Steve Jackson – consultant clinical scientist
Steve is a consultant clinical scientist and the group leader of the imaging with non-ionising section at The Christie. Steve completed the NHS Scientist Training Programme (STP) with the MR group in 2018, following a BSc (Hons) in maths and physics and an MSc in theoretical physics. He took over leading the group in 2024.
His current work involves leading the MR physics group through an ever-changing landscape and developing MR physics support services within the North West Imaging Networks. Steve has a strong track record teaching MR physics and MR safety, including significant input into the design of the ‘Clinical MRI’ CPD module at the University of Liverpool and the Corsmed MR simulator course in collaboration with the North West Imaging academy. In April 2022, he became an IPEM certified MR Safety Expert (MRSCTM).
Dr Judith Kilgallon – principal clinical scientist
Judith joined The Christie as a trainee clinical scientist having completed her degree in Physics from the University of Leeds and PhD in Experimental Nuclear Structure Physics from The University of Manchester. Judith leads the support of our trainee clinical scientists and is heavily involved with the group’s teaching activities. Her clinical work stretches across much of the group’s regional service.
Dr Michael Dubec – principal clinical scientist
Michael joined the MR group in 2014 after completing a BSc (Hons) in Physics, an MSc in Medical Radiation Physics and an MSc in Clinical Science (Medical Physics) as part of the NHS Scientist Training Programme. Michael completed his PhD entitled ‘Optimising MRI biomarkers of hypoxia for use in advanced radiotherapy’ in March 2025.
In addition to his clinical duties, Michael is heavily involved with research which include developing quantitative MR methods in oncology and for image-guided radiotherapy and was co-author of the IPEM national guidance on MR for radiotherapy treatment planning.
Dr James Harkin – principal clinical scientist
James started working at The Christie in summer 2022. James' interest in MR began during their undergraduate physics degree, after which they undertook a PhD in MRI, focussing on hyperpolarised respiratory MRI. Later, James moved to working in the NHS at University Hospitals Dorset, where they achieved HCPC registration through route 2, as well as IPEM MR Safety Expert Certification. James is also a member of the STERIC, IPEM's strategic council, which oversees scientific, academic, innovation and research activities.
Guy Drabble – principal clinical scientist
Guy originally joined The Christie back in 2014 on the medical physics STP, having completed a degree in physics with particle physics and cosmology. He completed his training in 2017, specialising in radiotherapy and gaining his MSc in Clinical Science (Medical Physics).
Guy briefly left The Christie in 2019 to work in the education sector. Working at The University of Manchester, he helped to run the academic section of the Higher Specialist Scientist Training (HSST) programme. Guy has used this experience to develop the Corsmed MR Simulator course in collaboration with the North West Imaging Academy.
Rachael Franklin – principal clinical scientist
Rachael joined the group in 2023 from Guy’s and St Thomas’ in South London where she completed the Scientist Training Program (STP) between 2019-2022. Whilst there, she also supported the fetal cardiac MRI service, led computing support to the team, and supported rotational STP training. Prior to her training in medical physics, she worked at Metaswitch, testing networking and automation software.
Rachael will be providing clinical support to a number of sites across the North West region.
Dr David Buckley – honorary MR physicist
David joined the group in July 2020. He is seconded to the group part-time from his job at the University of Leeds as a Professor of Medical Physics specialising in MRI. David’s role at The Christie is to support research studies on the MR simulator in the proton beam therapy centre and the MR-Linac.
David has a wealth of experience in MRI research, having obtained his PhD in MRI back in the previous century. Between 1999 and 2008, he worked for The University of Manchester where he was involved in several studies at The Christie and acted as a PhD supervisor.
Chris Moore – clinical scientist
Chris completed an undergraduate physics degree at The University of Manchester. After a brief time as a software engineer, he successfully applied for the Scientist Training Programme (STP) in medical physics. He completed the programme in September 2021 and has taken on a clinical role in the MR group.
Chris splits his time between regional physics support and providing research support to the Radiotherapy Related Research group, with research interests including image registration, quantitative MR imaging biomarkers and longitudinal quantitative quality assurance of DWI images.
Dr Damien McHugh – MR physicist
Damien joined the MR group in January 2021. He is currently working towards acquiring his HCPC registration, having completed a PhD at The University of Manchester. His research was mainly focused on diffusion-weighted imaging and his PhD thesis was entitled ’The effect of tumour microstructure on diffusion-weighted MRI measurements'.
Damien has a 50/50 split role within the group, dedicating half of his time to providing clinical MR support to our regional sites and utilising his strong academic background for the other half by supporting radiotherapy-related MR research at The Christie.
Asher Ezekiel – clinical scientist
Asher joined the MR group through the Scientist Training Program (STP) and completed his training in 2023. He has since taken on a clinical role providing physics support to sites across the North West and supporting the MR for radiotherapy services at The Christie and Salford. Before joining the STP, Asher completed his undergraduate degree in Physics at the University of Birmingham. He then moved to London to join a publishing company where he worked for a leading online science journal and completed an MSc in Astrophysics at Queen Mary, University of London.
Dr Hanna Hanson – MR physicist
Hanna joined the group in July 2023 and is working towards HCPC registration through route 2. Prior to this she undertook a PhD in the University of Manchester Radiotherapy Related Research group. Her research focused on respiratory motion management on the MR-Linac and she has recently submitted her thesis entitled ‘Methods for fast and accurate MR-guided lung radiotherapy’. Her role in the MR physics group is split between providing clinical MR support and conducting MR research at The Christie.
Dr Sam Curley – clinical scientist
Sam started at The Christie in 2021 and completed the Scientist Training Programme (STP) in 2024. He has since taken up a clinical role within the group, where his responsibilities include providing site-specific MR safety support, delivering physics teaching, and working on clinical MR pulse-sequence optimisation across various sites in the North West of England.
Before joining The Christie, Sam completed a physics PhD at the University of Warwick, focusing on the study of low-dimensional magnetic materials under extreme conditions, such as low temperatures, high magnetic fields, and high pressures.
Peter Latimer – trainee clinical scientist
Peter joined the MR group through the medical physics STP and is in the specialist part of his training. In 2020, he received his MPhys (Hons) in Theoretical Physics at the University of Manchester and went on to complete a Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PDGE) while working as a science teacher at a local secondary school.
Joe Bradley - trainee clinical scientist
Joe joined the MR group as part of the Scientist Training Programme (STP) specialising in Imaging with non-ionising Radiation and is in the specialist stage of his training. Joe has a BSc (Hons) in Theoretical Physics from the University of Hull, where he undertook a year-long placement at the Science and Technology Facilities Council researching Tomographic Imaging using Neutron beams.
Joe went on to complete a MRes in Medical Imaging at Nottingham Trent University, focusing on Oxygen Enhanced MRI at Queen's Medical Centre. Joe since spent a year at the Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre working on CEST-MRI at 7T, before joining the STP at The Christie.
The Christie Charity
