Quality Assurance Reference Centres were established with the introduction of the national breast screening programme. With the onset of clinical governance and the greater emphasis on quality issues within the health care system, their role will inevitably expand and broaden to encompass a wider range of quality assurance issues. The Quality Assurance Reference Centre has two bases, Newcastle and Leeds, in order to address local priorities.

The role of the Quality Assurance Reference Centres includes:

1. Support and advice to units, professionals and technical groups in developing quality initiatives.
2. Co-ordination of monitoring and evaluation of all aspects of the quality of screening programmes.
3. Liaison with purchasers to enable contract monitoring.
4. Provision of accurate and validated statistical information to the National Health Service Executive.
5. Research and development coupled with the dissemination of current developments to all interested parties.

The Quality Assurance Reference Centre has a budget of over 1.8M Euro and an establishment of twenty-five. It has an active role in the continuing education of medical staff and other health care professionals.

Over the years the Quality Assurance Reference Centre has been active in research and development. Both initiating and collaborating on a number of research projects.

CURRICULUM VITAE - DR KEITH FAULKNER

Qualifications: BSc; ARCS; MSc; PhD.

Position: Regional Director of Quality Assurance

Experience: Extensive experience in the management of research projects funded both locally and by the European Commission, all with a productive outcome and delivered on time. Experience in industrial contract research and development. Invited expert by CEC,WHO and IAEA. Contributor to ICRP publications. Consultant to UNSCEAR on medical exposures.

Publications: Over 200 publications including chapters in books. More than 220 conference presentations of which 100 have been by invitation. In excess of 300 publications including abstracts.

General Tasks/Competence: Screening, interventional radiology, dentistry, training, ethics, standards, project management.

Role: Coordinator/Workpackage Leader. Training and Project Management.

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St. James's hospital is the largest teaching hospital in Ireland. It was established through the fusion of a number of voluntary hospitals and a single municipal hospital. It is an academic teaching hospital affiliated to Trinity College Dublin and has a bed total of approx 800.
The Diagnostic Imaging Department provides imaging services across 12 modalities including General Radiology, Maxillo-Facial, Gastro-Intestinal, IVP, Mammography, Ultrasound, CT, Interventional Radiology (Therapeutic and Diagnostic), Nuclear Medicine, Coronary Angiography, MRI and Dexa Scanning. The Department performs over 130,000 patient examinations per annum using the latest imaging and digital technologies and provides an excellent basis for assessing aspects of radiation protection and radiological practices.
The Department of Medical Physics and Bioengineering is responsible for all technical aspects of the specification, selection, commissioning, maintenance and management of the facility described above. In association with Radiological, Radiographic and other staff, it is responsible for the development, introduction and practical implementation of the associated Radiation Protection and Quality Assurance programme. The Department has a staff of over 30, of whom 17 are Graduates. The Department is affiliated with the University and several members hold both Hospital and University appointments. Arising from this there is a strong commitment to a variety of training programmes. The Department manages a number of postgraduate academic courses, as well as running a large number of professional training courses in association with the Haughton Institute, a corporate body owned by St. James's Hospital, Trinity College and AMNCH, Tallaght. In the area of Radiation Protection the Department is a prime mover and is responsible for the co-ordination and development of the Radiation Protection training for Radiologists, Medical Physicists and a number of other groups. A number of staff serve on both national and international committees.
Members of the Department operate as Radiation Protection Advisors to 6 of Irelands 10 Health Boards and manage/provide comprehensive Radiation Protection and Quality Assurance services to over 40 hospitals and 200 dental practices with a combined asset base in excess of 500 radiological systems. Departmental members have been responsible for the technical aspects of several major radiological equipping projects over the past 6 years with a combined budget in excess of €12m. Direct access to these facilities and to the facilities in St. James's Hospital, as well as to Cardiac, Vascular, Gastro-intestinal and other clinical Teams, provide and excellent basis for research. The strong research activity results in a number of peer-reviewed publications every year and a large number of presentations at international conferences. In addition, the Department has a wide experience of Radiobiology, Radionuclide Dosimetry and Radiological Dosimetry. This includes a long history of involvement in successful research projects, including up to 10 contracts with the European Commission.

CURRICULUM VITAE - J.F. MALONE

Qualifications: BSc, PhD, F Inst P, FIPEM, FFR(RCSI).
Position: Robert Boyle Professor of Medical Physics at Trinity College Dublin and Director of the Robert Boyle Foundation since 2002.
Experience: As Head of Medical Physics and Bioengineering, direction and development of a Department that has grown from 1 person to over 35. Personally involved in over 16 EU contracts, and coordinator of about a half-dozen of these over the last 10 years. Many industrial and academic collaborations both locally and internationally. Evaluator in the AIM and a number of DGXII programmes.
Publications: Publications include about 170 papers, most of which are peer reviewed. Roughly 20 of these are invited reviews or chapters. Published abstracts from several hundred. Editorial work includes conference proceedings and a number of specialist publications, as well as the normal involvement in the peer review/refereeing process. About 50 contributions in recent years as special/invited guest lecturer.
General Tasks/Competence: Image quality, standards, cardiology, dentistry, screening, ethics, training, nuclear medicine.
Role: Workpackage Leader (ethics)

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The "Krankenhaus der Barmherzigen Brüder" is the largest hospital in Trier. The Hospital has 6oo beds, 15oo employees and nearly all clinical faculties. The main departments are surgery (including vascular surgery), neurosurgery, neurology, internal medicine, etc.

The Department of Radiology and Neuroradiology performs all diagnostic and interventional procedures in the hospital. Head of the department is Prof.Dr.med.Dipl.-Phys.H.P.Busch. In the department 64.ooo patients were examined in 2oo1 (4.ooo MRI examinations).

The department of radiology has 1o radiologists, 3o radiographers, 2 physicists. The equipment consists of 2 MR units (1.5 T Gyroscan Intera, Philips Medical Systems, Best/Niederland, 2 CT units (helical CT Somatom Plus4, and Somatom AR, Siemens, Erlangen, Germany), 2 angiographic units, storage phosphor system, flat detector system, 3 bucky tables. A Radiology Information System (RIS) is established, and a PACS will be installed in 2005.

The department is reference centre for MRI angiography in cooperation with Philips Medical Systems. Indications for diagnostic and interventional procedures are in the area of the body and the head.

The main subjects of research are optimisation and radiation protection in digital radiography, MRI-angiography, MR brain perfusion imaging and workflow-management.

The "Brüderkrankenhaus" is as part of the University Mainz "Akademisches Lehrkrankenhaus". Medical students of the University of Mainz are educated in the hospital. The hospital has very good teaching and training facilities. For educational meetings many guest rooms are available within the hospital.

Curriculum vitae:H.P. BUSCH

Qualifications: Diploma Physics (University Kiel/Mainz), Staatsexamen Medizin (University Mainz), Promotion, Habilitation,

Position: Head of the Department of Radiology, Medical Director and Lecturer

Experience: Main subject of clinical work: Digital Radiography, MRI, Clinical management. Main subject of research: Optimisation and Radiation Protection in Digital Radiography, MRI-angiography, Workflow-management. Organized meetings and training courses in co-operation with the CEC. Member of the Deutschen Gesellschaft, Member of the British Institute of Radiology

Publications: About 190 published papers/chapters and books - mainly on Digital Radiography and MR-angiography. About 220 lectures and given papers in meetings in Europe, America and Japan. Regularly invited as speaker, chairman or member of the organizing committee at International Scientific/Medical Meetings.

