
scientist for the NHS at the Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust and also completed my PhD part-time at the University of Cambridge over 5 years. In 2014, I joined the Department of Radiology at the University of Cambridge as a Research Associate and was delighted to join the NCITA QA/QC unit in April 2022.

Hobbies/interesting fact
I enjoy listening to classical music and I am otherwise kept very busy with my young family!