Chithra Sathiakumar has over 15 years of experience as a Senior Medical Physicist and Radiation Safety Officer in Australia. She holds graduate degrees in medical physics, education, and physics. Her professional experience includes performing quality control and maintenance for PET/CT and SPECT imaging equipment, developing radiation safety policies and procedures, and providing teaching and research support. She has authored several publications and conference presentations in the areas of nuclear medicine and radiation safety.

1. Curriculum Vitae of
Chithra Sathiakumar
PERSONAL DETAILS
Residential Status: Citizen of Australia
QUALIFICATIONS
Graduate Diploma in Information Technology 2003 University of Technology Sydney, NSW
Graduate Diploma in Education 2003 University of New England, NSW
M.App. Sc. Medical Physics 1997 University of Technology Sydney, NSW
Project: Absorbed dose Measurements in a Fan Beam Bone Mineral densitometer, Lunar EXPERT,
using a LiF:Mg, Cu, P Thermoluminescent Material – (Distinction)
(This thesis has been selected for consideration of the Post graduate Student research award
in Bio-Medical Technology, UTS - 1997)
Graduate Diploma in Physics 1992 University of NewSouthWales, NSW
Project: An Analysis of the effect of changing aperture diameter on the measurements of high-
energy photon penumbra from photographic emulsion
B.Sc. Physics (Distinction) 1985 University of Madras, INDIA
Professional Record
Employer: Liverpool Hospital, Nuclear Medicine Department and PET
Period: May 2006 to present.
Position Held: Senior Medical Physicist / Radiation Safety Officer
(Responsible to Director, Principal Physicist Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET, and
Chief Physicist/Area R.S.O, Cancer therapy centre, Liverpool Hospital)
Period: November 1998 to May 2006
Position Held: Medical Physicist / Radiation Safety Officer
(Responsible to Director, Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET, and Chief
Physicist/Area R.S.O, Cancer therapy centre, Liverpool Hospital)
Summary of duties performed:
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Single Photon Computed
Tomography (SPECT)
1. Perfomance testing of PET/CT, SPECT scanners at the time of installation.
2. For Quality Control of PET/SPECT scanner performance.
 To perform necessary periodic calibration procedures

2. 3. Hardware and Software problem solving
 Troubleshooting for any hardware and software problems
4. Maintenance of the scanner: This includes
 Troubleshooting of minor problems and appropriately arranging for services through service
engineers.
 Site management of service engineers
 Manage all relevant service contracts for the scanner and peripherals.
5. Assist in development, validation, maintenance and documentation of policies, protocols and
procedures relating to PET.
Bone Mineral Densitometry
1. Review of all QC procedures to ensure optimum scan accuracy and reliability.
2. Responsible for data backup / archive procedures.
Radiation Safety
1. Making sure the equipment and the procedures performed comply with the Radiation Safety Act
and the Australian standards of radiation safety.
a. Maintenance of relevant Licensing records
b. Monitoring of staff radiation doses,
c. Providing relevant advice on radiation safety issues
d. Reporting to the appropriate bodies in the event of radiation accidents
e. Calibration of radiation apparatus
2. Provide radiation safety precautions to hospital management, staff, members of public, patients
on hazards and radiation protection.
3. Radiation monitoring - staff, patient and area monitoring.
4. Handling radiation accidents/incidents and reporting to respective authorities
5. Maintain relevant records as per EPA requirements (registration, calibration etc..).
Research /Scientific Support
1. Providing assistance (statistical/experimental) for research projects to help ensure scientific
rigour in work carried out in the department.
2. Under taken various Research programs in the area of PET/SPECT
3. Undertake qualitative and quantitative research work of clinical nature

3. Teaching
1. Nuclear Medicine Medical physics training for post graduate registrars (Radiation Oncology)
in Medical physics.
2. PET/CT course (approved by HURSOG) for Nuclear Medicine technologists.
Administrative
1. Preparation and Evaluation of documentation of new equipment.
2. Clinical statistics such as monthly reports of patient's scans and KPI to report to the Department
of Health
3. Workload statistics for ANZSNM accreditation reports
4. Technical support for administrative and reporting computer systems.
5. Overseeing service contracts and maintenance of department equipment.
6. Developed Web-page for the department
Employer: St Vincent's Hospital, Nuclear Medicine Department
Period: September l995 to November 1998
Position Held: Scientific Officer/ Medical Physicist
(Responsible to Director and Senior Physicist Department of Nuclear Medicine and Bone
Mineral Densitometry, St.Vincents Hospital)
Duties included:
SPECT Gamma Cameras
1. Over seeing and performance of all QC procedures to ensure optimum patient images.
2. Over seeing and where appropriate carrying out repair of camera faults (ie notified any camera
problems)
3. Programming for analysis of SPECT images.
Bone Mineral Densitometry
1. Review of all QC procedures to ensure optimum scan accuracy and reliability.
2. Responsible for data backup / archive procedures.

