Ethan Butson, Radiation Oncology Medical Physicist, Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD), has been named the Australia Day ambassador for the Snowy Monaro region.
With a lifelong curiosity about the world and a drive to make a difference, Ethan has committed to advancing cancer treatment and supporting his community.
“I’ve always been that kid who was constantly asking questions,” Ethan said.
“For me, science isn’t just a set of rules—it’s a way of investigating and figuring out why the world is the way it is.”
Ethan completed his registrar training entirely within WSLHD and now holds a permanent position at Westmead and Blacktown hospitals.
His work in medical physics is essential to ensuring the safety and accuracy of radiotherapy treatments.
“In radiation therapy, patients are treated with X-rays using big machines that fire radiation all around their body.”
“The job of the medical physicist is to make sure that what the doctors order is exactly what the machines deliver. We do a lot of quality assurance work, checking the machines and the computer systems that create treatment plans.”
Ethan’s passion for innovation drives his work to advance radiotherapy techniques.
“One of the techniques I’ve been working on over the past three to four years brings how we perform treatment about 20 years into the future. It’s all about finding ways to do things better and asking new questions to make a genuine difference in people’s lives.”
Ethan’s contributions extend into charitable work.
“More recently, I’ve been involved in a charity called The Water Gift, which uses medical physics technology to provide clean water solutions in developing regions. That work has been inspired by my dad, who founded the charity.”
Reflecting on his journey, Ethan also credited his nomination for NSW Young Australian of the Year in 2015 as a pivotal moment in his career.
“That recognition for my science work and research helped highlight the impact we can have, not just in our field, but for communities as well,” he said.
As an Australia Day ambassador, Ethan is looking forward to celebrating with the Snowy Monaro community.
It’s a big year for me and being part of Australia Day is such an honour.
Ethan Butson
