Celebrating our female scientists and engineers
23 June 2025
Today is International Women in Engineering Day 2025!
Here at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, we are lucky to have some amazing women working as engineers and clinical scientists within our clinical engineering department - a part of our medical imaging and medical physics directorate.
Working in a range of different roles from the management and maintenance of medical devices, through to the innovation, design and development of new medical devices, our female engineers and scientists are key in ensuring the highest quality of care is delivered to our patients.
To mark the celebrations, our female engineers and scientists share their personal journey and what they love most about the role.
Mary Oppong
I graduated with a degree in biomedical engineering from Aston University in 2023. During my studies, I was always curious about the different career paths within my field. That curiosity led me to discover clinical engineering, a discipline that truly resonated with me.
One of the most profound lessons I’ve learned is that clinical engineering isn’t just about hands-on technical work. It’s about understanding the clinical context of the devices—why they’re used, how they improve patient outcomes, and how technical insight can optimise their use. This fusion of engineering expertise and clinical awareness is what makes the profession so meaningful.
What I truly love about clinical engineering is the indirect yet powerful impact we have on patients, families, and hospital staff. Through our work, we enhance the safety, effectiveness, and efficiency of medical equipment, making a real difference in healthcare delivery.
Sophie Bishop
Throughout my career in clinical engineering, I have progressed from an apprentice to a senior clinical engineer – project lead. I have been mentored by my team, given opportunities to complete technical training courses and supported in my educational efforts from a level 3 BTEC in electrical engineering to an undergraduate degree in healthcare science, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities I have been given as a woman in STEM and I am thankful for the chance to make a difference.
Avril McCarthy
I am a consultant clinical scientist in the medical device innovation services within clinical engineering and co-lead for the Pathways to Implementation and Impact theme for the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre in Long Term Conditions, Devices for Dignity, which is hosted by the Trust. I am passionate about developing new medical devices that benefit patients and the NHS I am fortunate to have experienced a wide and varied range of opportunities for collaborative working with industry, academic colleagues and product users.
Victoria Kidgell
I love working in clinical engineering as it gives me such a varied working day and helps to deliver high quality patient care by ensuring we provide the best medical devices we can. I get the opportunity to be involved in national projects and volunteer with my professional body as Chair of the Clinical Engineering special interest group. I am also involved in the training and assessment of clinical scientist trainees, where I hold the position of joint lead assessor/content editor. I would encourage any women to consider a career in clinical engineering as it provides you with so many opportunities.
Oreofeoluwa Moronkola
I love what I do as a senior engineer in clinical engineering because I get to work with clinical teams to improve patient care through equipment and pathway optimisation, on a daily basis.
Emma Pratt
I work as part of a multi-disciplinary team providing paediatric gait analysis for children and young people with complex movement needs. My role bridges clinical, scientific and engineering domains—supporting service development and research, while also leading on the procurement and commissioning of specialised equipment. Engineering gives me a unique opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the health and wellbeing of children and young people