General Tasks/Competence: Clinical image quality, external criteria, ethics, digital imaging, training.

Role: Workpackage Leader (digital radiology, dentistry, nuclear medicine)

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The S. Maria della Misericordia hospital is an high specialisation hospital and the main hospital (800 beds) of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, in north-east Italy. The hospital has 2500 workers.
In the hospital the radiology department is equipped with 2 NMR, 3 CTs, 5 angiographic units and about 50 others conventional and digital x-ray units; the nuclear medicine has 1 PET-CT, 3 SPECT systems (one with 3 heads) and 1 gamma-camera and the radiotherapy 3 linacs and 1 high doserate brachitherapy system.

The Medical physics institute is involved in the following activities:
1. Radiotherapy: clinical dosimetry and radiotherapy planning for about 2000 treatments/year and QA programme for the treatment and simulation equipment
2. Nuclear medicine: QA programme, patient dosimetry and implementation of PET-CT technology
3. Radiology: QA, patient dosimetry and implementation of new digital and MR equipment
4. Radiation protection (IR and NIR) for the hospital and other hospitals of the area
5. TL dosimetry laboratory: personnel and patient dosimetry service
6. Teaching activity at the Faculty of Medicine of Udine University: specialisation course for radiologists, degree for radiographers, training courses in radiation protection and quality assurance in national and international institutions, associations and hospitals
7. Support to regional/national bodies and authorities for regulation/guidelines developments, study groups, etc.

Curricuum vitae: RENATO PADOVANI

Qualifications: Physicist, PhD, Exert in Medical Physics

Position: Director of Medical Physics Institute, Ospedale S. Maria della Misericordia, Udine, Italy

Experience: Research activity in diagnostic radiology: i) Participation, together with other 10 European institutes, in DIMOND II and III European research projects aiming to develop methodologies and assess reference levels in interventional and digital radiology; co-ordination of the interventional cardiology group of the DIMOND II and III projects (from 1997 to 2004). ii) Evaluation of national diagnostic reference levels for diagnostic radiology: coordination of the national study group of the medical physicist and radiology national societies (2003-2004). iii) Participation as teacher in an international training course to cardiologists on radiation protection and quality assurance in interventional cardiology organised by the IAEA (2004). iv) Assessment of frequencies and collective doses at the region level from medical applications of ionising radiation (2003). v) Embolization of aneurysms in neuroradiology: patient dose measurements, evaluation of deterministic risks (skin and lens injuries) and stochastic effects, optimization of procedures (1997-1998). vi) Development of a prototype of Knowledge Based System to assist daily QC in mammography (1993, EC contract). vii) Co-ordination of a national group of GISE (Italian group for emodinamic studies) for the optimization of radiological procedures in cardiac laboratories (1996-1998). viii) Participation in several IAEA-CRP projects on Radiation Protection in Diagnostic Radiology and Intervnetional Radiology and for the development of a TECDOC on Methodologies to assess Reference Levels in Diagnostic Radiology and training material. ix) Expert of the IAEA in training and evaluation activities in developing countries (since 1990).
Member of the following scientific societies: Italian Society of Physics in Medicine (AIFM) and vice-President of the society from 2001 to 2003. Italian Society of Radiation Protection (AIRP). President of the Section of medical physicists of the Italian Society of Radiology (SIRM) from 1999 to 2001. Member of the European Society of Radiology

General Tasks/Competence: Digital imaging, image quality, cardiology, interventional radiology, training.

Role: Workpackage Leader (interventional radiology)

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The Medical Physics Group (MPG) of the Complutense University of Madrid (CUM) integrates several professors of the Radiology Department at the Complutense University of Madrid and members of the Medical Physics Service at the San Carlos University Hospital (SCUH). The CUM is the biggest university in Spain with more that 120.000 students. The SCUH, with more than 1000 beds, has full equipped clinical services of Diagnostic Radiology, Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine. The Diagnostic Radiology Service has been fully digital since 1999.

The Medical Physics Service of the SCUH is a Central Service with responsibilities on patient dosimetry, quality control of the equipment, quality assurance and the full aspects of radiological protection of the patients, workers and public. The Service supports the medical physics needs of the Diagnostic Radiology, Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine Services, with a staff of 5 medical physicists and 4 technicians.

The Radiology Department groups all the professors of Diagnostic Radiology, Radiotherapy, Nuclear Medicine and Medical Physics (with 7 staff professors) at the Medicine School and four University Hospitals. The Department is responsible for teaching all the radiological sciences at the Medical and Dental Schools and to coordinate all the research activities in this area. The present Director of the Radiology Department is Professor Luciano Gonzalez, full Professor of Medical Physics and member of the MPG.

Some of the Professors are also linked with clinical departments at the University Hospitals.

The MPG is responsible for teaching basic medical physics and radiological protection for medical and dentistry students. In addition, the Group has a relevant cooperation with the Health Authority, the Regulatory Authority and some Medical Societies (mainly in the Radiology and Cardiology areas) in the organization of pilot training courses on quality assurance and radiological protection. At the SCUH, the Group is also involved in the training of residents and focuses continuous training activities with different clinical services.

The research activity of the MPG is focused mainly on radiological protection and quality control aspects in diagnostic radiology. Some papers have also been produced dealing with intravascular brachytherapy and positron emission tomography.

Some of the members of the MPG are acting as advisors of the Health and Regulatory national authorities and are members of some relevant international working groups or organizations (Art. 31 EURATOM, ICRP, IAEA, IEC, etc).

CURRICULUM VITAE: PROFESSOR ELISEO VANO

Qualifications: BSc, PhD
Position Full Professor, Complutense University, Madrid, Head of the Medical Physics Service, San Carlos University Hospital, Madrid.
Experience Eliseo Vano has a PhD in Physics and teaches Medical Physics at the Faculty of Medicine of the Complutense University of Madrid, as full Professor of the Radiology Department. He is the Head of the Medical Physics Service at the San Carlos University Hospital. Prof. Vañó is advisor to the Spanish Ministry of Health for some specific aspects in medical exposures. At present he is a member of the group of experts of the Article 31 of the Euratom Treaty, member of the Editorial Advisor Panel of the British Journal of Radiology and member of the Committee 3 of ICRP. Prof Vano is also a consultant of the IAEA and the link with UNSCEAR for the Spanish data on medical exposures.
Publications He is author of a quite large number of publications on radiological protection and quality assurance in diagnostic radiology.
General Tasks/Competence: Digital imaging, image quality, cardiology, dentistry, mammography, interventional radiology, standards, training.
Role: Workpackage Leader (cardiology)

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The department of Radiology is located in the University Hospital Gasthuisberg of the KU Leuven which consists of an 1800 bed facility of which 200 beds are part of the orthopedic and revalidation hospital located in Pellenberg (20 km from Leuven).

The digital radiology offers all types of modern digital medical imaging: XR, US, MR, CT, interventional angiography, PET/CT (in collaboration with the department of Nuclear Medicine). Subspecialty is mainly organized according to anatomical areas (neuro, head and neck, chest, abdomen and pelvis, bone, breast imaging, vascular and interventional) with the exception of pediatric and emergency radiology which provide a more global service.

