Richard Oates

Basic demographics: 34 years old, Male

Current position: Radiation Therapist

Years qualified as an RT: 8

Research areas of interest: Urology, Imaging, Image Guidance, Adaptive Radiotherapy, SABR.

Research qualifications: BSc 2001, SpecCertCR(Onc) 2008, Phd ongoing.

What is your greatest research achievement?

Hearing back from our ethics committee that my protocol was well written.

Why and how did you get involved in research?

I’ve always liked asking and answering questions. So, armed with my previous degree in science, I asked my senior staff if they would support me in doing further study.

How do you balance research/work/family life?

In my mind – with razor sharp precision, in reality – like a hippopotamus and mouse on a see-saw.

How did you find a mentor/supervisor?

I observed who had supervised another researcher, when they graduated I saw an opening.

What was your supervisor/mentor’s best advice?

Try to remain focussed and do something achievable.

What do you enjoy most about being involved in research?

The bundles of cold, hard cash.

What was/has been your biggest challenge or barrier to being involved in research? 

The reality that my previous response was a joke, there are very few bundles of cold, hard cash.

What one piece of advice would you give other researchers?

Don’t reinvent the wheel, use resources and examples of what people have already done.