TRIUMF would like to introduce our lab’s new Radiation Safety Officer (RSO), Roxana Ralea.
Roxana draws on experience and skills gained in over 15 years of dedicated service in radiation safety and management of radioactive materials, including many years at TRIUMF.
Roxana began her journey at TRIUMF in 2007, initially serving as an Accelerator Operator before transitioning to the role of Health Physics Lab Manager within the Radiation Protection Group.
During her tenure at TRIUMF, Roxana played a pivotal role in designing, implementing, and monitoring radiation protection programs, waste management protocols, and environmental protection initiatives. She was deeply involved in ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and fostering a culture of safety among staff and stakeholders.
Roxana's academic background in Physics and Environmental Protection, coupled with a Master's degree earned in Romania, have provided a strong foundation for her career in radiation safety. Additionally, she has continuously pursued professional development opportunities, including a graduate course in Accelerator Physics from the University of Victoria and a recent designation from the Canadian Radiation Protection Association.
In her most recent role as the Regional Radiation Safety Officer for Nuclear Medicine at Vancouver Coastal Health, Roxana led the Nuclear Medicine Radiation Safety Program across thirteen hospitals in the Lower Mainland. Her responsibilities encompassed promoting a culture of radiation safety, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards, and providing leadership and guidance to site Radiation Safety Officers.
Roxana brings the requisite leadership and expertise in both occupational and radiological safety to the Radiation Safety Officer role. She will work to further strengthen and expand TRIUMF’s safety culture to enable us to continue delivering science safely and efficiently, while also helping to ensure that our values of safety and accountability are embedded in everything we do.
We caught up with Roxana to ask her a few quick questions to re-introduce her to the lab:
Why TRIUMF? What interested you about the lab?
During my previous tenure at TRIUMF, I was drawn to the lab's dynamic environment and its position at the forefront of scientific research. What particularly interested me was the collaborative atmosphere, where individuals from diverse backgrounds converge to push the boundaries of knowledge. One aspect that truly fascinated me was the intricate coordination required for every experiment. Hundreds of devices must work seamlessly together to deliver the right beam, emphasizing the critical importance of each component. This analogy resonates deeply with my approach to safety – just as every device plays a crucial role in delivering scientific advancements, every individual contributes to maintaining high safety standards.
What are you most looking forward to about working at TRIUMF?
I am eager to leverage my expertise in radiation safety and management to contribute to TRIUMF's pioneering work in science and isotope production. Collaborating with a team of brilliant minds to ensure the safety of staff, the public, and the environment while advancing scientific discovery is a prospect that truly excites me. I look forward to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, and to being an integral part of TRIUMF's continued success.
What’s a fun fact about yourself that you’d like to share with the TRIUMF community?
Before my departure from TRIUMF in 2018, I found myself in an unexpected situation - stuck in the elevator! As I waited for rescue, I couldn't help but chuckle at the thought that perhaps TRIUMF didn't want to let me go just yet. It was a quirky reminder of the vibrant energy and friendship that floods the lab's halls. In retrospection, I like to think of it as TRIUMF playfully hinting that my journey with them wasn't quite finished.