The United Nations is focusing on the importance of education in empowering women as part of the International Women’s Day in 2015.
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To recognise International Women’s Day on Sunday 8 March and celebrate more than 100 women scientists at ANSTO and the contribution of all women in the workforce, we are profiling three individuals who share a passion for science, a love of challenges and a determination to succeed.
From outer space to quantum space: Gail Iles
Working mum Gail Iles is best known as an astronaut trainer because of online video footage of her floating in a low gravity environment. She was working at the European Space Agency in Germany at the time instructing astronauts in the procedural operation of equipment after coming close to making final selection for the space program. She was in the top 200 out of 10,000 who applied.
“It was the closest thing I could get to space by conducting experiments in microgravity,” said Iles.
“It was the closest thing I could get to space by conducting experiments in microgravity,” said Iles.
Her passion is exploring the remaining mysteries in science, such as high-temperature superconductivity, using some of the most sensitive nuclear techniques and mathematical models available in physics. Gail was recruited to ANSTO in November of 2014 to assist with the commissioning of the new neutron backscattering instrument, Emu.
A natural aptitude for physics and higher mathematics led her to pursue a Bachelor of Science with the Open University in the UK. She completed her studies with Honours (and final year distinction in quantum mechanics) while working part-time and raising two small children. This was followed by a PhD in condensed matter physics at the University of Leicester in 2007 on the magnetism of iron nanoparticles in rare earth metals. She has since collaborated on more than 20 research papers.
She was originally attracted to astrophysics and a desire to enter the space program at university but found she was better suited to the rigors of quantum mechanics, which explains the behaviour of matter at the atomic and subatomic scale. This led her on the path to nuclear instruments.
“I was inspired by the career of astrophysicist Jocelyn Bell, who discovered radio pulsars,” said Iles in an earlier interview.
At Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (HZB) in Germany Gail was responsible for the design, construction and commissioning of a Laue diffractometer and worked with a high-flux powder diffractometer at the Institute Laue-Langevin in France.
Neutron instruments, including the Bragg Institute’s Emu, can be used to examine the behaviour of matter on the nanoscale and measure the energy of these particles.
Emu measures inelastic neutron scattering, in which the impacting neutron either gains or loses energy after collision with a sample. Measurements of incredibly tiny energy shifts between 1 and 30 micro-eV reveal information about the properties of the sample. Surprisingly, to take measurements this small requires instruments of great size.
Emu measures inelastic neutron scattering, in which the impacting neutron either gains or loses energy after collision with a sample. Measurements of incredibly tiny energy shifts between 1 and 30 micro-eV reveal information about the properties of the sample. Surprisingly, to take measurements this small requires instruments of great size.
Part of the commissioning process of Emu is talking to research groups about the potential uses of the instrument.
“We are encouraging organisations across Australia to send samples to us for measurements before Emu goes into full service mode and to make standard proposal submissions for our other instruments.”
“We are encouraging organisations across Australia to send samples to us for measurements before Emu goes into full service mode and to make standard proposal submissions for our other instruments.”
Managing a complex chemical production process: Liz Killen
Two years after she arrived for the ANSTO grad program Liz Killen has completed the program and moved into a role at ANSTO Health. She was recruited prior to finishing her undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering at the University of NSW. She received the University Medal at graduation and her honours thesis focused on the antibacterial properties of metal oxide coatings.
Liz is thriving as the Process Development Chemist and Deputy Production Manager for Molybdenum-99, an important medical isotope produced by ANSTO. Her responsibilities include finding ways to improve the process of producing Mo-99 and increasing yields of the isotope, scheduling, checking samples and ensuring all the requirements of numerous regulators are met.
“There is an extra layer of complexity because we are dealing with both pharmaceutical and radioactive materials that must be managed safely,” said Killen.
The team recently celebrated the 800th production run of Mo-99, which is distributed in Gentech Generators to hospitals. The Mo-99 decays into Technetium-99m for use in diagnostic procedures. About 10,000 doses of this nuclear medicine are distributed across Australia every week.
“It’s a really worthwhile area of work because the radiopharmaceuticals we produce are used to help detect cancer, heart disease and other medical conditions,” said Killen. “The production of this radiopharmaceutical isn’t done anywhere else in Australia, and it’s a great opportunity to apply my background in chemical engineering.”
Some of ANSTO’s unique opportunities include collaboration with staff across the organisation –including the CEO, Dr Adi Paterson.
“During the graduate program, I spent time working for Dr Paterson, which was a great experience. This included co-authoring a paper around the “6-day curie”, the out-dated unit of sale of Mo-99, and why we needed to move towards a new system globally.” The paper has been submitted to the Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry and was presented at the 8th International Conference on Isotopes in Chicago last August.
Although her career is still in its early days, Liz has experience on the international scene, attending the International Atomic Energy Association Agency Meeting in Vienna last October to contribute ANSTO’s perspective on the future of radioisotopes for therapy.
Part of the focus of the team’s work is now on preparations for the expansion of the nuclear medicine production capabilities with the opening of a new facility in 2016.
The new Australian Nuclear Medicine facility will secure Australia’s Mo-99 supply into the future.
ANSTO will increase production of nuclear medicines significantly to continue to meet the demand in Australia into the future but also provide a new supply globally.
“There is a lot to look forward to with the opening of a new facility with increased production capabilities,” said Liz, “but the thing I enjoy most about my work is the team I get to work with.”
Probing matter for insight: Kirrily Rule
Bragg Institute Instrument Scientist Kirrily Rule has just been appointed an Associate Professor at the University of Wollongong. She is excited about the opportunities the honorary role will open up for her–including undertaking formal research collaborations with other university faculties and teaching.
Although Rule did her PhD at Monash University in Melbourne on a determination of the magnetic properties of a compound from the group of transition metals, she lives in Wollongong.
She has been working at ANSTO for three years, following placements in North America and Europe where she used neutron instruments for research.
She has been working at ANSTO for three years, following placements in North America and Europe where she used neutron instruments for research.
She is an instrument scientist at ANSTO for the thermal triples axis spectrometer, Taipan, which uses inelastic neutron scattering to study the collective motions of atoms in solids, changes in structure and processes where a specific thermal energy is involved.
Rule has authored or collaborated on more than 60 research papers using neutron instruments to probe structural and magnetic interactions. She considers herself primarily an experimentalist, who tests theories that have the potential for useful applications.
“When you think about it, magnetism is everywhere, in all our technologies , and very little would function without it,” said Rule.
Although magnetism is a complex property of matter, Rule has been attempting to isolate structures in one dimension to measure the energy levels of magnetic interactions .
Although magnetism has been studied widely, there are still aspects that are not fully understood. The role of magnetism in superconductivity at higher temperatures has considerable interest among physicists because of the potential for more efficient energy delivery.
“Recently, I have been investigating the magnetic interactions in a single crystal of linarite, a naturally grown, crystalline mineral. I was able to use Wombat, the high intensity diffractometer at ANSTO, in a high resolution configuration with extreme sample environments.
These measurements have shown some interesting magnetic interactions in our single crystal sample at temperatures close to absolute zero Kelvin or -273.16⁰Celsius and applied fields of a few Tesla, a unit to measure magnetic fields. From this we can better understand the magnetic properties of copper oxide materials, like linarite, “ she said.
She values access to the extensive suite of instruments at the Bragg Institute, which can be used in combination. “The research I undertake may be the basis of technological advances of the future. The next generation of devices will be built using this knowledge.”
In addition to her own research, Rule said she is very much looking forward to ongoing and new research collaborations in Asia.
Published: 06/03/2015