Clinical scientist Alex seeking a balanced view of life and work
30.07.2024
An expert in ultrasound imaging chose a career in North Wales because it offered the perfect work-life balance of a worthwhile career and healthy outdoor pursuits.
Alex Damico, a Clinical Vascular Scientist working in Radiology at Ysbyty Gwynedd, spends his days checking the superhighway network of vessels carrying blood around our bodies.
However, he swaps ultrasound imaging for a more conventional camera in his spare time, to indulge in one of his many passions.
It may seem like something of a busman’s holiday as he spends all day recording images of the human body but he’s just as at home capturing the beautiful landscapes of North Wales, as well as indulging in the high-octane outdoor sports synonymous with our region.
Sport played a large role in his early academic career, initially studying for a degree in clinical exercise physiology at Liverpool John Moores University – but his focus changed because of one special teacher.
He explained: “It was really about whether I wanted to focus on either elite sport or the wider public and improving their health - and I thought the latter was obviously more rewarding.
“I had a really interesting lecturer who kind of got me into ultrasound and I became very passionate about using it. That’s where my interest really stems from.”
On completing his undergraduate course, Alex completed a Masters in clinical exercise physiology at Liverpool John Moores. He then went off to start training as a clinical vascular scientist, undergoing another three-year, part-time, funded Masters course at Newcastle University as part of the process.
“It’s a really interesting training programme,” said Alex. “I got paid a basic salary and got to train at the same time.”
He was based at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London for those three years and also worked at the Royal Free Hospital in the capital for a period.
His role at Ysbyty Gwynedd is a diagnostic service, mainly using ultrasound and mapping the blood vessels of patients who are experiencing circulatory issues. It’s a highly skilled role and one which informs the work of vascular teams across North Wales – but it can be tricky.
Alex revealed: “A common thing which makes it difficult for me is calcification in the blood vessels. If you’ve never seen an ultrasound scan of a blood vessel before, you should see either a blue or red within the vessel.
“When it's heavily calcified, which tends to be in diabetic patients or patients with atherosclerotic* disease, you don't always manage to get one of those beautiful images.
“That can make it quite tricky to provide a map of all the blood vessels. That's getting more common now with the increase in diabetes and other comorbidities (diseases).”
*Atherosclerosis is where arteries become narrowed, making it difficult for blood to flow through them. This is caused by a build-up of fatty deposits. Things you can do to reduce the risk of this occurring include:
- Not smoking
- Managing your diabetes well
- Eating a balanced diet with fewer saturated fats and less sugar
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Keeping alcohol consumption to 14 units or less each week
- Exercising regularly
That need for exercise, to counteract the long periods he spends being in one place during his working day, was partly behind Alex’s decision to leave London and move to North Wales.
“The team was great in London and I really enjoyed it,” he said. “I originally grew up in the Lake District, so I was in quite a rural area.
“I went to Liverpool and I really enjoyed the city living and when I got onto the training programme, stationed in London and Saint Bartholomew's Hospital, I did that for three years.
Read more: Scientist Training Programme (STP) in Wales - HEIW (nhs.wales)
“But I wanted to try and get my work life balance. So I moved to North Wales because I wanted to be out in the mountains and doing the activities I enjoy.
“So that's the steps I've taken to try and reach that goal of having a healthy lifestyle.”
He’s thrown himself into his adopted home in the west of the region, with windsurfing, mountain hiking and photography on the agenda when he finishes work.
Alex, who is half-Italian, is also getting a crash-course in speaking a third language (Welsh) from his girlfriend and claims the “dysgu Cymraeg” is coming along…slowly.
He is now focusing on training more specialist staff to assist him with his work. He’s also hoping he can attract more budding scientists to think about a career with our Health Board in North Wales, where they’re needed, rather than taking their skills elsewhere.
Keep up to date with health board news by signing up to our mailing list Sign up (es-mail.co.uk)