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Ahmed Al-Salim

Ahmed Al-Salim is a senior scientist at PHF Science's National Centre for Radiation Science (NCRS) based in Christchurch.

Qualifications

Ahmed earned his BSc/PgDip in Science, Geography and Environmental Science at The University of Auckland.

About

As one of our radiation experts, Ahmed provides scientific and technical support to the Ministry of Health’s Office of Radiation Safety(external link) (ORS), ensuring the safe use of radiation and radioactive materials. He enjoys the diversity of his work and the environments he finds himself in. His day could start at the local hospital radiology department and end in a rural paddock inspecting a drilling rig. Ahmed is one of our country’s radiological emergency duty officers, on call for radiological emergencies. He is also the national point of contact for the International Atomic Energy Agency’s(external link) (IAEA) Incident and Trafficking Database that records incidents of illicit trafficking and other unauthorised activities involving nuclear and other radioactive material. With an academic background in Environmental Science from the University of Auckland, Ahmed is passionate about sustainable development in Small Island Developing States (SIDS). As part of his role at PHF Science, Ahmed provides radiation expertise and support to the Pacific region to help ensure the use of ionising radiation for medical diagnosis and therapy (cancer treatment) is safe and aligned with best practice. In collaboration with the IAEA and New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), Ahmed also supports the Pacific Island Radiation Safety and Security Network (PIRSS-Net) to develop a sustainable regional radiation safety and security infrastructure. Ahmed also supports the delivery of bespoke training courses offered by PHF Science's radiation safety training team to national and international clients, and participates in multi-agency emergency training exercises which include key agencies such as the New Zealand Defence Force, Fire and Emergency NZ, local DHBs and territorial authorities.