In 2003 more than 460.000 exams were performed and stored in the PACS which is integrated in the electronic patient record of the hospital. The clinical staff consists of around 60 radiologists (staff and trainees) and 120 paramedical personnel.
Besides the clinical services, the department is also actively involved in research, in a multidisciplinary and collaborative environment. The main research fields are medical physics and quality control, MR physics and application (MRI cardiac, oncology, stem cell imaging, etc.) preclinical MR contrast agents research, and medical image processing (in collaboration with ESAT/PSI).

Medical imaging is one of the strategic research fields of the University of Leuven. The available research equipment allows translational imaging research for the small animal upon the patients (three full body MR magnets, two high field small animal magnets, cyclotron, micro PET and SPECT, micro CT, and full body PET/CT).

In total over 40 full time researchers are actively involved in these areas.

CURRICULUM VITAE: PROFESSOR HILDE BOSMANS

Qualifications: BSc, MSc, PhD, Expert in Medical Physics

Position Professor and Medical Physicist

Experience Has worked in the radiology department since Sept 1988. Main activities are the support of MRI physics, the implementation of a quality control network for quality control in mammography as well as teaching and optimisation in the field of radiation protection and dosimetry, especially in the field of digital imaging. Member of The Belgian association of hospital physicists, Int Society of Magn Reson in Med (ISMRM), European Society of Magn Reson in Med and Biol (ESMRMB), European Association of Radiology,
The UKMPG mammography physicists, Invited lid of the High Council of Health in Belgium. Contributor to various European and multicentre projects.

Publications Over 30 papers in peer reviewed journals since 1999.

General Tasks/Competence: Digital imaging, image quality, mammography, cardiology, interventional radiology, dentistry, training.

Role: Workpackage Leader (screening and sensitive population groups)

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The Department of Radiology provides imaging services for all medical specialities at Innsbruck. This includes close co-operations with other departments (e.g. the Department for Surgery or other medical disciplines). The department is fully digitised. All imaging modalities except mammography are connected to a PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication system) and a RIS (Radiology Information System). In the year 2004 a total number of 200,000 patients were examined.

Equipment in the department comprises 25 CT's, 4 fluoroscopy units (Siemens Siregraph and Sirescope), 2 Automatic Breast Biopsy systems, 1 digital Mammography unit (GE), 3 Angiography Systems (Philips and Siemens), 1 frameless stereotactic navigation system, six 3D postprocessing units, 12 conventional roentgen units (Philips/Siemens), 2 direct radiography systems (flat panel) and 2 thorax units (Siemens/Philips). The conventional units are based on the AGFA phosphor storage plate system. The equipment of the Section of Breast Imaging and Invasive Diagnosis includes 2 mammography units with an add-on stereotactic device, and 2 digital prone table for minimally invasive breast biopsy, including stereotactically guided excisional biopsies (ABBI) and vacuum assisted core needle biopsies.

Teleradiology techniques have been used for almost 6 years in daily routine practice. Nearly 1000 patients a year are examined using an ISDN-/WAN-Service in close co-operation with rural hospital in upper Austria and Tirol.

Department of Radiology is part of the Medical University Innsbruck and has a staff comprising of especially trained physicians, medical physicists, technicians, PhD students and in addition computer specialists. There are several collaborations with companies on such as AGFA, Philips, Siemens and GE.

The University Hospital of Innsbruck manages in total 2,589 patient beds (including rural services stations). Within the hospital 22 departments and 7 institutes are established. The University Hospital employs more than 5000 people. The whole hospital is computerised by a HIS (Hospital Information System) and an advanced image information system.

CURRICULUM VITAE: PROFESSOR DR W. JASCHKE

Qualifications: MD, PhD

Position Professor and Head of the Department of Radiology, Innsbruck Medical University

Experience: Lecturer Interuniversity Institute for Radiopathology and Radiation Protection,
University of Leyden since 1976. Lecturer in master courses on Medical Physics and Radiation Technology (part of the Applied Physics and Biomedical Engineering programmes) since 2001. Main research areas: Dosimetry, image quality assessment and quality assurance of equipment in diagnostic and interventional radiology. Dosimetry and risk assessment for radiotherapy. Neutron and photon dosimetry for radiobiology and radiation protection. Dosimetry intercomparisons. Assessment of radiation quality. Member of the Advisory Board of Radiological Protection Courses, Member of Committee 3/International Commission on Radiation Protection (ICRP),RSNA,German and Austrian Roentgen Society, CIRSE, EAR, ECR.

Publications About 230 mainly on dosimetry

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The Radiation Protection Department is responsible for radiation protection in the medical sector, the industry and the environment. It is responsible for the transposition of EU directives into national legislation and for the implementation of this legislation. The department has a dosimetry service for workers who are professionally exposed to ionising radiation and it is an establishment of 11.

Currently the department is actively involved in the following:

1. Implementation of the EU directive 97/43 EURATOM which has been transposed into national law.

2. Establishment of Quality Assurance Programmes for computed radiography and direct digital imaging systems.

3. Patient entrance dose measurements for computed radiography and direct digital radiography.

4. Comparison of patient entrance dose measurements for digital radiography with patient entrance dose measurements from conventional radiography.

5. Establishment of diagnostic reference levels for medical x-ray examinations.

6. Quality Assurance and patient dosimetry for interventional cardiology.

7. Training of radiographers and medical staff in radiation protection.

8. Running a Quality Assurance Programme for the National Breast Cancer Screening Programme by Mammography.

This work is carried out in collaboration with three medical physicists from the hospitals, other hospital staff, as well as the NRPB.

CURRICULUM VITAE: CARLO BACK

Qualifications: BSc Physics; MSc Radiation Protection; MSc Medical Physics

Position: Head of the Radiation Protection Department, Ministry of Health

Experience: Experience in the management of a ministerial department involved in legislative work. Member of the Article 31 group (EURATOM ) and the associated Working Party "medical exposures". Member of the steering committee of the national breast cancer screening programme since 1992.

Publications: Over 10 publications including quality assurance in radiation protection, breast cancer screening (quality assurance, epidemiology), Magnetic Resonance Imaging

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STUK is a public agency, whose main objective is to prevent and limit the harmful effects of radiation. STUK's regulatory functions cover the use of nuclear energy and all activities that make use of radiation or radioactive substances. STUK also carries out research related to ionising and non-ionising radiation. The number of staff in STUK is about 290 persons. STUK's research activities cover radiation biology and epidemiology, natural radiation, radioecology, radiation hygiene, medical use of radiation, dosimetry, and non-ionising radiation.

This research group of STUK for diagnostic use of radiation involves expertise in X-ray dosimetry and X-ray imaging. Organizationally, the persons in the group come from two units: the Radiation Metrology Laboratory and the Office for Radiation in Health Care. The Radiation Metrology Laboratory is the Finnish National Standards Dosimetry Laboratory for ionising radiation quantities. The laboratory's maintenance of standards and provision of calibration, testing and irradiation services are backed by research on radiation metrology, X-ray imaging and dosimetry. The Office for Radiation in Health Care is a regulatory unit: among other activities, the unit makes site visits to hospitals and carries out research, usually in collaboration with the Radiation Metrology Laboratory. Research work at STUK for medical use of radiation is organized in a close connection with Finnish hospitals. Especially in research of diagnostic use of radiation STUK has collaboration with the University of Helsinki (HU) -Faculty of Science, Department of Physical Sciences, Medical Physics Group. At STUK seven senior physicists, two engineers/technicians and two junior physicists are involved in the research work of diagnostic use of radiation.

