Mexican researching cancer therapies goes to Swiss laboratory

A Monterrey campus student has been selected by CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) for a research stay in Geneva.

By MARLENE GONZÁLEZ | Monterrey Campus - 07/22/2022 Photo SHUTTERSTOCK, COURTESY OF THE INTERVIEWEE

Mexican Karla Rodríguez was one of more than 300 people selected for a research stay at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research), in Switzerland.

Every year, the CERN Summer Student program brings together students from around the world to participate in advanced technology research projects, conferences, and classes, among other activities.

“I’m working on a project using a cyclotron for medical use, particularly cancer therapies. We use magnets to accelerate and redirect the particles in the cyclotron. This keeps them in orbit and continual acceleration.

“I’ll do simulations of the magnetic field of a dipole, which uses two different types of magnets. Then, I’ll analyze the quality of the field and make modifications to the design of the dipoles and one of the quadrupoles to improve the quality of the field,” she explained.

Karla Rodríguez en el CERN.

CERN, located in Geneva, is the world’s largest particle physics laboratory. It focuses on fundamental physics: trying to find out what the universe is made of and how it works.

This year’s CERN Summer Student program began on June 27. The stay lasts for about two months.

“It gives me lots of confidence to know that these kinds of opportunities exist and are within my reach.”

From Mexico to Switzerland

The Engineering Physics student explained how she ended up going to CERN.

“There’s a student group at the Tec called CAPTEC (Particle Accelerator Community at Tecnológico de Monterrey). When the pandemic started, they gave us some talks via Zoom.

“I connected to one of them and the person who was presenting introduced us to the CERN programs. I did some research and began to prepare myself,” she explained.

As a result, Karla, who hails from Tamaulipas, decided to apply for the CERN Summer Student program in January this year.

In April, the 7th semester student was notified that she had been accepted to for a research stay at CERN, where she would have the opportunity to participate in a medical project.

Estudiantes que forman parte del programa CERN Summer Student 2022. — *Students accepted on the “2022 CERN Summer Student” program.*

“I don’t have the words to express myself. It’s very exciting and it gives me lots of confidence to know that these kinds of opportunities exist and are within my reach.

“I really like the importance they give to our education; programs like this one prove it,” said the Engineering Physics student from Monterrey campus.