International Women's Day Spotlight: Lois Holloway

ACPSEM is thrilled to celebrate the important work and inspiring innovations of women in science this International Women's Day (Saturday 8 March).

We spoke to Lois Holloway (Principal Medical physicist, Radiation Oncology, South Western Sydney Local Health District; Conjoint Professor School of Medicine, University of New South Wales and The Ingham Institute) about her inspiring career in medical physics, the challenges she has faced, and her passion for mentoring and collaborating within the health and medical research community.

What inspired you to pursue a career in your specific field, and what challenges did you face along the way?

I always loved maths, science and problem solving but also wanted to find a career path where I could clearly see how my work was helping other people. Medical physics was something I came across in a book of university courses in my last year of high school and it’s been history since then.

The challenges I faced are in line with those of many other women and many others in the health and medical research space ( short term academic roles, taking maternity leave gaps and working part time, juggling some illness challenges for me and my family) but mostly I have felt incredibly supported throughout my career, very grateful for the support from so many individuals and the opportunities I’ve had.

What motivates you in your leadership role with ACPSEM to collaborate with, and/or serve, our members?

The same things that motivated me when I started in this career - that is to ensure that as a community we can provide the highest quality science to support our patients and our health service. I’m also really passionate about training, mentoring and supporting others in our profession so that we can all work effectively together and with other professional groups.

Can you share a particular project or achievement that you are most proud of, and what impact it had on your career and/or your field?

One of the projects I’m most grateful to have the opportunity to be involved with is our Australian Cancer Data Network. Our Australian Cancer Data Network is a collaborative network across Australia and with some international partners. The network uses federated machine learning and allows us to learn from data across different institutions developing results from the entire network of data but without the raw data leaving the local institutions. This provides us with a broad diverse dataset so we can provide additional clinical evidence for our patients and clinicians, while ensuring data privacy.

This is particularly important in situations where limitations of what’s possible with clinical trials mean that evidence on the most appropriate treatment decision is not always clear. This work, as well as many other projects has had a big impact on my career as it’s provided me with the opportunity work with a broad range of professionals across many different institutions. I also hope this network will have a big impact on our field providing a pathway for us to work together as a community to answer questions that were almost impossible to address when I did my PhD 25 years ago.

What excites you most about the evolution of your field and the advancements being made by women in this space?

I’m most excited about the opportunity that novel imaging and data analysis approaches (e.g. artificial intelligence) provide for really personalising treatments and improving patient outcomes and experiences. Advances being made by women ensure that we have diverse approaches to how we address problems and implement our research.

How do you balance the demands of your professional career with personal life, and what strategies have you found most effective?

One day - or at least, one period of life! - at a time. This is something that changes depending on what is going on in my professional life and my personal life. Don’t be afraid by change, also never be afraid of speaking up when things are challenging and you need support. I’ve had some very key advice and support at particular points in my journey often after I was worried about if it was acceptable to raise such issues. If you don’t get the support you need at first, find someone else to talk to.

What role do mentorship and networking play in your career, and how have they influenced your professional journey?

They have played a very big role in my career. I am so grateful to my mentors, they have gone above and beyond to support and guide me. Similarly networking has provided significant support and opportunities for me and I hope I have also contributed to the opportunities for others, it’s a great community.

How do you stay updated with the latest advancements and research in your field, and what resources or strategies do you find most valuable?

I enjoy learning from journal articles, conferences and other collaborative meetings. When I find an area that I want to learn more about I’ll read up and then discuss ideas with others who also have an interest. I will often also find someone who is an expert in that space to talk to.

What advice would you give to young women who are considering a career in your field?

Do it! This is a fantastic area to be working in, lots of interesting maths and science challenges, a great community to work with, and a pathway to seeing the impact of your work in the clinic.