The recent research activities have been mainly focused on projects relating to the evaluation of X-ray image quality, developing methods to evaluate patient doses and radiation risks, and the optimisation of X-ray diagnostic procedures. In the EU framework the Laboratory is participating in the FP5 project of Measures for Optimising Radiological Information and Dose in Digital Imaging and Interventional Radiology (DIMOND III) and in a project of dosimetry in the boron neutron capture radiotherapy (BNCT).

CURRICULUM VITAE: ANTTI KOSUNEN

Qualifications: Ph.D. (Medical Physics), University of Helsinki, Department of Physics.

Position: Head of Laboratory, Radiation Metrology Laboratory of STUK.

Experience: Twenty years involved in dosimetry of ionizing radiation. Prior to current position at STUK work as a hospital physicist and as an inspector and researcher at STUK. Visiting researcher in National Research Council, Canada, Ottawa. Invited expert by IAEA in projects related to dosimetry of X-rays and as a trainer for regional workshops organized by IAEA. Member of the National advisory commission for metrology, contact person for EUROMET for committee of ionizing radiation, contact person and the Head of Laboratory of STUK in the WHO/IAEA Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory network. Member of the Finnish Physical Society and a corresponding member of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM).

Package responsible in EU shared Cost Action for development of A Code of Practice for dosimetry of boron neutron capture therapy. Responsible team leader of STUK in EU Shared Cost Action project Measures for Optimising Radiological Information and dose in Digital Imaging and Interventional Radiology (DIMOND III).

Publications: Over 50 publications including the original articles and the conference presentations.

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The Medical Physics group is part of the Department of Radiation Technology at the Interfaculty Reactor Institute of the Delft University of Technology. The Delft University of Technology is the largest and oldest technical university of the Netherlands.
The Interfaculty Reactor Institute (IRI) is part of the Delft University of Technology. The IRI, which has a considerable expertise in the area of nuclear reactors and associated scientific research, is the Dutch national centre for training and research in this field. Its principal scientific activities are materials research with neutrons, electrons and positrons, as well as other nuclear techniques, physical aspects of nuclear reactors, research in radiation physics, radiation technology, radiochemistry, radiation chemistry and environmental research.
The IRI's radiation facilities comprise neutrons, 3 MeV pulsed electrons, positron beams and specific facilities for research with radionuclides and nuclear radiation, including neutrons. Teaching activities include courses for MSc and PhD students, as well as a broad range of courses in health physics and applications of nuclear techniques. The institute has about 210 employees of whom about 140 are directly involved in scientific research and education.
Within the Department of Radiation Technology, research and development is performed on various types of detectors including inorganic scintillation crystals, silicon drift detectors, smart silicon sensors and integrated circuits, gas-electron multiplier detectors, storage phosphors, photon stimulated luminescence is performed in the Instrumentation Group.
Within the Medical Physics Group, also incorporated in the Department of Radiation Technology, research is performed on determination of patient dose and image quality in diagnostic and interventional radiology, risk assessment in radiotherapy and patient dosimetry in nuclear medicine. The Medical Physics group has a close collaboration with various Universities in the Netherlands with respect to dosimetry, image quality assessment and quality control in diagnostic and interventional radiology and radiotherapy and dosimetry for internal radiation. The Medical Physics group has a close collaboration with various Dutch Universities, including those in Amsterdam (Free University), Maastricht, Nijmegen and Rotterdam with respect to dosimetry and assessment of image quality in radiology. Within Europe, collaboration exists within EURADOS, the European Radiation Dosimetry Group and with various institutes all over Europe from collaboration in previous EC framework programmes concerning radiology.
With regard to quality assurance, the Medical Physics group has participated in the preparation of the Dutch guidelines for quality control of equipment used in diagnostic radiology as well as drafting the EC Criteria for acceptability of radiological (including radiotherapy) and nuclear medicine installations.
Members of the Medical Physics group are teaching in courses on radiological protection, including those for radiologists. They are also lecturing in courses of Medical Physics and Radiation Technology in the master programmes of Applied Physics and Biomedical Engineering (BME). The head of the department of Radiation Technology is responsible for the specialisation on clinical physics within BME.
The head of the Medical Physics group is chairman of the ICRU Report Committee on Patient Dosimetry of X Rays used for Medical Imaging.

CURRICULUM VITAE: JOHANNES ZOETELIEF

Qualifications: BSc, MSc, PhD
Position Head Medical Physics group and deputy head of the Department of Radiation Technology of the Interfaculty Reactor Institute of Delft University of Technology
Experience Chairman EULEP-EURADOS action group on dosimetry of external Irradiation. Chairman Sub-Committee Diagnostic Radiology of the NCS. Member of the ICRU Report Committee on dosimetry in Diagnostic Radiology. Treasurer of European Radiation Dosimetry Group (EURADOS). Treasurer of the Netherlands Commission on Radiation Dosimetry (NCS). Member of the Working Group on Radiological Protection of the Nether-lands Society for Radiology. Treasurer of the Netherlands Society for Radiological Protection (NVS).
Research Areas Dosimetry, image quality assessment and quality assurance of equipment in diagnostic and interventional radiology, risk assessment for radiotherapy, neutron and photon dosimetry for radiobiology and radiation protection, dosimetry intercomparisons and assessment of radiation quality.
General Tasks/Competence: Digital imaging, dosimetry, standards, image quality, mammography, training.
Role: Workpackage Leader (functional performance and standards)

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The Medical Physics Department is an important part of "Athens General Hospital", the second largest hospital in Greece (about 1000 beds) which is responsible for radiation protection issues for the hospital as well as for the extended hospital area. The main area of interest and activities of our department is Radiology and Nuclear Medicine. Since "Athens General Hospital" is also a teaching hospital, teaching activities are also performed. Our close collaboration with Athens University Medical School, "Agia Olga" Hospital, "G. Papanikolaou" Hospital as well as with European University Hospitals ensures our up-to-date knowledge in the field of medical application of ionising radiation and radiation protection. Our Medical Physics Dept. has participated in CEC research programs since 1992.

CURRICULUM VITAE:DR. VASSILIKI NEOFOTISTOU

Position: Head of the Medical Physics Dept. of "Athens General Hospital".

Experience: Senior medical physicist specialising on radiology since 1987. Actively interested in European research concerning the protection from ionising radiation. Participated in European research and CA programs since 1992. Worked for the Hellenic Atomic Energy Commission organising the quality assurance of x-ray laboratories in Greece. Member of the National Committee on adaptation of the Greek legislation with the EURATOM legislation. Member of the Hellenic Medical Physicists' Association Committee on Radiology (x-ray units, CT scanners, angiographic units). Expert on Interventional Radiology issues.

Publications Participated in 63 national and international conferences and symposia and has published 48 scientific papers.

In the present configuration five medical physicists in three hospitals in Athens and one hospital in Thessaloniki, are actively involved in this project work in Greece:

Athens General Hospital- Ms. I. Mavrikou,:a medical physicist who covers all the physics part. In this project, she will work on quality assurance and dosimetry.

