Mary Coffey

Ireland

Biography

Adjunct Associate Professor attached to the Department of Radiation Therapy, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. I established the School of Radiation Therapy at St. Luke's Hospital in 1982 and led the discussions that culminated in the integration of the School into the University involving development of the academic and clinical curriculum and ensuring that current trends in radiotherapy were adequately reflected in the degree programme. I established the first European Committee for radiation therapists within the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) and co-founder of the radiation therapy committee within the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ESTRO) and am currently chair of the ESTRO Radiation Oncology Safety and Quality Committee. I was a member of the first council of the Irish Institute of Radiography and Radiation Therapy (IIRRT) and held both Secretary and President positions. I have worked extensively with the ESTRO and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to improve the standard of education of radiation therapists and the quality of treatment delivered to cancer patients. I was a member of the Irish Department of Health and Children's working party which developed the national plan for radiation oncology in Ireland. In 2006 I received the Gunilla Bental award for service to Radiotherapy awarded by the Indian Association of Radiation Therapists, in 2007 the first Fellowship in Radiation Therapy of the Irish Institute of Radiography and Radiation Therapy. In 2009 I was awarded the ESTRO Emmanuel van der Schueren award, In 2013 I received the ESTRO Honorary Physicist award and in 2016 the ESTRO Lifetime Achievement award for my contribution to radiotherapy.