Summer Internship Spotlight: The KGSP’s Raghad Asiri at CERN

Raghad Asiri, a senior at Stanford University majoring in Bioengineering, spent the summer in Geneva, Switzerland working at the ISOLDE facility in CERN. Established in 1954, CERN is an intergovernmental organization primarily focused on the research of particle physics, or “the study of the fundamental constituents of matter and the forces acting between them.” Physicists and engineers use particle accelerators and detectors to study fundamental particles and gain a better understanding of the fundamental laws of nature. At ISOLDE, Raghad worked on target material development for lanthanum oxide nanoparticles. “We aim to produce nanoparticles because of their high surface area to volume ratio, which allows the isotopes to diffuse more quickly out of the target material,” Raghad said. “The rate of diffusion is crucial because some isotopes have short half-lives and could decay before they escape the target material, meaning they can’t be harvested for research.”

^{Raghad Asiri, senior at Stanford University majoring in Bioengineering.}

Research opportunities like these provide KGSP students room to expand their knowledge and expertise in their respective fields of interests. Raghad’s interest in medical imaging fueled her decision to apply for an internship at the world-renowned research center. She wanted to learn the physics behind the production of radio tracers used in PET scans and other imaging modalities. “ISOLDE has a collaboration with the MEDICIS facility at CERN, which produces isotopes specifically for medical research, [and] made it the ideal environment for me due to the interdisciplinary research between bioengineers and physicists.”

Raghad’s research experience also fostered an environment for networking as she had the chance to meet with both peers and mentors from around the world, across various cultural and educational backgrounds. On her biggest lesson, Raghad stressed the importance of intellectual diversity, and the value in training across all areas of the STEM field. “Spending the summer at CERN showed me how even particle physics and bioengineering can be integrated to create valuable research, despite seeming completely unrelated,” Raghad said.

^{Raghad at CERN’s ISOLDE facility.}

The KGSP is dedicated to supporting its students as they pursue opportunities that enrich their academic experience and equip them with the skills necessary to achieve their goals. The Program looks forward to the impact they leave in their communities, as they take remarkable strides to contribute to the advancement of the world.