Athens University Medical School -Dr. Sofia Kottou, an assistant professor in the Medical Physics Dept. She is presently focused on diagnostic and interventional radiology. In this project she will be mainly involved with dosimetry and training issues.

"Agia Olga" Hospital - Dr. Vania Tsapaki is a medical physicist working for the Medical Physics department of the hospital. She is a specialist for quality assurance checks as well as dosimetry.

"G. Papanikolaou" Hospital- Dr. H. Balougias is a medical physicist working for the Medical Physics department of the second biggest hospital in Thessaloniki (800 beds). In this project, he will cover all the physics part in the North of the country.

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The main activities of Radiation Protection Department of the Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine in Lodz are as following:

1. Personal dosimetry for about 30.000 persons occupationaly exposed to X radiation in Poland,

2. Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory for calibration of serveymetters and dosimeters,

3. Estimation of population effective dose for population of Poland as results of diagnostic X-ray examinations, Preparation of methods for Quality Assurance and Quality Control of X-ray units,

4. Problems of measurement of radon concentration in dwellings and in mines.

Altogether there are 27 people in the Department (3 with professor title, 7 doctors, 5 with MSc in physics and chemistry and 12 technicians).

The main equipment: X-ray unit for calibration (~320 kV), Dosimeters (Unidos), Set for QC measurements, Radon chamber, Track detectors, Personal film dosimetry, Rondo Man Phantom.

CURRICULUM VITAE: PROFESSOR JERZY JANKOWSKI

Qualifications: Ph.D.

Position: Head of Nuclear Physics and Radiation Safety Division and Head of Medical Physics Department, Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine Lodz, Poland

Experience: Occupational work in the Institute of Occupational Medicine in Lodz first as a junior assistant, assistant, assistant lecturer, lecturer, associate professor and since 1989 as the full professor. He has been Head of Individual Dosimetry Laboratory and Radiation Dosimetry Department since 1966. From 1984 to 1987 he was the Deputy Director of the Institute. In 1996 he joined the University of Lodz taking the post of Head of Nuclear Physics and Radiation Safety Division and Head of Medical Physics Department.
He is a member of the National Group for preparing and revision of radiation protection law in Poland and member of Radiation Protection Commission of National Atomic Agency, member of International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA) and a member of the Editorial Board of International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health and Medycyna Pracy.

He has had many short-term assignments as an expert of Word Health Organization and International Atomic Energy Agency in Mongolia, Bangladesh, Afganistan, Libya, Kuwait, Egypt, India, Estonia, Kazahstan, Iraq.
The main areas of research in recent years have been the evaluation of effective dose absorbed by patients during X-ray examinations, evaluation of risk cancer as result of X-ray examinations, estimation of doses for patients and staff in interventional radiology, Quality Control and Quality Assurance of X-ray units,

Publications: More than 160 publications on the mentioned problems (about 1/3 in English). Many of them were also presented at the international conferences. Participated as a lecturer in many national and international courses organized also by IAEA in developing countries.

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The Biomedical Research Foundation (BRF) is a non-profit organisation and acts as an umbrella body for doctors, engineers and medical physicists. The Cyprus Association of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering (CAMPBE) founded the BRF in order to promote research in the field of Health Care Technology. Its main experiences are in "on-the-job applied technology work" as well as in training engineers and hospital technicians in various health care technology fields, which its members undertook on behalf of international organisations, such as WHO, IAEA, UNICEF and the Commonwealth Secretariat (CFTC), while working in various government departments. For the above work, the Regional Training Centre set-up by the Government of Cyprus and WHO was declared a "WHO Collaborating Centre" and a Commonwealth "Centre of Excellence". It has also carried out research work on radon levels in Cyprus, was a partner of an EU MEDCAMPUS project on "Equipment Management", and has an on-going international research project on colorectal cancer. The background of its members, given below, shows that BRF is well suited to contributing to the project's country surveys. Its members have extensive experience in managing and collaborating in international projects, including those of the EU. Their strong contacts with international organisations will provide access and use of these organisations' expertise and dissemination channels to policy and decision makers, as well as securing valuable information and feedback for the use of the partnership. The work of BRF is carried out by its members who have extensive hospital and "industrial" experience working daily in hospitals and dealing with problems of management of technology, equipment safety and standards, and most importantly to the project, with patients, medical and paramedical staff. They are involved in equipment safety and radiation checks, mainly for equipment related to radiology, cancer treatment and nuclear medicine, as well as the relevant patient preparation. They are aware of the problems of having patients come in for routine diagnosis and check ups and will contribute invaluable help in the quality assurance and safety of diagnostic equipment. Its members are also involved in the technical Committee, TE 62: "Medical Equipment" of the Cyprus Standards Organisation, which is a CENELEC affiliated body, as well as in the Government's "Public Health" Team, which was part of the expert groups set-up for the "Harmonisation Process" with the Acquis Communautaire in view of Cyprus' EU accession candidacy.

CURRICULUM VITAE: STELIOS CHRISTOFIDES

Qualifications: BSc, PhD, Cphys, MinstP, MIPEM

Position: Head of the Medical Physics Department (MPD) of the Nicosia General Hospital (NGH)

Experience: 19 years experience in Medical Physics. He was deeply involved in the "Public Health" Committee on harmonisation with the EU, preparation of equipment specifications, calibration and testing of equipment, Chairman TE62 Cyprus Standards Committee for "Medical Equipment", member of the Ministry of Health's Tender, Specifications and Procurement Committee. He has experience in monitoring safety aspects in both the private and public sectors and was faculty member and organiser of many training courses organised in collaboration with IAEA & WHO.

George Christodoulides, BSc, MSc, Cphys, MinstP, MIPEM, MPD Medical Physicist with 30 years experience. Also has the responsibility for the Quality Assurance, calibration and acceptance testing of medical equipment. He has experience in Radiotherapy treatment planning of cancer patients. He was Project Leader on behalf of the BRF for the acceptance, calibration and testing of the Medical Equipment of the Bank of Cyprus Oncology Centre and co-leader in the Cyprus Radon Measurements project. He has undertaken training work on the WHO and IAEA sponsored training courses.
Prodromos Kaplanis, BSc, MSc, MIPEM, MPD Medical Physicist with 7 years experience and previous extensive work in the private sector as a medical equipment engineer. He is responsible for Quality Assurance for radiology equipment and the preparation of specifications for the purchase of medical equipment.
Spyros Spyrou, BSc, MIEE, C Eng, BRF Board member, Senior Lecturer in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Higher Technical Institute, Nicosia and current Head of the WHO Regional Training Centre. Has extensive experience in training hospital technicians and equipment users. As a member of the international section of the UK's Institution of Electrical Engineers, has extensive experience on issues of recognition and equivalence of professional qualifications. He also acted as a WHO consultant and has experience in country surveys and a member of TE 62 "Medical Equipment" committee of the Cyprus Standards Organisation.