4. 3. Collating all necessary data for research in Bone Mineral Densitometry.
Radiation Safety
Assisting the senior physicist in all Radiation Safety Matters.
Employer: Department of Radiation Oncology
Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick
(Responsible to Chief Physicist Department of Medical Physics, Radiation Oncology, Prince
of Wales Hospital, Randwick)
Period: February 1992 - May 1992
Position: Scientific Officer/Medical Physicist (Part time – 28 hours/week)
Duties included:
 Calibration and maintenance of Linear Accelerators
 Assisting in Thermoluminescence dosimetry on patient
 Providing assistance for research projects for data collection and statistics.
Employer: Department of Physics, University of Newcastle
Period: Feb 1987 – May 1990
Employer: Department of Applied Physics, University of Technology
Period: Feb 1992 – May 1993
Position: Lab Demonstrator
Duties included: Assisting undergraduate students in their physics laboratory, which included
tutoring and reviewing the physics reports.
Publications
1. Young T, Som S, Sathiakumar C, Holloway L. An investigation into positron emission tomography
contouring methods across two treatment planning systems, Medical Dosimetry 2012.
2. Sathiakumar C, Som S, Eberl S, Lin P. NEMA NU 2-2001 performance testing of a Philips Gemini
GXL PET/CT scanner. Australas Phys Eng Sci Med 2010;33:199-209.
3. Tuan V. Nguyen; John Chu; Chithra Sathiakumar; Nicholas A. Pocock Reproducibility and
Concordance in Quantitative Ultrasound Measurements Between Densitometers: A Comparative
Study. Journal of Clinical Densitometry, December 2003, vol. 6, iss. 4, pp. 337-344(8)

5. 4. L.Duggan, C.Sathiakumar, 1.1 Warren Forward, M.Symonds, PmcConell, T.Smith, T.Kron "
Suitability of LiF:Mg,Cu,P for low dose measurements in medical imaging", Radiation Protection
Dosimetry 85:425-428 (1999)
Conference Presentations
1. C.Sathiakumar, “Radiation Safety: Vascular Focus Management of Aortic Diseases” Inaugural
of Vascular focus Conference, Sydney Australia, 27th August 2013.
2. Ho Shon I, Kumar D, Sathiakumar S, Som S, Berghofer P, Van K, Park D, Chicco A,
Dyszlewski M, Hogg PJ. Comparison of a novel Hsp90 ligand radiolabelled with Indium-111 and
Gallium-67 for imaging of cell death and dosimetry estimations. European Association of
Nuclear Medicine, Italy 2012.
3. Ho Shon I, Kumar D, Berghofer P, Som S, Chicco A, Sathiakumar C, Van K, Park D,
Dyszlewski M, Hogg PJ. Biodistribution of a novel Hsp-90 ligand labelled with two different
isotopes (In-111 and Ga-67) for imaging of cell death. ANZSNM, Melbourne 2012 (GMS Poster
Award).
4. Ho Shon I, Kumar D, Som S, Chicco A, Sathiakumar C, Van K, Park D, Dyszlewski M, Hogg
PJ. Imaging of cell death with a novel Hsp-90 ligand: initial experience and comparison with
bioluminescence imaging. ANZSNM, Melbourne 2012.
5. C. Sathiakumar, S. Som, A. Chicco. Quantitative analysis of outside field of view PET images.
40th
ASM ANZSNM, 2010.
6. HoShon I, Som S, Sam S, Sathiakumar C “Nuclear Medicine for Radiation Oncology”,
Integrating Functional Imaging and Therapy - where do you fit in the puzzle?, Sydney Australia,
27th February 2010.
7. Sathiakumar C, Som S, Rivet M, Lin P. PET Technologist Radiation Exposure. 39th
ASM
ANZSNM, 2009.

