Chadia Rizk learned the importance of radiation in medicine in her 20s when her father was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer that affects the immune system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The IAEA profiles women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) to provide insight into career paths and to inspire and encourage readers, particularly women, to pursue careers in STEM. Read more profiles of <\/em>IAEA women in STEM<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Chadia Rizk learned the importance of radiation in medicine in her 20s when her father was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer that affects the immune system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As he underwent several radiotherapy sessions and nearly 30 positron emission tomography\u2013computed tomography (PET\u2013CT) scans, Rizk witnessed the central role of radiation in his diagnosis and treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n At the same time, she grew increasingly aware of the potential risks of repeated radiation exposure and recognized a critical gap in guidance on radiation protection of patients \u2014 one that would go on to shape her career. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Rizk\u2019s concern deepened when her daughter was born with Rett syndrome, a genetic neurological disorder that primarily affects brain development, which later manifested as severe scoliosis and necessitated regular radiographs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere were no specialists to explain the risks or optimize these examinations from a radiation protection standpoint,\u201d Rizk recalls. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Balancing her father\u2019s treatments with her daughter\u2019s medical needs instilled in Rizk a strong desire to understand and strengthen radiation protection and safety of patients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Rizk\u2019s journey in radiation protection and dosimetry started in 2005 when, after completing her master\u2019s degree in Material Science and Electronic Components in 2004, she was offered the job of Technical Manager at the Individual Monitoring Laboratory at the Lebanese Atomic Energy Commission. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There she oversaw the safe occupational radiation exposure<\/a> of more than 6000 workers across over 400 healthcare facilities, industrial companies and research centres. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt is important to know what dosimetry is and its importance,\u201d Rizk says, explaining that \u201cit is the measurement and calculation of the radiation dose absorbed by the human body or other devices or objects. It is crucial in fields like radiology, nuclear medicine and radiation therapy to ensure safe and effective use of radiation.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n She also achieved ISO accreditation<\/a> for the Lebanese laboratory \u2014 the first of its kind in the Middle East \u2014 setting a new benchmark of standards and quality for radiation protection of occupationally exposed workers in the region. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cChadia\u2019s efforts have made a lasting impact, consistently raising standards and enhancing practices in the field,\u201d said Director General of the Lebanese Atomic Energy Commission, Bilal Nsouli, and Rizk\u2019s former professor during her Master\u2019s degree. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2007, her collaboration with the IAEA began, initially as a fellow and later as a counterpart in four projects under the technical cooperation programme<\/a>. Rizk worked with the IAEA on individual monitoring and regulatory compliance to improve occupational radiation protection in Lebanon in line with the IAEA International Basic Safety Standards<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDespite limited resources, she remained steadfast in her commitment to providing dosimetry services according to international standards and her passion for radiation protection research has always stood out,\u201d reflects Filip Vanhavere, Radiation Protection Research Coordinator at the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre who worked with Rizk on an IAEA mission<\/a> to the Lebanese laboratory. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As Rizk\u2019s expertise expanded, so did her influence. In the years that followed, she broadened her focus beyond occupational radiation protection to tackle a growing interest \u2014 radiation protection of patients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2016, she pursued a PhD in radiation protection and medical physics at Saint Joseph University in Beirut, Lebanon while continuing her work at the laboratory. Her aim was to continually optimize medical exposure and minimize unnecessary and accidental exposure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This meant establishing reference levels in diagnostic and interventional radiology, as well as in diagnostic nuclear medicine. She also gave on-site training for health professionals on patient dose management, optimization of imaging protocols, assessment of image quality, and the implementation of a quality assurance programme, including the management of accidental exposures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Around this time, the IAEA approached Rizk again, this time to deliver training through expert missions designed to support countries in the region to build capacity in occupational radiation protection and radiation protection of patients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Juggling her studies and professional duties, she also had to give special care to her daughter. This often meant working and managing multiple responsibilities for up to 16 hours a day, seven days a week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt requires perseverance and adaptability, but every challenge presents an opportunity to grow, learn, and make a positive impact both professionally and personally,\u201d said Rizk. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Rizk has since been recruited by the IAEA to work full time in the Radiation, Transport and Waste Safety Division as a Radiation Protection Specialist. In this role, she develops safety reports<\/a> that provide guidance for radiation protection of patients, creates training materials<\/a> to build capacity among medical professionals, designs e-learning courses<\/a> that offer flexible and effective learning opportunities for an international audience and delivers webinars<\/a> on radiation protection topics related to the medical uses of ionizing radiation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She is also still actively involved in IAEA\u2019s technical cooperation projects aimed at improving radiation protection of patients\u2019 capabilities in countries, particularly in Africa, where access to cancer care is most needed. She provides technical assistance and capacity building programmes to help countries strengthen their regulatory frameworks, minimize accidental exposures and improve safety culture in healthcare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She says she is \u201chonoured to contribute to the transformative impact on radiation protection.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her message to young women entering the field? \u201cNever be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. Dream boldly and pursue those dreams fearlessly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The IAEA is committed to gender equality and supporting the ability of all individuals, regardless of gender, to equally contribute to and benefit from its programmes and activities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, in 2020, the IAEA launched the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme (MSCFP)<\/a>\u202fto support the next generation of women nuclear professionals by offering scholarships for master\u2019s degree in nuclear-related fields. A new IAEA initiative launched in March 2023, the\u202fLise Meitner Programme<\/a>, offers early- and mid-career women multiweek training visits to nuclear facilities. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":321,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":""},"class_list":["post-320","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/di3ayah.com\/LAEC\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/320","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/di3ayah.com\/LAEC\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/di3ayah.com\/LAEC\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/di3ayah.com\/LAEC\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/321"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/di3ayah.com\/LAEC\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=320"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Setting new benchmarks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Shifting focus to patients<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The IAEA\u2019s commitment to gender equality<\/h2>\n\n\n\n