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The main activities of company MEDICONTROL are focused on:

· implementation of quality assurance programmes and quality control measures on radiological departments ( by means of quality planning, quality control and quality improvement )
· monitoring of ionizing source parameters
· consultation and expertise of radiation protection at radiological workplaces
· innovation of equipments of radiological installation
· training of the staff involved in radiological examinations performance ( qualified experts, radiological assistants and radiologists )

To achieve this we aim to realise:

· acceptance tests of radiological equipments ( CT, mammo, IR , conventional and digital , etc. )
· preparations of documents for licensing of radiological work- places
· optimisation of radiation protection
· constancy checks and routine control of X ray equipments
· calculation of RP barriers
· QC of automatic processors ( sensitometry )

In cooperation with the research base of Slovak Medical University :

- development and extent of effective methods of monitoring and evaluation of radiation body burden of population and workers
- national audits for image quality and patient dose optimisations
- preparation of guidances and directives in the field of radiation protection in Slovakia
- ethical issues concerning to radiation risk perception
- educations of students in the field RP

CURRICULUM VITAE: DUSAN SALAT

Qualifications: Electrotechnical high school - specialisation semiconductor technology. Military Academy Brno, Czech republic - Faculty of electrical engineering. Member of Health Ministry commission for implementation of EURATOM 97/43 directive in Slovakia. University of Trnava - public health faculty

Position: Director

Experience: Chirana Piestany - service of X ray equipment. MEDICONTROL - Quality assurance in Radiology. MEDIXRAY - expert for radiation protection. DIGIX - technical director for digital technology, manager of quality management system ISO 9001.
Education and training in RP and QA/QC of qualified experts for RP in hospitals

Denisa Nikodemova: Nuclear physicist, RNDr., PhD., Ass.Prof.
Coordinator of the Slovak health Ministry Commission for implementation of quality assurance in radiolog. Senior coordinator of research projects in radiation protection Vice president of the Slovak associated IRPA Society.Head of RP Laboratory at the Medical University in Bratislava
Coordinator of the education of doctorands in the field of radiation protection She has 123 publications in scientific journals, 57 conference presentations, 71 abstracts in conference proceedings, 12 monographies
Her research activities involve image quality and patient dose optimisation, performance of national audits for mammography and other radiological examinations, preparation of guides and directives in the field of radiation protection in Slovakian education and ethical issues of radiation risk perception.

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The Centre is a part of the Faculty of Physics and Chemistry of the University of Tartu and the core staff of the Centre includes Director Mr Kalle Kepler (MSc), Instructor Mr Anatoli Vladimirov and Visiting Lecturer, Professor Antti Servomaa (PhD).

The main goals of the Centre are to carry out instructions and practical hands-on training and retraining on the usage, maintenance and quality assurance of modern medical technology for medical physicists, biomedical engineers, technicians and users (incl. radiologists, radiographers). Experts from other countries (USA, Sweden, Finland etc) have been involved in the training courses.

At present the staff of the Centre is involved in giving lectures, holding seminars and conducting practical training for the BSc and MSc students in medical physics and biomedical engineering at the University of Tartu. There are also special-topics courses offered for radiology residents and radiographers by the staff of the Centre.

Under the supervision of the Centre's staff several BSc and MSc theses have been defended successfully and are in process in the field of medical physics and biomedical engineering. An essential task in this regard is the implementing and improving suitable quality assurance measures (e.g. by testing the efficiency and safety of the equipment) for the clinical environment.

The working group of the centre has conducted a survey for quality audit of medical equipment in Estonia in 1998-2001. The Centre is continuing to provide diagnostic X-ray equipment quality control service to most of the Estonian healthcare institutions and keeps up to date the X-ray equipment QC database. Based on international standards and European guidelines the relevant methods are accredited by EN ISO/IEC 17025 by the Estonian Accreditation Centre.

The Centre has arranged patient dose surveys in paediatric radiology and has participated in other dose surveys in cooperation with Tartu University Clinics and the Radiation Protection Centre of Estonia; it has also drafted a patient dose guide for the hospitals in Estonia. The staff of the centre consulted radiology departments on how to optimise the dose and image quality (including in computed radiography).

The Centre has participated in designing Estonian legal acts and development plans concerning healthcare technology and the conformity assessment and quality management systems in co-operation with the relevant departments of the Ministry of Social Affairs of Estonia and the Estonian Society for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering.

The international workshops (BaltMedTech, incl Baltic and Nordic cooperation with the support of specialists from WHO and USA) have been organised since 1999. At present projects in collaboration with the Karolinska University Hospital and Swedish Radiation Protection Authority on training of medical physicists and on development of quality systems for radiology department are being carried out. The interlaboratory comparisons with the Finnish Radiation Protection Authority (STUK) and Karolinska University Hospital are carried out for the laboratory accreditation.

CURRICULUM VITAE: KALLE KEPLER

Qualifications: MSc

Position: Director , MSc Training Centre of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering (BMTK), University of Tartu (UT)

Experience: University of Tartu, Senior Researcher in the Institute of Experimental Physics and Technology, Director of BMTK, lecturer of several courses in medical physics for BSc and MSc students, radiology residents and student radiographers.
International activities since 1999 include his participation in BaltMedTech (Baltic project) steering committee and cooperation, cooperation with the Finnish Center of Radiation Protection in patient dosimetry and since 2000, his cooperation with Nordic institutions in radiation protection and medical physics.

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Institute of Occupational Safety (IOS) was formed in 1960 to perform scientific research, testing and to implement and ensure safety and health in the working and living environment. The constitutional part of the institute was Radiation protection department whose primary aim is to ensure protection from ionising radiation. In the 1997 the Government of the Republic of Slovenia imposed ownership reconstruction and turned the IOS into a commercial enterprise.

Since then some organisational changes have taken place and the Radiation Protection department has become the Centre for Physical Measurements with 4 laboratories. The Dosimetry Laboratory is one of them and provides services in the field of radiation protection - protection of workers, general public and patients.
Primary activities (all activities of laboratory are approved by Slovenian Ministry of health) of the laboratory are:

1. Personal dosimetry - IOS is the largest dosimetry service in Slovenia (about 3000 workers use our dosimeters). The laboratory is accredited (ISO-17025) for measurement of Hp (10) with TLDs.

2. Patient dosimetry in diagnostics (not in radiotherapy) using TLDs or ionization chambers

3. Medical physics services - IOS medical physicists are contracted to provide medical physics services for health institutions in Slovenia. At the moment we perform regular measurements for more than 300 diagnostic x-ray units (160 conventional x-ray units, 100 fluoroscopic units, 30 mammography units, 20 CTs),more than 350 dental x-ray units (intraoral and panoramic) and 6 nuclear medicine departments. · Radiation protection - our Experts act as radiation protection supervisors for about 600 customers (companies, health institutions…).

CURRICULUM VITAE: URBAN ZDEŠAR

Qualifications: BSc Physics, MSc Biology

Position: Laboratory head, ZVD Zavod za varstvo pri delu d.d. Institute od Occupational Safety

Experience: IAEA expert on the National Training Course on Radiation Protection and Quality Assurance in Diagnostic Radiology and Safety in Radiotherapy; Sarajevo BiH, 10/1998. 2. Šola mamografske diagnostike, Onkološki inštitut, Ljubljana, 1999. Mednarodna šola mamografske diagnostike: Slikanje dojke in kontrola kakovosti. Onkološki inštitut, Ljubljana, 2001. IAEA expert on the IAEA TC project BOH/6/004-03: National Training Course in Diagnostic Radiology; Sarajevo BiH, 4/2001. IAEA Regional Training Course on Radiation Protection in Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Ljubljana 3.-14. nov. 2003.

