Born in Victoria, Quinn Matthews has spent his entire academic career at the University of Victoria, starting with an entrance scholarship for his undergraduate studies in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

For his graduate studies, Quinn was excited to enter the field of medical physics and eager to participate in Dr. Andrew Jirasek’s proposed research for improving the practice of treating cancer with radiation therapy.

Quinn also knew the UVic medical physics graduate program and the proposed research project would provide him with a diverse range of skills and experiences that would prepare him well for interdisciplinary research in medical physics and cancer therapy.

Interdisciplinary collaborations

When asked what stands out for him about his UVic experience so far, Quinn replied, “I am very fortunate to have been able to draw on the expertise, experience, and resources of a variety of researchers from multiple UVic departments (i.e., Physics, Chemistry, Biochemistry and Microbiology) and UVic-affiliated institutions (in particular the BC Cancer Agency [BCCA] and the Deeley Research Centre [DRC] at BCCA – Vancouver Island Centre [BCCA-VIC]). There have been no barriers or limitations for interdisciplinary collaborations and access to specialized equipment and resources, which has been a vital component of the success of my graduate studies.”

Working with professional researchers

As a graduate student, Quinn has had the opportunity to work with professional researchers in a variety of disciplines related to cancer therapy and has presented his research at several national and international conferences. He’s developed academic writing and communication skills through publishing papers, preparing his theses, and presenting his research at both conferences and research group meetings. As well, Quinn has acquired teaching experience working as a teaching assistant in the Physics and Astronomy department, instructing both laboratory and tutorial sessions and teaching with the Physics Aid Service.

Quinn encourages everybody on campus to reach out and make connections with the wealth of experience and expertise here, both inside and outside of your department of study.

Funding

Throughout his studies at UVic, Quinn has received many academic/research awards and scholarships. He was recently awarded a post-doctoral fellowship award from the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research.

Find out more about physics and astronomy at UVic.