Doctoral researcher pursues a career in medical physics

Mary Joy Erojo, a Doctoral Researcher in technical physics at the University of Eastern Finland, has made a long and international journey to become a researcher and an expert in medical physics.

Originally from the Philippines, Erojo worked in project management and physics research, specifically in studying machines and their application in research and healthcare. She worked for almost three years as a science research specialist at the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) in the late 2010s. Erojo played a key role in establishing a radiobiological research laboratory at the institute and supported the research group in the investigation and operation of various laboratory equipment for early drug development research.

Then the COVID pandemic struck, and her career plans were turned upside down.

“The COVID pandemic affected our research progress significantly, as some activities were delayed. It was also a personally challenging time for me. I already had a young but promising career in the Philippines, but I had to make a life-changing decision: choosing between continuing that career or starting a new one in Finland. Ultimately, I decided to migrate to Finland to build a life with my Finnish partner. Knowing the challenges of moving abroad, I did not want this decision to hinder my professional growth, and instead, I saw it as an opportunity to further advance my education and skills,” says Erojo.

In Finland, Erojo has been determined to build her future career: she completed a Master's degree in applied physics at the University of Eastern Finland and started studying Finnish in 2021. 

“Learning Finnish is challenging but genuinely rewarding. I can now communicate with family and friends in Finnish. The Finnish language is also a requirement for working in hospitals and some companies. Most of all, Finland is now my home, and I don’t want to be a stranger in my own home, so learning its language is very important.”

Artificial intelligence to improve cardiac imaging

Erojo is doing her doctoral research within the DREAM – Doctoral Education Pilot for Mathematics of Sensing, Imaging, and Modelling. The DREAM pilot is led by the University of Eastern Finland, which has hired 17 doctoral researchers in the fields of inverse problems, computational imaging, modelling, biomedical signal and image analysis, artificial intelligence, control and scientific computing. In total, the DREAM pilot has 100 researchers in seven universities.

Erojo studies cardiac imaging as part of a research collaboration between the Inverse Problems Research Group at the UEF Department of Technical Physics and Kuopio University Hospital.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. It imposes a heavy financial burden on the healthcare resources of Finland and other countries. However, heart disease is generally preventable and treatable through improved diagnostic techniques.

Erojo’s study combines artificial intelligence and a novel 3D SPECT imaging system for the enhancement of cardiac imaging. The objective is to create a digital twin of the machine and realistic models of heart wall motions in a simulation environment to mimic patient imaging scenarios. In the simulation environment, variables such as reduction of radiation dose and imaging time, as well as other factors, can be investigated. The research group is exploring the use of artificial intelligence in improving image quality and noise reduction in SPECT images.

The research will be done in collaboration with the manufacturer of the medical device, Spectrum Dynamics Medical, and the developers of the GATE simulation environment.

Power of the scientific community

For Erojo, it has taken a lot of hard work to advance her career and education. She was awarded a scholarship in the Marie Sklodowska Curie Fellowship Programme (MSCFP) by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for her Master’s studies.

“I applied during the first launching of MSCFP applications, so I was the very first Filipina to be awarded this fellowship. It was meaningful to me because Marie Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and up to this day, she is the only person to ever win two Nobel Prizes in two different fields of science, in physics and chemistry. Last year, I attended the International Women’s Day in the United Nations Headquarters in Vienna, Austria, with over 400 women from over 100 countries in the field of nuclear science. That community has truly empowered me,” Erojo says.

After her Master’s graduation in 2023, Erojo trained for almost a year in the IAEA Dosimetry Laboratory in Austria while planning her doctoral studies. When the Inverse Problems Research Group at UEF received funding for the DREAM Doctoral Education Pilot, Erojo returned to Finland and started her doctoral research.

After finishing her doctoral research, Erojo plans to pursue a medical physicist career in Finland, either in a hospital or the technology industry.

“I want to apply my knowledge and skills towards meaningful work that improves people’s lives. I love what I do, and I want to continue doing it.”