Publications: Author of many articles for Radiology and Oncology, as well as other publications.

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The first medical physics training program in Turkey at graduate and under graduate levels was initiated in our Department five years ago. There is one Professor, 2 Associate Professor, 2 research assistants, 2 PhD students and 10 MSc students (accepted number for each year). Imaging and Radiation Detection and Measurement Laboratories have been established through the supports from IAEA and Turkish Science and Research Council.
Group activities include:

· Teaching activities in medical physics

· Technical and scientific consultation to nuclear medicine and radiology departments regarding to their quality control and dosimetry studies.

· Partner of Turkish Atomic Energy Authority (TAEA) for the organization of the national and regional courses and workshops on radiation protection

· Research activities in the relevant fields

CURRICULUM VITAE: MEHMET DOGAN BOR

Qualifications: BSc; MSc; PhD

Position: Professor in Medical Physics

Experience: More than 20 years experience in medical physics (nuclear medicine, diagnostic radiology, radiation protection). Scientific consultation to TAEA and related medical departments. Expert and lecturer of IAEA. Contributing research projects funded both locally and by the IAEA

Research activities: Mainly in imaging and patient dosimetry in diagnostic radiology. Scientific publications at international and national journals (over 30) and conference presentations (over 40).

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The EFOMP has among others the following aims:

· Fostering and coordinating the activities of Member Organisations
· Proposing guidelines for education, training and accreditation
· Encouraging Exchanges between Member Organisations and disseminating professional and scientific information

EFOMP has the possibility of conveying technical and scientific information to more than 6000 medical physicists in Europe by means of snail mail, e-mail and web-mail, by actively participating to other societies meeting in Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Radiotherapy in Europe and by regularly organizing the European School of Medical Physics (ESMP), and the European Congress of Medical Physics. In addition EFOMP participates and scientifically supports local meetings especially in the new member states of the European Union.

In this project EFOMP has the main task of ensuring good dissemination and implementation of the results. This task will be carried out under the direction of the EFOMP President at the Department of Physics of Pisa University, in strict coordination with all EFOMP officers. The Medical Physics group in Pisa has a long scientific tradition in the field of innovation in Digital Radiological Imaging and Nuclear Medicine.

CURRICULUM VITAE: PROF. ALBERTO DEL GUERRA

Qualification: PhD in Physics

Position: EFOMP President
Professor of Medical Physics, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

Experience: More than 25 years of experience in Medical Physics research especially in the field of new detectors for medical imaging. Large experience with teaching and educational aspects of Medical Physics: e.g. Head and Director of the Post-Graduate Specialty School in Medical Physics at the University of Pisa. Many years of experience in running Medical Physics research group in several Italian universities. Editor in Chief of the journal "PHYSICA MEDICA- European Journal of Medical Physics". Large experience in organizing scientific meetings: e.g. General Chair of the IEEE 2004 NSS and MIC conference with more than 1500 attendees.

Publications: Over 200 publications. Author of one book on "Ionizing Radiation Detectors for Medical Imaging". More than 100 conference presentations, many of which by invitation. In excess of 300 publications including abstracts.

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The National Centre of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection (NCRRP) is a scientific organisation and a specialized body within the Ministry of Health responsible for the issues of radiobiology and radiation protection. NCRRP carries out a number of activities referring to health control, research, prophylaxis, diagnostics and treatment, organizational and methodological, and other activities in the sphere of radiation protection.

Activities of the NCRRP cover:
· Emergency Response Service - Service for 24 hours measurement of gamma-background radiation and coordination of emergency information
· Radiation Protection Department with four laboratories: Laboratory for Radiation Measurements, Internal Dosimetry and Expertise; Laboratory for Dosimetry of External Exposure; Laboratory for Patient Protection at Medical Exposure and Laboratory for Quality Control of Radiological Equipment
· Radiation Control Department with three laboratories/Inspectorates:General Radiation Control Inspectorate; Nuclear Energy Control Inspectorate and Public Exposure Control
· Radiobiology Department with laboratories on Radiation Biochemistry and Prophylaxis and Radiation Genetics
· Department of Medical Radiation Protection and Epidemiology
· National Laboratory for Control of Irradiated Foodstuffs

Laboratory for Quality Control in Radiology is being created in October 2004 in accordance with EC Directive 97/43 Euratom. Its activities cover: Quality control and quality assurance in medical radiology - development of QA programs, methodology and protocols for QC of the radiological equipment, assessment of image quality and patient doses; Expert assessment of the performance of radiological equipment - commissioning and routine performance testing of physical and technical parameters of the radiological equipment for checking the compliance with the national and international standards; Assessment of patient doses, image quality and consultations on the optimization of diagnostic procedures and radiation protection; Research in the field of radiation protection and quality assurance in diagnostic radiology. Providing postgraduate training in Radiation Protection and Quality Control for different target groups - radiologists, radiographers, and medical physicists.

The Laboratory staff includes one physicist with Ph.D. degree, one engineer with Ph.D. degree, one physicist with M.Sc. degree and 2 Ph.D. students.

CURRICULUM VITAE: JENIA VASSILEVA

Qualifications: M.Sc. in Engineering Physics, Ph. D. in Medical Radiation Physics

Position: Head of Laboratory

Experience: Specialist in Physics of Medical Imaging, including performing QC measurements and patient dosimetry; founder and head of the Laboratory for QC in Radiology at the NCRRP, Sofia. IAEA expert in Radiation Protection in Diagnostic Radiology appointed as a lecturer in the IAEA regional courses on Radiation Protection in Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology in Nairobi, Kenya, 2004 and in Sofia, Bulgaria, 2003. Organiser and lecturer of the National Practical Training Course on QC in Diagnostic Radiology, 2003, Sofia, Bulgaria. Lecturing on Nuclear Physics, Radiation Dosimetry, Radiation Protection and Physics in Medical Imaging from 1986 till present. Involved in development of the program and syllabus for MSc course in Medical Physics. Organisation of practical training for Medical Physics students in a clinical environment. Lecturing on Quality assurance in Diagnostic Radiology for post-graduate education programmes for radiologist in Medical University in Sofia since 1999. Supervisor of 22 graduate works of M.Sc. students from Shumen University, Sofia University and Plovdiv University in the field of Radiation Dosimetry, Physics of Diagnostic Radiology, Quality assurance. Research in the field of Dosimetry and Radiation Protection and particularly in the Physics of Medical Imaging (X-Ray), Patient Dosimetry and Quality Assurance.

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The National Patient Dose Evaluation Program was established to accomplish the tasks laid down in the Decree No. 31/2001 (X.3.) EüM on the protection of health of persons exposed to ionising radiation in the course of provision of healthcare services (based on 97/43 EURATOM). According to the Decree the patient doses of the various radiodiagnostic and nuclear medicine procedures should be evaluated and, based on the results, reference levels should be established. The National Patient Dose Evaluation Program collects and analyse patient dose data since 1989 with the professional control of National Research Institute for Radiobiology and Radiohygiene. The Program operates within the Institute, in Budapest and employs six physicists.

National evaluation and the development of the reference levels is under way with the following procedures:
- screening programs based on radiodiagnostics
- patient doses of CT procedures
- activities and patient doses of nuclear medicine procedures
- patient doses of the most common radiodiagnostic procedures and the radiodiagnostic procedures with the highest doses.