6. 8. C. Sathiakumar, I. Hoshon, S.Sam, P.Lin, Variability in the measurement of standard uptake
values (SUV's)-Impact of the file compression /medium of storage, Submitted for Annual
Scientific Meeting Proceedings 2006, ANZ Society of Nuclear Medicine.
9. C.Sathiakumar, I.Ho Shon, A.Lloyd, P.Lin, J.Chu Influence of Gallium -67 singles on Flourine-
18 Coincidence Imaging - A Phantom Study, Annual Scientific Meeting Proceedings 2004, ANZ
Society of Nuclear Medicine.( AMERSHAM award)
10. K.Graney, P.Clin, J.Chu, C.Sathiakumar, T.Nguyen Nuclear Medicine on the Net, Annual
Scientific Meeting Proceedings 2001, ANZ Society of Nuclear Medicine.
11. C.Sathiakumar, K.Graney, H.Kiat, P.Lin, J.Chu comparison between Automated Analysis of
Ejection Fraction “QGS” – Picker and “ AUTOQUANT” ADAC. Annual Scientific Meeting
Proceedings 2000, ANZ Society of Nuclear Medicine.
12. C.Sathiakumar, G.Gilbert, H.Kiat, P.Lin, N.Pocock, J.Chu Cardiac SPECT – circular or
Elliptical? Preliminary Evaluation in a Phantom study. Annual Scientific Meeting Proceedings
2000, ANZ Society of Nuclear Medicine.
13. T.Quach, J.M.Chu, P.Lin, C.Sathiakumar "The Effects of single photon emission from a
Gallium-67 on positron detection with a coincidence dual-head gamma camera", Society of
nuclear medicine, 46 Th Annual Meeting.
14. P.Lin, J.Holdsworth, H.Kiat, C.Sathiakumar, T.Cotterill, M. Ring, L.McCarthy, J.Chu " Early
Tc-Seistamibi SPECT acquisition for rest and pharmacologic stress studies: A feasibility study"
30th
Annual Scientific Meeting Proceedings 98, ANZ Society of Nuclear Medicine.
15. Guerlain Gilbert, John Chu, Chithra Sathikumar, Nicholas Pocock " Correlation studies of
imaging and Non -imaging ultrasound densitometers Bone & Mineral Society, 9t' Annual
scientific Meeting, July 1999.
16. Guerlain Gilbert, John Chu, Chithra Sathikumar, Nicholas Pocock "Precision studies of imaging
and Non-imaging Ultrasound Densitometers "Australian and New Zealand, Bone & Mineral
Society" Annual scientific Meeting, July 1999

7. 17. C.Sathiakumar, M.Griffiths, T.Kron, L.Duggan, P.Cross, L.Holley, N.Pocock, J.Freund
"Whole body effective dose measurements in a Fan beam Bone Mineral densitometer, Lunar
EXPERT" 29 T'h Annual Scientific Meeting Proceedings 98, ANZ Society of Nuclear Medicine.
18. M. Griffiths, C.Sathiakumar, K.Coles, J.Freund "Modifications of an existing gamma to allow
imaging of 511 KeV photons" 29 Th Annual Scientific Meeting Proceedings 989 ANZ Society of
Nuclear Medicine
19. C.Sathiakumar, M.Griffiths, T.Kron, L.Duggan, P.Cross, L.Holley, N.Pocock, J.Freund
"Absorbed dose measurements in a Fan Beam Bone Mineral densitometer Lunar EXPERT,
using a LiF:Mg,Cu,P Thermoluminescent Material" Proceedings of PERM-IT p. 14C-7
September 97
Unpublished internal Reports
1. Shielding Shielding of PET/CT scanner room & uptake room
2. Performance testing of GXL PET/CT Scanners
3. Performance testing of Skylight Gamma Camera
4. Review of all existing quality control procedures and the design of a new protocol to match
with the ANZSNM standards.
5. Pregnant nursing staff duties in Nuclear Medicine (draft form - for internal/departmental
purposes only)
6. Procedures for staff working with patients who have undergone radioactive diagnostic tests
3 Professional Bodies
Member - Australasian College of Physical Scientists and Engineers in Medicine.
Member - Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine
Member - Australian Radiation Protection Society
Member - Hospital and University Radiation Officers group
References
Referee 1:
Dr. Seu Som, Principal Physicist
Department of Nuclear Medicine
Level 1, Clinical Building, Liverpool Hospital, Elizabeth Street, Liverpool

8. Telephone: 02 - 98283506
Fax:02- 98283529
Email: Seu.Som@swsahs.nsw.gov.au
Referee 2:
Ms. Jocelyn Towson, Principal Physicist/Radiation Safety Officer
Department of PET and Nuclear Medicine.
Missenden Road
Camperdown NSW 2050
Telephone - 02 - 95156023
Email: jtowson@nucmed.rpa.cs.nsw.gov.au.