Claire Papas – Health Physicist

A different kind of physicist focuses on human health within the lab

Jefferson Lab is renowned for the work of its nuclear and accelerator physicists, as well as the more than 1,900 nuclear physicists who conduct their research there. Yet, it was an entirely different and “niche” field of physics that attracted Claire Papas to the lab.

“I’m a health physicist, which is similar to a radiological engineering-type position for the lab,” Papas explains.

Papas is one of two health physicists in the 18-person Radiation Control (RadCon) Department, which provides education, training, testing, controls and general radiation-related support throughout the lab.

“In RadCon, we help all the other groups in the lab by making sure that they are properly protected from any radiation that they may be potentially exposed to,” Papas says. “We do very specific calculations for shielding, dosages and airborne radiation to assess impacts on individuals. In that way, our department is focused on using science to protect the people who work here. My go-to job statement is that I make sure nobody gets too much radiation.”

As far as the opportunities for health physicists goes, Papas admits, it’s pretty niche.

“The field is small. A ‘health physicist’ is a different category than ‘physicist,’ so I’m not a theoretical or experimental physicist like many of the scientists here at the lab,” she adds. “Health physics is more about the study of how radiation affects the human body in addition to how it interacts with matter around it. By understanding it, we can create effective shields for it.”

Ensuring radiation safety

Papas explains that at the lab, prompt radiation is produced only when the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) is running. CEBAF is a DOE Office of Science user facility that supports the research of nuclear physicists worldwide.

“The main source of radiation is CEBAF’s electron beam itself, so the prompt radiation only occurs when the beam is on,” she explains. “Materials inside of the CEBAF tunnel that are in the path of the CEBAF beam may become radioactive, including components like bolts and screws. We call this residual radiation.

“When we turn off the beam, the active source of radiation doesn’t exist anymore, so the prompt radiation is gone. What is left behind is radiation that the team can monitor with a Geiger counter and other tools as the radiation decays to safe levels.”

After the beam has completed its run and is powered off, Papas and her team sweep the facility in search of lingering radiation.

“Before anyone enters the halls after CEBAF has been running, our team surveys the entire building for remnants of radiation,” Papas says. “Our team is the first in to make sure radiation levels are safe.”

Papas also notes that anyone working near an area with potential radiation must wear a dosimeter – a device that records radiation exposure – to track their exposure.

“Radiation levels that you’re going to be encountering at the lab are safe,” Papas says. “You cannot be exposed to deadly levels of radiation here—we will make sure of that. When the beam is running, no one is allowed in the beam enclosure. We use instruments within the facility to monitor what’s going on and our technicians can respond, if needed, based on detector readings.”

Demonstrating trust in complex calculations

Papas relies upon complicated calculations to assess safety—a challenge that, she says, drew her to the field as a student.

“Some maths are harder than others, and I love the complex math that comes along with radiological engineering,” Papas says. “When I was choosing a career path in engineering, I thought the calculations were a lot more interesting and the different details about it were more fun than with other types of physics and engineering.”

In addition to performing calculations, Papas also writes and continually updates the team’s technical documents, analyzes radiation-related problems and gets hands-on with lab work.

“For example, if we need to determine radiation activity levels, I will be one of the people on our team to analyze samples against regulatory requirements and make necessary recommendations,” she explains.

Papas’ path to the lab

Papas feels lucky to have grown up with an industrial engineer father who loved his job and occasionally took Papas along with him to work.

“My dad was an engineer, and he inspired me to get into that type of field,” she says. “I’ve always really enjoyed math, and I know my dad really enjoyed his work.”

In high school, Papas decided to study engineering in college.

“I was on the fence between aerospace and nuclear and I decided on nuclear,” she says.

She went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering with a concentration in radiological engineering from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.

After graduating, Papas worked as a nuclear engineer at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard before moving to their radiation control department. After two years at the shipyard, she went on to spend nearly eight years working as a health physicist at American Electric Power in Michigan.

“There aren’t many jobs in health physics, and a friend of mine sent me a job posting for a health physicist where she worked,” Papas says. “I really wanted to end up doing health physics and here was this opportunity to do it, so I moved to Michigan with my husband and worked there. I loved that job.”

When Papas and her husband had their second child, they decided to move back to the Newport News area to be closer to family. Papas was thrilled when a health physicist position at the lab became available in 2022.

Now entering her second year in the role, Papas is focused on continuing to grow by enrolling in a health physics graduate program through Oregon State University. Over the next few years, Papas will take one, three-credit course at a time until she has earned her master’s degree.

“This graduate program will expand my knowledge of health physics and make me better at my job,” she says. “Between my work at the lab, this program, and raising my two young kids with my husband, I’m going to be very busy. I’m looking forward to continuing to grow in this field.”

More than anything, Papas says, she enjoys that her work has a direct positive impact on the health and safety of her team.

“I thought the ‘people’ aspect of health physics was appealing,” she says. “I like doing these complex calculations knowing they will keep our team safe.”

Further Reading
Jefferson Lab Radiation Control Department
United Statements Environmental Protection Agency: Radiation Basics

By Carrie Rogers