CURRICULUM VITAE: SANDOR PELLET

Qualifications: M.D. 1969, Medical University of Debrecen - Specialist in Pathology, Radiobiology and Radiohygiene, in "Military and Disaster Medicine"

Position: Acting Director for NCPH-National Research Institute for Radiobiology and Radiohygiene

Experience: At present he organises and supervises the activities of the Institute. Represents Hungary on national and international platforms, as well as at organisations in radiation protection and safety. Directs the National Patient dose Collecting and Evaluation Program. 1995 - 2004 as Director for Radiohygiene. State Public Health and Medical Officer Service, National Research Institute for Radiobiology and Radiohygiene, Department of Radiohygiene: activities Operational Radiological Health, Environmental Radiohygiene, Environmental Dosimetry, Personal Dosimetry, Computation Technology and Radiological Measurements and Non-Ionising Radiations. 1988-2002 Head of Division, State Public Health and Medical Officer Service, National Research Institute for radiobiology and Radiohygiene, Operational Radiological Health Division
Developing strategy documents and reports on occupational radiological health, licensing of radiological devices and facilities. Participation in elaboration of national and international standards and recommendations of safe and effective use of ionising radiation. Revision of proposed standards, guidelines, legislation, and other publications prepared for radiation protection professionals. Promoting division programs through publications and presentations on professional meetings and at relevant organisations. Acting as the scientific director of the West-Hungarian Regional Tissue Bank. 1987-1988 Fullbright Fellow in USA, Naval Medical Research Centre, Bethesda. MA, USA - and FDA - Centre for Devices and Radiological Health, Rockville, USA. Studies in experimental transplantation immunology and operation of cell sorter. 1981-1987 Senior Scientist. National Research Institute for Radiobiology and Radiohygiene, Division of Applied Radiation. 1980 Fellow of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Tissue Bank of Naval Medical research Centre, Bethesda, USA. 1974-1979 Senior Scientist National Research Institute for Radiobiology and Radiohygiene, Division of Applied Radiation. 1969-1973 Scientist National Research Institute for Radiobiology and Radiohygiene, Division of Pathology.
Participation in the following scientific organisations: Hungarian Association of Biophysics Hungarian Association of Radiologists, Hungarian Association of Immunologists, Hungarian Association of Hygiene, Hungarian Association of Nuclear Medicine, Health Physics Section of Roland Eötvös Physical Society, European Association of Nuclear Medicine, Conference of Radiation Program Directors (USA), Health Physics Society (USA), International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA), European Association of Tissue Banks
Other Professional Activities: Expert of the International Atomic Energy Agency (tissue banking and radiation protection, more than 15 missions in developing countries). Secretary of Health Physics Section of Roland Eötvös Physical Society. Task Force Group member of European Association of Nuclear Medicine. Chairman of the Skin Council in European Association of Tissue Banks. Permanent member of the Hungarian delegation on meetings for preparation of the Convention on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management. Member of the EITB 21st group on legal harmonisation to EU in the field of radiation protection and safety.

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The hospital is a new acute district hospital, completed in 2002, serving a population of approximately 200000. It has:
· 353 acute inpatient beds and 52 day case places
· 20 continuing care beds
· 60 rehabilitation beds
· 60 psychiatric beds
· 8 individually designed theatres for specific specialities.
· The West of Scotland thoracic surgical unit

The hospital supplies a full range of inpatient, outpatient, diagnostic and clinical support services. A Cardiac Catheterisation Centre consisting of two new state of the art catheterisation laboratories (currently the only non-teaching hospital to have two such Laboratories in the UK) diagnoses and treats approx. 2500 patients per annum.

The Department of Radiology consists of:
· 5 General X-Ray Rooms, for Plain Film Investigations, plus a ceiling suspended x-ray unit in A&E.
· 2 Special Procedure Rooms for Barium, Fluoroscopy and Oesophageal Video Fluoroscopy investigations.
· 1 Multislice CT Scanner
· 1 Mammography Unit with Digital Sterotactic localisation capabilities.
· 4 Ultrasound Units
· 1 Dental Room
· 1 MR Suite,
· 1 Dedicated Angiographic/Interventional Suite which is housed in the Theatre Complex.
· Full PACS throughout the department and hospital.

The department is served by a team of 8 consultant radiologists. It is now a teaching centre for trainee radiologists and radiographers. Several radiologists are Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturers for the University of Glasgow.

Support facilities include an Education Centre with lecture theatre, library, full internet access, seminar rooms and medical illustration.

CURRICULUM VITAE: DR ROBERT CORBETT

Qualifications: M.B.ChB.,D.M.R.D.,F.R.C.R.,F.S.R.P.,F.R.C.P.(Glasg)

Position: Consultant Diagnostic Radiologist, Hairmyres Hospital, East Kilbride.

Experience: Appointed 1976. Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer, University of Glasgow.

Publications: Over 30 publications including books and chapters, together with a similar number of lectures. Member of Editorial Board, Radiation Protection Dosimetry.

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The institute of Public Health - Bucharest is a research institute, belonging to the Ministry of Health. The institute was inaugurated on 26th February 1927, thanks to the efforts of Professor Dimitrie Mezincescu, a well known hygienist in Romania. The institute now has several research departments: occupational health, public health, food hygiene, environmental hygiene and radiation hygiene. There are in total today 195 staff members, from which 117 are researchers or engineers.

The Radiation Hygiene Laboratory was formed 40 years ago, in 1964, and now has 27 specialists: physicians, physicists, biologists, chemists and technicians, working in medical exposure, occupational exposure (responsible for personal monitoring of all 7,500 radiation workers from the medical field, using film badges), radon indoor and radioactivity control in drinking water and foodstuffs.

In the field of medical exposure, the laboratory has been designed since 1970 as a Secondary Standard Radiation Dosimetry Laboratory (within IAEA/WHO SSDLs Network) and participated in several research programmes, co-ordinated by the International Atomic Agency from Vienna.

CURRICULUM VITAE: CONSTANTIN MILU

Qualifications: MSC. Nuclear Physics, PhD Radiation Dosimetry

Position: Associate Professor in the Faculty of Physics, Bucharest University since 2000, Director of MSc in Medical Physics on 'Diagnostic radiology and radiotherapy'.

Experience: Since 1966, medical physicist to the Institute of Public Health, Bucharest. Since 1073, principal physicist and head of the IAEA/WHO Secondary Standard Radiation Dosimetry Laboratory (SSDL-Bucharest) and since 1987, chief scientific investigator and head of the Radiation Hygiene Laboratory (including SSDL). Qualified Expert on Radiation Protection and Radiation Dosimetry, IAEA Roster since 1987.
WHO fellowship on standard radiation dosimetry in F.R. of Germany, 3 November-15 December 1969. IAEA study tour on Standardization of radiation Dosimetry: Czechoslovakia, 6 May-25 June 1971. WHO training course on secondary standard radiation dosimetry, Germany, 1-30 November 1973. IAEA fellowship on radiation protection, 25 September-22 December 1978. IAEA/ICTP training course on dosimetry and dose reduction techniques in diagnostic radiology, Italy, 16-25 March 1994.

Publications: More than 150 published papers or conference presentations.

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