Employee profiles
Lucy
Radiochemist, Ecosystem Interactions and Chemistry and Environmental Research, Lowestoft
I manage all aspects of the work of a radiochemical laboratory. This includes sample management, radiochemical separation of transuranic isotopes, using counting systems such as liquid scintillation and alpha solid state and the calculation of resultant data. I was attracted to work at Cefas because I had an interest in environmental issues and a degree in Environmental Science. Part of my role is to protect the public from aquatic contaminants and this interested me, too.
A typical day for me is usually spent in the laboratory analysing samples with the use of various radioanalytical techniques such as chemical separations and electroplating. I also spend some of my time on sample management duties which includes booking in samples, calculating and reporting results. One of the highlights of my career is going out with the Emergency Monitoring Team on fieldwork exercises. It’s good to get out of the laboratory sometimes and do something different.
There are plenty of cultural activities here like the bowling competition, sports day, the gardening club, cycle users' group, quiz nights and the Lab Christmas disco. These provide an opportunity for different people to meet and share their interests. Another aspect I like about working for Cefas is the opportunity for career progression, or moving into different areas of work and further training. The family–friendly policies are a great benefit, too, as these enable me to commit to a professional career while being a full-time parent. It’s great that I can attend various school activities such as sports days or plays.
My career has developed in several areas since being at Cefas. I’ve had extensive analytical training and have gradually been given more management responsibility. I’ve also been able to attend various courses for further training, and have recently been awarded money from the training budget to do an online course run by the RSC (The Royal Society of Chemistry) later this year.