Staff Profile – Meet mild-mannered history enthusiast, David Joyce

David Joyce
Senior Applications Scientist

Senior Applications Scientist, David Joyce, is leading the groundbreaking project to bring IBEX Trueview to the mammography market… which is certainly no small task! David has extensive experience in his field, so I knew he’d have some really interesting things to say for his staff profile.

A quick summary of what you do at IBEX?
I lead the company’s efforts to extend the IBEX Trueview technology into Mammography. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. Screening mammograms help clinicians identify cancers early enough to enable effective treatment before the cancer spreads. Trueview has the enormous potential to improve image quality, reduce patient dose, and provide additional information to clinicians so they can be more confident in their early diagnoses.

Day to day my job covers everything from working with radiologists and mammography equipment vendors to define product requirements through to running experiments and developing algorithms alongside the rest of the IBEX team.

How did you find yourself at IBEX?
I have been aware of IBEX since the very start, having worked with Gary Gibson for some time before he founded the company. I have also worked with Neil and Paul for many years in different roles so, when the time came for me to move back to the North East after a few years working in Oxfordshire it made sense to get in touch.

Luckily the timing was right. The mammography project was just getting off the ground and we all felt I could make a useful contribution.

Professional background, life outside of work, and some key interests?
I am a physicist by background and have worked in a wide variety of roles and markets. All have, in some form, involved the development and commercialisation of new technologies. I find the real-world application of new technologies particularly interesting.

My life outside of work is centred around my family – often, it seems, as a resident chauffeur and dog walker. I spent too many years working away from home so it is great to be back full time. In my downtime, I like to read. I usually have several books on the go at once but recently I have been leaning more towards history and mythology – maybe because, as I get older, I feel like I have lived through most of it. I am fascinated by how familiar people through the ages can be. Their motivations and aspirations are easily recognisable even today.

What are some of your future goals and aspirations?
My professional and personal goals are easily summarised; care for my family and friends, use my skills and experience to make a difference, and keep pushing myself outside of my comfort zones.

A moment in life you’ll never forget?
I have been fortunate to have traveled widely and met many interesting people over the years but the moments that will stay with me most are closer to home. The birth of my children was exhilarating, terrifying, and humbling in equal measure. I realised then that sometimes we are wholly reliant on the strength, expertise, and compassion of others.

My grandmother also gave me a valuable lesson in humility that I will never forget. When I was awarded my PhD in Physics she proudly told her friends that I was now a doctor, but not the sort of doctor that can do anyone any good. No chance of an over-inflated ego with her around.

Your go-to productivity trick
It is very easy to get bogged down in complex problems and lose your way when you are busy. It is also easy to lose sight of the progress you are making when your mind is always focused on the next challenge. A weekly review provides a useful opportunity to step back, reflect on, and learn from the successes and failures of the previous week. It is also a good time to make sure you have captured all of your new actions, make sure they are aligned with your long-term goals, and set your priorities for the coming days and weeks.

What’s surprised you about working at IBEX?
I had high expectations when I joined IBEX and was not disappointed. Every day I see examples of exceptional resourcefulness, creativity, and drive from all members of the team. I faced a daunting learning curve when I started with the market, technology, and tools all being unfamiliar to me but the team could not have been more supportive.

I can’t say I was surprised but it is always nice when hopes are exceeded.

There you have it, an insight into the life of David Joyce!